Physics news — particle physics, quantum mechanics, cosmology, and theoretical breakthroughs.
Physicists say quantum mechanics may not need imaginary numbers after all
Researchers at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf have challenged a foundational assumption in quantum mechanics, demonstrating that the theory does…
A 200-year-old physics experiment could help build future computers
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have found an unexpectedly simple method to generate optical skyrmions by exploiting the …
This electric field trick boosted heat flow by nearly 300%
Researchers have demonstrated that applying an electric field to certain ceramic materials can boost heat flow by nearly 300 percent in a chosen direc…
Physicists recreate black hole energy extraction in the lab
Physicists at a laboratory have successfully demonstrated energy extraction from rotating black holes through a tabletop experiment, translating a dec…
Peter Shor’s algorithm could break the internet – but he's not worried
Peter Shor, the MIT mathematician who developed the quantum algorithm bearing his name, remains unfazed by widespread fears that his creation could re…
Does time come from the entire universe running computations?
Stephen Wolfram, a physicist and computer scientist, proposes that time emerges from the universe performing continuous computations. The radical hypo…
Why gold never tarnishes has finally been explained
Researchers have solved a centuries-old puzzle about gold's resistance to tarnishing. A team found that surface atoms on gold reorganize into specific…
Secure glass containers for storing chemical waste through laser welding
Researchers have developed a laser welding technique to create secure glass containers for storing hazardous chemical waste and battery materials from…
'Time was speeding up, slowing down, or even stopping': Physicist demonstrates a key theory of time by building a 'mini-universe' in his lab
Physicist Igor Pikovski of Florida Atlantic University has experimentally demonstrated a foundational principle about time's nature by creating a cont…
Pickles glow when you plug them in. Science explains why
A jar of pickles connected to electrical current produces a striking glow, a phenomenon rooted in basic plasma physics rather than magic. When researc…
New test certifies quantum measurements that simpler methods cannot mimic
Physicists from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Lund University, and the University of Innsbruck have created a straightforward method to verify…
Physicists created a tiny universe where time emerged without a clock
Physicists at the University of Birmingham have demonstrated that time can emerge naturally from quantum systems without requiring an external clock. …
'Complex numbers are not needed for quantum mechanics': Physicists develop quantum model that uses only 'real' numbers for first time ever
Physicists have constructed a version of quantum mechanics that relies exclusively on real numbers rather than complex numbers, producing identical pr…