particle physics

Do we actually live in a deterministic Universe, despite quantum physics? An alternative, non-spooky interpretation has now been ruled out.

Within our observable Universe, there’s only one Earth and one “you.” But in a vast multiverse, so much more becomes possible.

A recent experiment challenges the leading dark matter theory and hints at new directions for uncovering one of the Universe’s biggest mysteries.

Most fundamental constants could be a little larger or smaller, and our Universe would still be similar. But not the mass of the electron.

Taught in every introductory physics class for centuries, the parabola is only an imperfect approximation for the true path of a projectile.

Inflation, dark matter, and string theory are all proposed extensions to the prior consensus picture. But what does the evidence say?

The observation that everything we know is made out of matter and not antimatter is one of nature’s greatest puzzles. Will we ever solve it?

The mass that gravitates and the mass that resists motion are, somehow, the same mass. But even Einstein didn’t know why this is so.

Scientific surprises, driven by experiment, are often how science advances. But more often than not, they’re just bad science.

Researchers at the Brookhaven National Laboratory recently created the heaviest exotic antimatter hypernucleus ever observed.

Here on Earth, we commonly use terms like weight (in pounds) and mass (in kilograms) as though they’re interchangeable. They’re not.

No matter how good our measurement devices get, certain quantum properties always possess an inherent uncertainty. Can we figure out why?

In all the Universe, only a few particles are eternally stable. The photon, the quantum of light, has an infinite lifetime. Or does it?

The original principle of relativity, proposed by Galileo way back in the early 1600s, remains true in its unchanged form even today.

The largest particle accelerator and collider ever built is the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Why not go much, much bigger?

More than any other equation in physics, E = mc² is recognizable and profound. But what do we actually learn about reality from it?

The Michelson-Morley experiment of 1887, despite expectations, revealed a null result: no effect. The implications were revolutionary.

For centuries, Newton’s inverse square law of gravity worked beautifully, but no one knew why. Here’s how Einstein finally explained it.

Quarks and leptons are the smallest known subatomic particles. Does the Standard Model allow for an even smaller layer of matter to exist?

Today, the Large Hadron Collider is the most powerful particle physics experiment in history. What would a new, successor collider teach us?

Dark matter’s hallmark is that it gravitates, but shows no sign of interacting under any other force. Does that mean we’ll never detect it?

Often viewed as a purely theoretical, calculational tool only, direct observation of the Lamb Shift proved their very real existence.

A perfect map is as useless as it is impossible to create.

A longstanding mismatch between theory and experiment motivated an exquisite muon measurement. At last, a theoretical solution has arrived.

Cats twist and snakes slide, exploiting and negotiating physical laws. Scientists are figuring out how.

The passage of time is something we all experience, as it takes us from one moment to the next. But could it all just be an illusion?

The properties of a ghostly particle called a neutrino are coming into focus.

From the explosions themselves to their unique and vibrant colors, the fireworks displays we adore require quantum physics.

There are many things that separate science from ideology, politics, philosophy, or religion. Follow these 10 commandments to get it right.

Our thermodynamic arrow of time explains why the entropy of any isolated system always increases. But it can’t explain what we perceive.