Statistical Mechanics

Statistical Mechanics

atoms
If atoms are mostly empty space, then why can't two objects made of atoms simply pass through each other? Quantum physics explains why.
quantum mechanics
Our classical intuition is no good in a quantum Universe. To make sense of it, we need to learn, and apply, an entirely novel set of rules.
A robotic hand and a human hand reach towards each other, with a glowing DNA helix in the background, symbolizing humanity's last exam in the intersection of technology and biology.
A crowdsourced "final exam" for AI promises to test LLMs like never before. Here's how the idea, and its implementation, dooms us to fail.
Abstract green fractal design with smooth, curved lines converging at a central point, resembling a flowing, symmetrical pattern against a dark background, inspired by AI physics.
A new technique that can automatically classify phases of physical systems could help scientists investigate novel materials.
entropy 2 stroke engine
The second law of thermodynamics is an inviolable law of reality. Here's what everyone should know about closed, open, and isolated systems.
a black and white photo of a man sitting at a desk.
The quantum world is one in which rules that are completely foreign to our everyday experience dictate bizarre behavior.
neutrinos
Experiments cannot confirm what theory predicts about neutrinos. And particle physicists have no idea why.
ergodicity
In movies and TV shows, aliens look like pointy-eared humans. Is this realistic? If evolution is predictable, then it very well might be.
If it holds up, it would revolutionize physics and be a slam-dunk Nobel Prize. Here’s why that’s unlikely to be the case. Every so often, an experiment comes along in physics […]
The 750 GeV particle that the LHC thought it saw? A sham. And we all should have known. “The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are […]