particle physics
From the earliest stages of the hot Big Bang (and even before) to our dark energy-dominated present, how and when did the Universe grow up?
Discover how Quantum Bayesianism challenges traditional quantum mechanics by focusing on the role of the observer in creating quantum reality.
At a fundamental level, only a few particles and forces govern all of reality. How do their combinations create human consciousness?
A human hand has the power to split wooden planks and demolish concrete blocks. A trio of physicists investigated why this feat doesn’t shatter our bones.
Our Universe requires dark matter in order to make sense of things, astrophysically. Could massive photons do the trick?
Practically all of the matter we see and interact with is made of atoms, which are mostly empty space. Then why is reality so… solid?
If the electromagnetic and weak forces unify to make the electroweak force, maybe, at higher energies, something even grander happens?
In all the Universe, only a few particles are eternally stable. The photon, the quantum of light, has an infinite lifetime. Or does it?
No matter how good our measurement devices get, certain quantum properties always possess an inherent uncertainty. Can we figure out why?
There are so many problems, all across planet Earth, that harm and threaten humanity. Why invest in researching the Universe?
The majority of the matter in our Universe isn’t made of any of the particles in the Standard Model. Could the axion save the day?
The “first cause” problem may forever remain unsolved, as it doesn’t fit with the way we do science.
Lord Kelvin is thought to have said there was nothing new to discover in physics. His real view was the opposite.
In the infant Universe, particle physics reigned supreme.
First derived by Emmy Noether, for every symmetry a theory possesses, there’s an associated conserved quantity. Here’s the profound link.
A great many cosmic puzzles still remain unsolved. By embracing a broad and varied approach, particle physics heads toward a bright future.
In logic, ‘reductio ad absurdum’ shows how flawed arguments fall apart. Our absurd Universe, however, often defies our intuitive reasoning.
Physicists just can’t leave an incomplete theory alone; they try to repair it. When nature is kind, it can lead to a major breakthrough.
You can only create or destroy matter by creating or destroying equal amounts of antimatter. So how did we become a matter-rich Universe?
Symmetries aren’t just about folding or rotating a piece of paper, but have a profound array of applications when it comes to physics.
The Multiverse fuels some of the 21st century’s best fiction stories. But its supporting pillars are on extremely stable scientific footing.
When cosmic inflation came to an end, the hot Big Bang ensued as a result. If our cosmic vacuum state decays, could it all happen again?
The second law of thermodynamics tells us that entropy always increases. But that doesn’t mean it was zero at the start of the Big Bang.
Everything acts like a wave while it propagates, but behaves like a particle whenever it interacts. The origins of this duality go way back.
Discrepancies between observations and theory regarding subatomic particles called muons may force scientists to rethink the quantum world.
The $21.5-billion project could involve tunneling hundreds of feet under Lake Geneva.
It’s not about particle-antiparticle pairs falling into or escaping from a black hole. A deeper explanation alters our view of reality.
Recent measurements of CERN data seem to disagree with standard-model predictions about how the Higgs boson decays, though further analysis is needed to confirm the observations.
The Universe didn’t begin with a bang, but with an inflationary “whoosh” that came before. Here are the biggest questions that still remain.
The DUNE project will beam tiny neutrinos across vast distances. But the first step involved moving a heavier material: 1 million tons of rock.