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A series of hexagonal clear pieces, reflecting rainbow prisms
Chinese physicists create rare 'hexagonal diamond' that's harder than natural diamond Researchers made small, pure samples of the elusive mineral lonsdaleite – also known as hexagonal diamond — and tested its material properties to show it's harder than diamond.
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A twisted black and white striped ribbon is covered with small black and white dots against a white background
A new twist on matter? Strange 'Half-Mӧbius' molecule has rare properties chemists have never seen before Chemists created a strange "half-Mӧbius" molecule, where electrons twist freely out of place to make a continuously looping surface.
An illustration showing a green hexagonal molecule on the right connects with a series of glowing waves on the left with a bright blue line
Physicists created an electron 'catapult' that moves particles at 'extraordinary' speed Using a new method, physicists found a way to "catapult" electrons across solar materials in quadrillionths of a second.

Latest about Physics & Mathematics

A 3D illustration of a knot, where the two cords on the left are purple and blue and form a loop with two cords on the right which are made of 3D yellow mesh.

Can you tie a knot in four dimensions? A mathematician explains

By Zsuzsanna Dancso published

An academic dives into the physics of multiple dimensions and whether it's possible to tie a knot in 4D.

Physics & Mathematics
An illustration showing a spiral galaxy on the left of the image and a swirl of gas and stars on the right connected by a triangle of red laser light

'Collective hum' of black holes could settle the debate over new physics

By Andrey Feldman published

Ripples in the fabric of space-time called gravitational waves may be the key to solving the Hubble tension — one of the biggest nagging problems in physics.

2 Comments
Physics & Mathematics

Do you weigh more when an elevator goes up or when it comes down?

By Larissa G. Capella published

Your weight doesn't change because of gravity but because the floor pushes back. Physicists explain why elevators briefly make you feel heavier or lighter.

2 Comments
Physics & Mathematics
A close up of a man's lower legs, with both feet wearing tall black sneakers and black socks. He wears white basketball shorts and is bouncing a basketball between his hands while standing on a midline on a wooden basketball court

We now know why shoes squeak, and it involves miniature lightning bolts

By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry published

Harvard engineers think they've found the reason basketball shoes squeak, and it's due to pockets of friction between the rubber and the court.

Physics & Mathematics
A cartoon showing a series of figures carrying different dark blue numbers walking across a green and yellow circuit board. In the background, a human brain floats in the center of blue concentric circles with a circuit board pattern in the shape of the brain

'Proof by intimidation': AI is confidently solving 'impossible' math problems. But can it convince the world's top mathematicians?

By Kit Yates published

AI could soon spew out hundreds of mathematical proofs that look "right" but contain hidden flaws, or proofs so complex we can't verify them. How will we know if they're right?

4 Comments
Mathematics
A colorful image shows a opalescent sphere carving a streak through a rainbow colored surface, kicking up white streaks behind it

Physicists recreated the first millisecond after the Big Bang — and found it was surprisingly soupy

By Andrey Feldman published

Scientists saw a quark plowing through primordial plasma for the first time, offering a rare look at the first moments after the Big Bang

8 Comments
Particle Physics
An animation of two black holes merging

Record-breaking gravitational wave puts Einstein's relativity to its toughest test yet — and proves him right again

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

A record-breaking gravitational wave signal let scientists "listen" to a distant black hole merger and put Einstein's gravity to its toughest test yet.

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Physics & Mathematics
A concrete structure with large pillars and a metal staircase looms over a snowy landscape with green and red auroras illuminating the night sky

Upgrade to Antarctica 'ghost particle' observatory could pave the way to physics breakthroughs

By Stephanie Pappas published

The National Science Foundation's massive IceCube neutrino detector at the South Pole just got a major new upgrade, which promises to take the search for "ghost particles" to a new level.

Particle Physics

Physicists push quantum boundaries by turning a superfluid into a supersolid — and back — for the first time

By Damien Pine published

Physicists saw excitons, a type of quasiparticle, undergo a reversible phase transition from superfluid to supersolid for the first time, opening new doors for studying extreme states of matter.

Quantum Physics

Scientists smash record for superposition, bringing quantum world tantalizingly close to reality

By Rory Harris published

Researchers have demonstrated that a nanoparticle of 7,000 sodium atoms can act as a wave, creating a record-setting superposition.

4 Comments
Quantum Physics
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