A decades-old neutrino mystery might be solved not by undiscovered physics but by improved calculations.

A carbon nanotube foam springs back to its initial state, regardless of the speed of the compression, a property that could lead to a new type of shock absorber. Perfect padding. Vertically aligned ...

A hallmark property of unconventional superconductivity has been discovered in a type-I superconductor, whereas it’s normally observed only in type-II materials. Superconductors can be broadly ...

Researchers have gained access to the rich physics of a landmark model magnet by assembling a crystal out of organic magnetic molecules. The S = 1 Haldane chain is an infinite 1D string of integer ...

The creation of modern quantum mechanics was a messy business in which many of the participants did not grasp the significance of their own discoveries. The wave nature of electrons is revealed in ...

In 1935, Albert Einstein, Boris Podolsky, and Nathan Rosen (EPR) wrote a now famous paper questioning the completeness of the formalism of quantum mechanics. Rejecting the idea that a measurement on ...

Figure 1: An electronic version of a self-contained (autonomous) Maxwell demon. The “system” is a single-electron box connected to an external potential. The demon monitors the charge on the box.

Before determining the correct quantum theory of gravity, researchers need to know if gravity is actually quantized. Experiments testing that assumption are now being developed. Quantum fluctuations ...

Gravitational waves emitted by the merger of two black holes have been detected, setting the course for a new era of observational astrophysics. Figure 1: Numerical simulations of the gravitational ...

Measurements of the decay of the Higgs boson into muon–antimuon pairs provide evidence for the mechanism by which quarks and leptons acquire their mass. Figure 1: Display of a proton–proton collision ...

Physics looks back at the standout stories of 2013. Images from popular Physics stories in 2013. Images from popular Physics stories in 2013. × As 2013 draws to a close, we look back on the research ...

A detailed experimental analysis explains the forces by which a spinning magnet can cause another magnet to levitate in midair. An experiment with off-the-shelf components uses a magnet glued to the ...