Quantum Physics

Quantum Physics

black hole central singularity
Yes, "the laws of physics break down" at singularities. But relativity itself would have to be wrong for black holes to not possess them.
atom quantum
In physics, we reduce things to their elementary, fundamental components, and build emergent things out of them. That's not the full story.
two particles different wavelength speed of light
Contrary to common experience, not everything needs a medium to travel through. Overcoming that assumption removes the need for an aether.
We have two descriptions of the Universe that work perfectly well: general relativity and quantum physics. Too bad they don't work together.
black hole
Quantum entanglement links information between particles across space and time. So what happens when one of them falls into a black hole?
connected entangled pair
A century ago, quantum physics overthrew our view of a deterministic Universe. A profound 21st century theorem closes the door even further.
An elderly woman wearing glasses, a black hat, and a patterned scarf smiles while seated indoors—reminiscent of Gladys West, the Einstein behind GPS technology.
Two main contributors enabled our modern global positioning system (GPS): Albert Einstein and Gladys West. Here's how she made it happen.
The very word "quantum" makes people's imaginations run wild. But chances are you've fallen for at least one of these myths.
quantum communications
Perhaps the most remarkable fact about the Universe is simply that it, and everything in it, exists. But what's the reason why?
An artist's impression of a cluster of stars.
With several seemingly incompatible observations, cosmology faces many puzzles. Could early, supermassive stars be the unified solution?
Two diagrams: the left shows a complex, circular, multicolored network; the right displays a theoretical physics diagram with labeled axes and colored particle symbols, capturing the intricate nature of physics hard concepts.
When you don't have enough clues to bring your detective story to a close, you should expect that your educated guesses will all be wrong.
There could be variables beyond the ones we've identified and know how to measure. But they can't get rid of quantum weirdness.
A person inspects a large, cylindrical section of a Higgs factory tunnel lined with metal pipes, cables, and equipment—a crucial site for particle physics research.
A next-generation collider is required for studying particle physics at the frontiers. Here's the fastest, cheapest way to get it done.
Abstract digital artwork featuring concentric blue circles, lines, and green geometric shapes over a dark blue and black textured background, evoking a sense of vibe physics within its captivating composition.
The conversation you're having with an LLM about groundbreaking new ideas in theoretical physics is completely meritless. Here's why.
quantum particles
Realizing that matter and energy are quantized is important, but quantum particles aren't the full story; quantum fields are needed, too.
levitation
With the right material at the right temperature and a magnetic track, physics really does allow perpetual motion without energy loss.
Two colorful, semi-transparent spheres, one blue and one red, represent a possible top quark bound state, toponium, surrounded by small particles inside a cloudy, circular enclosure.
Can the top quark, the shortest-lived particle of all, bind with anything else? Yes it can! New results at the LHC demonstrate toponium exists.
Abstract illustration of a figure reaching for a yellow sphere on the left, with colored overlapping circles and concentric arcs—evoking themes of physics and consciousness—set against a vibrant multicolored gradient background.
Many, from neuroscientists to philosophers to anesthesiologists, have claimed to understand consciousness. Do physicists? Does anyone?
A repeating pattern of wireframe 3D geometric shapes intersected by diagonal yellow lines on a black background, evoking a physics break down of forms at the Planck scale.
There are limits to where physics makes meaningful predictions: beyond the Planck length, time, or energy. Here's why we can't go further.
particle physics destroy universe
Empty space itself, the quantum vacuum, could be in either a true, stable state or a false, unstable state. Our fate depends on the answer.
Over a century after we first unlocked the secrets of the quantum universe, people find it more puzzling than ever. Can we make sense of it?
Green glowing orbs and funnel-shaped structures with light patterns floating in a vibrant green misty background.
There are some 26 fundamental constants in nature, and their values enable our Universe to exist as it does. But where do they come from?
CMB polarization Planck
Cosmic inflation, proposed back in 1980, is a theory that precedes and sets up the hot Big Bang. After thorough testing, is it still valid?
Diagram of particle interactions with wavy and straight lines, illustrating how photons mediate attraction and repulsion in various Feynman diagrams in particle physics.
The electromagnetic force can be attractive, repulsive, or "bendy," but is always mediated by the photon. How does one particle do it all?
There's no upper limit to how massive galaxies or black holes can be, but the most massive known star is only ~260 solar masses. Here's why.
Sunlight, like a quantum sun, streams through tree branches, casting golden rays over a calm lake.
Despite the Sun's high core temperatures, atomic nuclei repel each other too strongly to fuse together. Good thing for quantum physics!
A close-up of the quantum AI processor labeled "Willow" rests on a textured metallic surface, hinting at the mysteries of quantum computation and whispers of parallel universes.
By improving quantum error correction, quantum computations are now faster than ever. But parallel universes? That's utter nonsense here.
evolution universe cosmic history big bang
From a hot, dense, uniform state in its earliest moments, our entire known Universe arose. These unavoidable steps made it all possible.
A digital visualization displays particle collision results with colored tracks and trails diverging from a central point against a black background, hinting at how B-mesons might break the standard model.
We have very specific predictions for how particles ought to decay. When we look at B-mesons all together, something vital doesn't add up.
Diagram of atomic orbitals showing various shapes and labels, including s, p, d, and f orbitals, organized in a triangular structure with coordinate axes x, y, z.
One of the fundamental constants of nature, the fine-structure constant, determines so much about our Universe. Here's why it matters.