New Scientist - Physics https://www.newscientist.com/ https://www.newscientist.com/build/images/ns-logo-scaled.ed2dc11a.png https://www.newscientist.com daily 1 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2373089-ai-can-work-out-how-quantum-computers-stack-up-to-one-another/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 12 May 2023 18:48:10 +0100 Comparing the properties of qubits in different quantum computers is challenging, but AI can tell them apart even when the state of the qubits is 98 per cent similar 2373089-ai-can-work-out-how-quantum-computers-stack-up-to-one-another|2373089 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25834383-000-why-virtual-particles-dont-exist-but-do-explain-reality-for-now/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 10 May 2023 14:00:00 +0100 So-called virtual particles aren't particles at all. Some argue that they are merely mathematical figments, and that we need to find a better way to understand particle interactions mg25834383-000-why-virtual-particles-dont-exist-but-do-explain-reality-for-now|2372494 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25834382-600-why-symmetry-is-so-fundamental-to-our-understanding-of-the-universe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 10 May 2023 14:00:00 +0100 The symmetries of matter are deeper and stranger than they first appear, and they have driven many of the biggest breakthroughs in particle physics. But have we exhausted their usefulness? mg25834382-600-why-symmetry-is-so-fundamental-to-our-understanding-of-the-universe|2372490 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25834382-800-to-create-a-wormhole-that-doesnt-collapse-you-need-exotic-matter/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 10 May 2023 14:00:00 +0100 Making a wormhole that a human could theoretically travel through would require an upside-down universe and negative energy mg25834382-800-to-create-a-wormhole-that-doesnt-collapse-you-need-exotic-matter|2372492 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25834382-300-emergence-the-mysterious-concept-that-holds-the-key-to-consciousness/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 10 May 2023 14:00:00 +0100 A better understanding of emergent phenomena like the wetness of water, where the properties of a system can't be explained by those of its constituent parts, could unravel some big mysteries mg25834382-300-emergence-the-mysterious-concept-that-holds-the-key-to-consciousness|2372487 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2372828-superconducting-qubits-have-passed-a-key-quantum-test/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 10 May 2023 17:00:49 +0100 A Bell test can confirm whether two systems are truly entangled – it has now been used to confirm entanglement between qubits in a superconducting circuits 2372828-superconducting-qubits-have-passed-a-key-quantum-test|2372828 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25834382-100-how-we-could-discover-quantum-gravity-without-rebuilding-space-time/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 10 May 2023 14:00:00 +0100 In the search for a theory that unites general relativity and quantum physics, many have tried to rethink space-time. But what if space-time emerges naturally, like a hologram? mg25834382-100-how-we-could-discover-quantum-gravity-without-rebuilding-space-time|2372485 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2372428-unevenly-packed-coffee-to-blame-for-weak-espresso-say-mathematicians/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 09 May 2023 17:00:43 +0100 A mathematical model shows that even small inconsistencies in how coffee is packed into an espresso machine can lead to weaker brews and watery flavour 2372428-unevenly-packed-coffee-to-blame-for-weak-espresso-say-mathematicians|2372428 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2372659-weird-particle-that-remembers-its-past-discovered-by-quantum-computer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 09 May 2023 15:00:21 +0100 Particles with unusual properties called anyons have long been sought after as a potential building block for advanced quantum computers, and now researchers have found one – using a quantum computer 2372659-weird-particle-that-remembers-its-past-discovered-by-quantum-computer|2372659 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25834372-200-do-we-live-in-a-hologram-why-physics-is-still-mesmerised-by-this-idea/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 03 May 2023 14:00:00 +0100 The holographic universe theory still grips physicists 25 years since it was first published. Here’s what it is all about mg25834372-200-do-we-live-in-a-hologram-why-physics-is-still-mesmerised-by-this-idea|2371469 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2371382-why-darkness-between-stars-reveals-more-about-the-universe-than-light/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 05 May 2023 08:00:09 +0100 When looking up at the night sky, light from stars draws attention. But the darkness between the light can reveal even more about the universe, says Nobel prize-winning astrophysicist Adam Riess 2371382-why-darkness-between-stars-reveals-more-about-the-universe-than-light|2371382 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25734301-000-the-physicist-betting-that-space-time-isnt-quantum-after-all/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 13 Mar 2023 17:00:00 +0000 Most experts think we have to tweak general relativity to fit with quantum theory. Physicist Jonathan Oppenheim isn't so sure, which is why he’s made a 5000:1 bet that gravity isn’t a quantum force mg25734301-000-the-physicist-betting-that-space-time-isnt-quantum-after-all|2363984 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2370695-quantum-computers-could-simulate-a-black-hole-in-the-next-decade/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Sat, 29 Apr 2023 13:00:52 +0100 Understanding the interactions between quantum physics and gravity within a black hole is one of the thorniest problems in physics, but quantum computers could soon offer an answer 2370695-quantum-computers-could-simulate-a-black-hole-in-the-next-decade|2370695 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2370625-exotic-cosmic-objects-in-string-theory-may-look-like-leaky-black-holes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 28 Apr 2023 14:00:22 +0100 Physicists have simulated strange objects from string theory to determine what they look like – if they exist, they could be mistaken for a black hole when imaged from very far away 2370625-exotic-cosmic-objects-in-string-theory-may-look-like-leaky-black-holes|2370625 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2371225-we-finally-know-why-bubbles-rise-in-a-straight-line-in-champagne/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 28 Apr 2023 12:00:46 +0100 In carbonated drinks, the wake from rising bubbles can disturb other bubbles. But when the molecules that give fizzy drinks their flavour coat the bubbles, they can form stable columns as they float 2371225-we-finally-know-why-bubbles-rise-in-a-straight-line-in-champagne|2371225 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25834360-700-how-can-we-prove-the-world-is-really-quantum-mechanical/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 26 Apr 2023 19:00:00 +0100 A 2021 paper has got physicists discussing whether our inability to use classical physics to describe reality on a quantum scale is a human failing - and what proof is necessary to show that the world really is quantum mechanical, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein mg25834360-700-how-can-we-prove-the-world-is-really-quantum-mechanical|2370439 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25834362-900-why-we-must-inspire-people-with-the-magic-of-condensed-matter-physics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 26 Apr 2023 19:00:00 +0100 Condensed matter is a huge field of physics that gets less attention than it deserves. We must show people its subtle magic if we are to draw in a diverse set of researchers for the next generation, says Felix Flicker mg25834362-900-why-we-must-inspire-people-with-the-magic-of-condensed-matter-physics|2370651 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2369971-2d-crystal-of-ultracold-charged-atoms-is-biggest-ever-created/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 24 Apr 2023 18:00:32 +0100 More than 100 charged calcium atoms chilled to extremely low temperatures have been arranged into a two-dimensional crystal, which could be used for studying quantum materials or building quantum computations 2369971-2d-crystal-of-ultracold-charged-atoms-is-biggest-ever-created|2369971 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2369081-strange-quantum-effect-observed-in-unusually-large-object/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 21 Apr 2023 08:30:07 +0100 An object made of hundreds of atoms exhibits a quantum property normally only associated with very small objects 2369081-strange-quantum-effect-observed-in-unusually-large-object|2369081 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25534030-800-quantum-batteries-strange-technology-that-could-provide-instant-power/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 07 Sep 2022 16:00:00 +0100 By leveraging a bizarre property of quantum mechanics called entanglement, quantum batteries could theoretically recharge in a flash. Now, progress is being made towards making them a reality. mg25534030-800-quantum-batteries-strange-technology-that-could-provide-instant-power|2336579 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2367423-the-quantum-world-a-concise-guide-to-the-particles-that-make-reality/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 05 Apr 2023 17:30:00 +0100 Get to grips with the deepest layer of reality we know of with our inventory of the subatomic realm, from known particles like quarks and the Higgs boson to hypotheticals including the fifth force and strings in 11 dimensions 2367423-the-quantum-world-a-concise-guide-to-the-particles-that-make-reality|2367423 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2368304-physics-confirms-the-best-way-to-make-a-playground-swing-go-higher/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 14 Apr 2023 12:00:01 +0100 If you’ve been on a playground swing, you may intuitively know when to lean back to get it going higher – physicists have confirmed that perfectly timed leaning produces the most height 2368304-physics-confirms-the-best-way-to-make-a-playground-swing-go-higher|2368304 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2368771-graphene-shows-record-breaking-magnetic-properties-at-room-temperature/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 12 Apr 2023 17:00:01 +0100 Graphene can change its electrical resistance in response to a magnetic field quicker than other materials, such as graphite or bismuth, which could one day change how we store data 2368771-graphene-shows-record-breaking-magnetic-properties-at-room-temperature|2368771 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2368306-a-macroscopic-amount-of-matter-has-been-put-in-a-quantum-superposition/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 12 Apr 2023 12:00:14 +0100 Researchers have put a sapphire crystal containing quadrillions of atoms into a superposition of quantum states, bringing quantum effects into the macroscopic world 2368306-a-macroscopic-amount-of-matter-has-been-put-in-a-quantum-superposition|2368306 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25834333-500-come-explore-the-quantum-realm-it-isnt-as-confusing-as-it-seems/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 05 Apr 2023 19:00:00 +0100 Quantum theory, and the world of subatomic particles and forces it describes, has a daunting reputation for strangeness. And yet, with the right guidance, anyone can enjoy its many wonders mg25834333-500-come-explore-the-quantum-realm-it-isnt-as-confusing-as-it-seems|2367698 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2367350-are-there-planets-that-are-better-for-life-than-earth/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 07 Apr 2023 08:00:56 +0100 Philosophers have long debated whether Earth is the best of all worlds. More powerful telescopes are finally giving us a better chance of answering this question, writes astronomer Chris Impey 2367350-are-there-planets-that-are-better-for-life-than-earth|2367350 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2367388-light-interacts-with-its-past-self-in-twist-on-double-slit-experiment/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 03 Apr 2023 17:00:42 +0100 The double-slit experiment consists of light passing through two slits separated by a small space – now researchers have performed it with small gaps in time instead 2367388-light-interacts-with-its-past-self-in-twist-on-double-slit-experiment|2367388 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25734230-100-neil-turok-on-the-case-for-a-parallel-universe-going-backwards-in-time/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 25 Jan 2023 16:00:00 +0000 To explain the cosmos without invoking cosmic inflation, physicist Neil Turok has proposed the existence of a mirror-image universe going backwards in time from the big bang. He tells us why the idea is so compelling mg25734230-100-neil-turok-on-the-case-for-a-parallel-universe-going-backwards-in-time|2355713 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2366932-protons-seem-to-be-a-different-size-depending-on-how-you-look-at-them/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 29 Mar 2023 17:00:36 +0100 An experiment that probed particles called gluons, which contain most of the mass of a proton, has revealed that a proton’s radius alters depending on whether you look at the particle's charge or mass 2366932-protons-seem-to-be-a-different-size-depending-on-how-you-look-at-them|2366932 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25433861-400-have-we-been-measuring-the-expansion-of-the-universe-wrong-all-along/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 11 May 2022 19:00:00 +0100 For decades, measurements of the universe's expansion have suggested a discrepancy known as the Hubble tension, which threatens to transform cosmology. But a new method suggests the tension may not exist after all mg25433861-400-have-we-been-measuring-the-expansion-of-the-universe-wrong-all-along|2319369 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634080-300-carlo-rovelli-on-the-bizarre-world-of-relational-quantum-mechanics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 10 Oct 2022 16:00:00 +0100 Physicist Carlo Rovelli explains the strange principles of relational quantum mechanics - which says objects don't exist in their own right - and how it could unlock major progress in fundamental physics mg25634080-300-carlo-rovelli-on-the-bizarre-world-of-relational-quantum-mechanics|2341443 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2365323-scientists-can-calculate-the-shape-colliding-bubbles-will-form/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 27 Mar 2023 13:00:03 +0100 An experiment with soap bubbles shows how they assume different shapes when two of them touch, and at which size they will merge into one 2365323-scientists-can-calculate-the-shape-colliding-bubbles-will-form|2365323 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25734313-200-stephen-hawkings-parting-shot-is-a-fresh-challenge-to-cosmologists/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 22 Mar 2023 18:00:00 +0000 The physicist’s final theorem, about why the universe seems fine-tuned for life, contains some provocative predictions. Will they be as fruitful as his insights into black holes? mg25734313-200-stephen-hawkings-parting-shot-is-a-fresh-challenge-to-cosmologists|2365663 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25734310-200-stephen-hawkings-final-theorem-turns-time-and-causality-inside-out/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 20 Mar 2023 15:30:00 +0000 In his final years, Stephen Hawking tackled the question of why the universe appears fine-tuned for life. His collaborator Thomas Hertog explains the radical solution they came up with mg25734310-200-stephen-hawkings-final-theorem-turns-time-and-causality-inside-out|2364934 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2366274-cern-measurement-casts-doubt-on-shocking-w-boson-result/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Sat, 25 Mar 2023 07:00:34 +0000 A 2022 measurement of the mass of the W boson threatened to upend particle physics as we know it, but new results from CERN indicate the standard model was right all along 2366274-cern-measurement-casts-doubt-on-shocking-w-boson-result|2366274 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2365616-ultra-fast-random-number-generator-uses-quantum-fluctuations/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 22 Mar 2023 19:00:34 +0000 Variations driven by pairs of particles and antiparticles that form and then annihilate can be used to generate random numbers up to 200 times faster than available commercial devices can 2365616-ultra-fast-random-number-generator-uses-quantum-fluctuations|2365616 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2365566-ultra-thin-superconducting-ink-could-be-used-in-quantum-computers/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 22 Mar 2023 18:00:05 +0000 A superconducting ink made through a simple process called chemical exfoliation could be used to print the cold circuits inside quantum computers and MRI machines 2365566-ultra-thin-superconducting-ink-could-be-used-in-quantum-computers|2365566 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2365576-supersized-atoms-could-help-quantum-computers-link-to-optical-fibres/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 22 Mar 2023 16:00:12 +0000 A device that uses supersized rubidium atoms could make it possible to transmit outputs from quantum computers through standard optical fibres. That in turn could make it easier to build networks of quantum computers 2365576-supersized-atoms-could-help-quantum-computers-link-to-optical-fibres|2365576 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2364955-red-matter-superconductor-may-not-be-a-wonder-material-after-all/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 17 Mar 2023 12:29:30 +0000 A material called red matter, after the colour change it undergoes when subjected to pressure, was hailed as a potential room temperature superconductor, but now other researchers are finding they can't replicate the results 2364955-red-matter-superconductor-may-not-be-a-wonder-material-after-all|2364955 https://www.newscientist.com/article/0-the-cosmologist-who-claims-to-have-evidence-for-the-multiverse/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 31 Oct 2022 16:21:00 +0000 Cosmologist Laura Mersini-Houghton says our universe is one of many – and she argues that we have already seen signs of those other universes in the cosmic microwave background, the light left over from the big bang 0-the-cosmologist-who-claims-to-have-evidence-for-the-multiverse|2344810 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2363095-80000-mouse-brain-cells-used-to-build-a-living-computer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 16 Mar 2023 20:30:11 +0000 Tens of thousands of living brain cells have been used to build a simple computer that can recognise patterns of light and electricity. It could eventually be used in robotics 2363095-80000-mouse-brain-cells-used-to-build-a-living-computer|2363095 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25433822-900-infinity-has-long-baffled-mathematicians-have-we-now-figured-it-out/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 13 Apr 2022 13:00:00 +0100 Mathematicians have long known infinity comes in many sizes, but how do they relate to one another? The key lies in a 150-year-old mystery known as the continuum hypothesis mg25433822-900-infinity-has-long-baffled-mathematicians-have-we-now-figured-it-out|2315855 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2363959-cosmic-tumbles-quantum-leaps-review-embodying-schrodingers-cat/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 14 Mar 2023 15:00:14 +0000 This physics-inspired circus performance enthralled attendees of the American Physical Society’s March Meeting, but a casual observer may have missed some of the scientific concepts that performers enacted 2363959-cosmic-tumbles-quantum-leaps-review-embodying-schrodingers-cat|2363959 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25533992-700-5-mind-bending-numbers-that-could-reveal-the-secrets-of-the-universe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 09 Aug 2022 18:00:00 +0100 From the exceedingly big to the unfathomably small, cosmologists are trying to unravel a bizarre set of figures that may reveal what happens inside a black hole, why the Higgs boson is so light and the chances of you having a doppelgänger mg25533992-700-5-mind-bending-numbers-that-could-reveal-the-secrets-of-the-universe|2332837 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634130-100-roger-penrose-consciousness-must-be-beyond-computable-physics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 14 Nov 2022 18:41:00 +0000 The mathematician shares his latest theories on quantum consciousness, the structure of the universe and how to communicate with civilisations from other cosmological aeons mg25634130-100-roger-penrose-consciousness-must-be-beyond-computable-physics|2346668 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2363058-how-are-the-atoms-that-form-us-forged-across-the-universe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 10 Mar 2023 07:00:08 +0000 For decades researchers have studied how heavy elements are produced in the cosmos – but there is still so much mystery to unravel, says astrophysicist Artemis Spyrou 2363058-how-are-the-atoms-that-form-us-forged-across-the-universe|2363058 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2363376-red-matter-superconductor-could-transform-electronics-if-it-works/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 08 Mar 2023 16:00:57 +0000 Researchers have long attempted to produce a superconductor that works at room temperature and at a relatively low pressure. A team now claims that its material, dubbed "red matter", has these properties 2363376-red-matter-superconductor-could-transform-electronics-if-it-works|2363376 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2362490-antimatter-neutrinos-detected-from-a-nuclear-reactor-240-km-away/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 06 Mar 2023 17:00:13 +0000 A water-based detector has been used to spot antineutrinos from nuclear reactions hundreds of kilometres away. It could be used to monitor distant nuclear activities 2362490-antimatter-neutrinos-detected-from-a-nuclear-reactor-240-km-away|2362490 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2361929-quantum-computers-that-use-cat-qubits-may-make-fewer-errors/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Sun, 05 Mar 2023 07:00:17 +0000 Quantum bits inspired by Schrödinger’s cat could allow quantum computers to make fewer mistakes and more efficiently crack algorithms used for encryption 2361929-quantum-computers-that-use-cat-qubits-may-make-fewer-errors|2361929 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25734280-900-this-new-version-of-quantum-theory-is-even-stranger-than-the-original/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 01 Mar 2023 17:15:00 +0000 An idea called almost quantum theory predicts particles could have stronger correlations than we've ever observed. If tests show it to be true, it would be a huge scientific upset mg25734280-900-this-new-version-of-quantum-theory-is-even-stranger-than-the-original|2361407 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2362300-hidden-corridor-in-egypts-great-pyramid-mapped-with-cosmic-rays/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 02 Mar 2023 13:21:10 +0000 A 9-metre-long corridor in the 4500-year-old Great Pyramid of Giza that was discovered in 2016 has now been mapped, and researchers have used a tiny camera to peer inside 2362300-hidden-corridor-in-egypts-great-pyramid-mapped-with-cosmic-rays|2362300 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25734280-100-why-uncertainty-is-part-of-science-especially-quantum-mechanics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 01 Mar 2023 18:00:00 +0000 Quantum mechanics had a disordered beginning in the 1920s, and is still developing today. Science is rarely a done deal, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein mg25734280-100-why-uncertainty-is-part-of-science-especially-quantum-mechanics|2361225 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2360660-most-accurate-molecular-clock-yet-uses-extremely-cold-strontium/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 01 Mar 2023 17:00:06 +0000 A clock that ticks using vibrations of strontium molecules could be used to test Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity or to search for forces that have yet to be described 2360660-most-accurate-molecular-clock-yet-uses-extremely-cold-strontium|2360660 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2361594-googles-quantum-computer-simulation-of-a-wormhole-may-not-have-worked/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 27 Feb 2023 18:00:45 +0000 The first simulation of a wormhole on a quantum computer made headlines, but a new study brings into question whether it was an accurate representation 2361594-googles-quantum-computer-simulation-of-a-wormhole-may-not-have-worked|2361594 https://www.newscientist.com/video/2360808-from-qubits-to-quantum-superposition-how-quantum-computers-work/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 22 Feb 2023 13:12:40 +0000 Quantum Motion, a London-based quantum computer start-up, is using silicon to make its qubits which could revolutionise quantum computing 2360808-from-qubits-to-quantum-superposition-how-quantum-computers-work|2360808 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2360299-the-cern-particle-accelerator-that-will-breathe-new-life-into-physics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 21 Feb 2023 16:00:00 +0000 A new breed of collider, called plasma wakefield accelerators, can study fundamental physics in new ways by doing something the Large Hadron Collider cannot do: colliding electrons 2360299-the-cern-particle-accelerator-that-will-breathe-new-life-into-physics|2360299 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2360033-quantum-computers-could-run-programs-that-should-be-too-big-for-them/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 21 Feb 2023 07:00:25 +0000 Quantum computers can currently only run small programs but a trick for reducing a quantum program's size could boost their power for running AI algorithms 2360033-quantum-computers-could-run-programs-that-should-be-too-big-for-them|2360033 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2359065-strange-water-wave-can-bounce-a-droplet-thousands-of-times/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 16 Feb 2023 17:31:03 +0000 A single undulating wave can bounce a droplet of water up and down for up to an hour and a half. Researchers made the discovery by accident when studying how wave patterns emerge in water 2359065-strange-water-wave-can-bounce-a-droplet-thousands-of-times|2359065 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25734262-100-quantum-bullsht-review-time-to-save-quantum-theory-for-science/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 15 Feb 2023 18:00:00 +0000 From cancer cures to the Kama Sutra, the word "quantum" has been comprehensively hijacked. A book by physicist Chris Ferrie explores why and sets out to fight back mg25734262-100-quantum-bullsht-review-time-to-save-quantum-theory-for-science|2359337 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25734254-700-the-hunt-for-dark-matter-the-universes-mysterious-gravitational-glue/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 08 Feb 2023 13:00:00 +0000 In pursuit of dark matter, researchers are doing everything from burying vats of xenon deep underground to sending a balloon floating above the Antarctic. When will their creativity pay off? mg25734254-700-the-hunt-for-dark-matter-the-universes-mysterious-gravitational-glue|2358451 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2357007-entirely-new-type-of-ice-made-using-extremely-cold-steel-balls/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 02 Feb 2023 19:00:48 +0000 A new type of ice called medium-density amorphous ice has the same density as liquid water, so studying it could help us understand water’s strange behaviour at low temperatures 2357007-entirely-new-type-of-ice-made-using-extremely-cold-steel-balls|2357007 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25734240-900-why-the-most-important-topic-in-physics-could-be-statistical-mechanics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 01 Feb 2023 18:00:00 +0000 Statistical mechanics helps relate the quantum world to objects that seem solid and not governed by the whims of observation, but there are still questions to be answered, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein mg25734240-900-why-the-most-important-topic-in-physics-could-be-statistical-mechanics|2356863 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2356816-doughnut-shaped-laser-used-to-create-an-optical-fibre-out-of-air/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Sun, 29 Jan 2023 07:00:46 +0000 Shooting a brief but powerful laser beam shaped like a doughnut through the air created a light pulse that acts like an optical fibre, carrying data 45 metres 2356816-doughnut-shaped-laser-used-to-create-an-optical-fibre-out-of-air|2356816 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25734230-500-collision-review-how-cerns-stellar-secrets-became-sci-fi-gold/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 25 Jan 2023 18:00:00 +0000 Margaret Drabble, Luan Goldie, Steven Moffat and Stephen Baxter are among the top writers in Collision, an anthology that transmutes CERN's elusive research into science fiction mg25734230-500-collision-review-how-cerns-stellar-secrets-became-sci-fi-gold|2355889 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2355817-flames-that-dont-flicker-could-make-engines-more-efficient/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 25 Jan 2023 18:11:17 +0000 Producing flickerless flames usually requires artificially low pressure or gravity. Researchers have now come up with a method that works in standard conditions and could help make engines more efficient 2355817-flames-that-dont-flicker-could-make-engines-more-efficient|2355817 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2355936-shortest-pulse-of-electrons-ever-created-lasts-just-53-attoseconds/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 25 Jan 2023 16:00:58 +0000 A record-breaking short pulse of electrons just 53 billionths of a billionth of a second long has been generated – it is so fast it could allow microscopes to grab images of electrons jumping between atoms 2355936-shortest-pulse-of-electrons-ever-created-lasts-just-53-attoseconds|2355936 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2353759-how-ai-is-shifting-the-limits-of-knowledge-imposed-by-complexity/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 10 Jan 2023 15:00:00 +0000 From weather to the structure of proteins, some things are predictable in theory, but too complex to figure out in practice. But the rise of artificial intelligence is changing that fast 2353759-how-ai-is-shifting-the-limits-of-knowledge-imposed-by-complexity|2353759 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2353756-how-can-we-understand-quantum-reality-if-it-is-impossible-to-measure/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 10 Jan 2023 15:00:00 +0000 If we can’t measure something, we can’t know its true nature. This fundamental limitation hampers our understanding of the quantum world – but it doesn't preclude scientific thinking 2353756-how-can-we-understand-quantum-reality-if-it-is-impossible-to-measure|2353756 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2352258-the-50-year-quest-to-find-the-particle-that-almost-broke-physics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 06 Jan 2023 09:00:12 +0000 When physicists first discovered a form of a radioactivity called beta decay it seemed to violate the laws of physics. It took 50 years to work out what was going on 2352258-the-50-year-quest-to-find-the-particle-that-almost-broke-physics|2352258 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634201-100-physicists-should-take-time-to-ponder-the-strangest-ideas/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 04 Jan 2023 18:00:00 +0000 There are other ways to explain wave-particle duality than Albert Einstein's, but we don't teach them. Excluding the conceptual challenges of quantum mechanics from the classroom limits our students, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein mg25634201-100-physicists-should-take-time-to-ponder-the-strangest-ideas|2353072 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2352963-quantum-camera-takes-images-of-objects-that-havent-been-hit-by-light/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 04 Jan 2023 09:00:57 +0000 A device uses quantum effects to create images of objects from light that never actually touched them 2352963-quantum-camera-takes-images-of-objects-that-havent-been-hit-by-light|2352963 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2352652-quantum-money-that-uses-the-mathematics-of-knots-could-be-unforgeable/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Sat, 07 Jan 2023 09:00:46 +0000 A monetary system built using a combination of quantum computers and the mathematics of knots could be impossible to counterfeit 2352652-quantum-money-that-uses-the-mathematics-of-knots-could-be-unforgeable|2352652 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2352863-crystal-device-could-be-used-to-build-tiny-particle-accelerators/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 04 Jan 2023 16:00:40 +0000 A chip-sized device can produce very intense light that could help in building tiny X-ray machines and particle accelerators 2352863-crystal-device-could-be-used-to-build-tiny-particle-accelerators|2352863 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634201-700-the-crystal-growers-behind-the-graphene-revolution/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 03 Jan 2023 17:00:00 +0000 Takashi Taniguchi and Kenji Watanabe create high-quality crystals that offer the perfect substrate on which to tailor-make two-dimensional materials with amazing electronic properties. They tell New Scientist how they grow their world-renowned crystals mg25634201-700-the-crystal-growers-behind-the-graphene-revolution|2353087 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634192-500-the-worlds-ultimate-x-ray-machine-will-start-up-in-2023/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 28 Dec 2022 18:00:00 +0000 The Linac Coherent Light Source II X-ray laser will be so fast and bright that it will allow people to create movies of atoms moving inside molecules mg25634192-500-the-worlds-ultimate-x-ray-machine-will-start-up-in-2023|2352633 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2352154-gravitational-wave-hunters-will-get-an-ultracool-new-tool-in-2023/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Sat, 31 Dec 2022 18:00:31 +0000 We have been detecting gravitational waves since 2015, but there is still much more to learn. The Matter-wave Laser Interferometric Gravitation Antenna will use ultracold atoms to spot ripples in space-time at lower frequencies than ever before 2352154-gravitational-wave-hunters-will-get-an-ultracool-new-tool-in-2023|2352154 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634180-200-achieving-nuclear-fusion-would-be-building-on-the-shoulders-of-giants/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 28 Dec 2022 18:00:00 +0000 It took generations of work by engineers and scientists to reach this month’s nuclear fusion milestone, but there are big challenges ahead, says Matthew Sparkes mg25634180-200-achieving-nuclear-fusion-would-be-building-on-the-shoulders-of-giants|2352208 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634181-100-how-sounds-from-space-are-revealing-otherwise-hidden-cosmic-phenomena/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 28 Dec 2022 16:00:00 +0000 Turning astrophysical data into audio has led to all sorts of surprising discoveries, from micrometeoroids bombarding spacecraft to lightning on Saturn. Now, there is a push to get more astronomers to use sonification mg25634181-100-how-sounds-from-space-are-revealing-otherwise-hidden-cosmic-phenomena|2352226 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634171-200-how-to-beat-your-family-at-board-games-with-quantum-tricks/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 14 Dec 2022 18:00:00 +0000 Quantum pseudotelepathy is just one of the party tricks that can take the bored out of board games this Christmas, as Philip Ball explains mg25634171-200-how-to-beat-your-family-at-board-games-with-quantum-tricks|2351080 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634175-400-the-w-boson-gave-particle-physicists-a-major-shock-in-2022/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 14 Dec 2022 18:00:00 +0000 Physicists are still puzzled by a new measurement of a fundamental particle called the W boson, which doesn't agree with our existing understanding of the universe mg25634175-400-the-w-boson-gave-particle-physicists-a-major-shock-in-2022|2351404 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634175-700-unlimited-energy-from-fusion-became-a-more-feasible-prospect-in-2022/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 14 Dec 2022 18:00:00 +0000 Landmark confirmations of physics theory, including an energy production breakthrough at the end of the year, have turned fusion power stations into an engineering challenge rather than a physics one mg25634175-700-unlimited-energy-from-fusion-became-a-more-feasible-prospect-in-2022|2351407 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2352648-it-may-be-possible-to-traverse-a-wormhole-and-then-send-a-signal-home/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 20 Dec 2022 23:08:22 +0000 When matter falls into a wormhole, the wormhole is expected to collapse – but a probe may be able to send a signal back through before it’s trapped on the other side 2352648-it-may-be-possible-to-traverse-a-wormhole-and-then-send-a-signal-home|2352648 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2352236-lasers-used-to-throw-and-catch-single-atoms-for-first-time/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 19 Dec 2022 19:58:12 +0000 Extremely cold atoms were thrown with one laser beam and caught with another. The technique could be used in quantum computing 2352236-lasers-used-to-throw-and-catch-single-atoms-for-first-time|2352236 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634171-900-the-strange-physics-of-absolute-zero-and-what-it-takes-to-get-there/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 14 Dec 2022 18:00:00 +0000 Weird things happen down at -273°C, the coldest possible temperature. Now we're building quantum fridges, which could make things even weirder mg25634171-900-the-strange-physics-of-absolute-zero-and-what-it-takes-to-get-there|2351087 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2350965-nuclear-fusion-researchers-have-achieved-historic-energy-milestone/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 13 Dec 2022 15:31:40 +0000 A controlled fusion reaction has generated more energy than was put into the system for the first time, bringing viable fusion power another step closer to reality 2350965-nuclear-fusion-researchers-have-achieved-historic-energy-milestone|2350965 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2351110-spectacular-liquid-fractal-generated-by-a-submerged-spinning-top/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 12 Dec 2022 18:55:21 +0000 A spinning top submerged in a liquid mixture generates a fractal – a pattern that repeats itself at smaller scales 2351110-spectacular-liquid-fractal-generated-by-a-submerged-spinning-top|2351110 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2351056-antimatter-particles-could-cross-the-galaxy-without-being-destroyed/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 12 Dec 2022 16:00:15 +0000 Experiments at CERN's particle collider suggest that antihelium particles created by dark matter in distant space could make it to Earth 2351056-antimatter-particles-could-cross-the-galaxy-without-being-destroyed|2351056 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2350921-nuclear-fusion-has-there-been-a-breakthrough-and-what-will-it-mean/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 12 Dec 2022 12:59:56 +0000 Rumours suggest the US National Ignition Facility has made a significant advance in nuclear fusion, though there are still many hurdles to overcome 2350921-nuclear-fusion-has-there-been-a-breakthrough-and-what-will-it-mean|2350921 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2349359-why-the-laws-of-physics-dont-actually-exist/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 09 Dec 2022 09:00:12 +0000 What we call laws of physics are often just mathematical descriptions of some part of nature. Ultimate physical laws probably don't exist and physics is all the better for it, says theoretical physicist Sankar Das Sarma 2349359-why-the-laws-of-physics-dont-actually-exist|2349359 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2349980-europes-fastest-supercomputer-is-now-connected-to-a-quantum-computer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 06 Dec 2022 12:00:18 +0000 A small quantum computer has been connected to Europe’s fastest supercomputer. This connection could help researchers work out how to best pair quantum computers together with powerful supercomputers to solve complex problems faster 2349980-europes-fastest-supercomputer-is-now-connected-to-a-quantum-computer|2349980 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634150-600-the-exotic-quantum-effects-found-hiding-inside-ultra-thin-materials/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 30 Nov 2022 16:00:00 +0000 Superconductivity, fractional charges and magnetic vortices are just some of the weird quantum phenomena lurking in materials like graphene when they get skewed mg25634150-600-the-exotic-quantum-effects-found-hiding-inside-ultra-thin-materials|2348786 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2349118-a-quantum-computer-has-simulated-a-wormhole-for-the-first-time/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 30 Nov 2022 16:00:33 +0000 Researchers have used Google's Sycamore quantum computer to simulate a simplified wormhole for the first time, and sent a piece of quantum information through it 2349118-a-quantum-computer-has-simulated-a-wormhole-for-the-first-time|2349118 https://www.newscientist.com/video/2348667-roger-penrose-communicating-with-future-universes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 25 Nov 2022 12:21:06 +0000 Undeterred by the march of time, Roger Penrose turned 91 this year and is continuing to innovate, and even planning communications with future universes 2348667-roger-penrose-communicating-with-future-universes|2348667 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2348500-candy-like-mixture-can-print-patterns-on-microscopic-objects/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 24 Nov 2022 19:00:31 +0000 Patterns of microscopic discs, rings or letters can be added to microrobots or stretchy electronics with a dissolved sugar mixture 2348500-candy-like-mixture-can-print-patterns-on-microscopic-objects|2348500 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634140-300-the-blessing-and-the-curse-of-the-axions-rise-in-us-particle-physics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 23 Nov 2022 18:00:00 +0000 Since the Large Hadron Collider turned up nothing in its search for supersymmetry, physicists have turned their attention to the axion, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, a self-described superfan of this hypothetical particle mg25634140-300-the-blessing-and-the-curse-of-the-axions-rise-in-us-particle-physics|2347866 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2348244-physicists-have-designed-a-urinal-that-drastically-reduces-splashback/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 22 Nov 2022 18:51:26 +0000 Scientists used observations of the angle at which dogs urinate and laboratory tests with jets of fluid to design a urinal that produces far less splatter than usual 2348244-physicists-have-designed-a-urinal-that-drastically-reduces-splashback|2348244 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634141-200-will-artificial-intelligence-ever-discover-new-laws-of-physics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 21 Nov 2022 17:00:00 +0000 Algorithms can pore over astrophysical data to identify underlying equations. Now, physicists are trying to figure out how to imbue these “machine theorists” with the ability to find deeper laws of nature mg25634141-200-will-artificial-intelligence-ever-discover-new-laws-of-physics|2347886 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2347546-ibm-quantum-computer-runs-largest-quantum-program-yet/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 17 Nov 2022 17:00:26 +0000 Large quantum programs build up errors as they run, but a technique for mitigating these errors has allowed researchers at IBM to run over 1700 operations on their quantum computer 2347546-ibm-quantum-computer-runs-largest-quantum-program-yet|2347546 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2347426-ronnametres-and-quettagrams-have-joined-the-ranks-of-si-units/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 17 Nov 2022 00:01:35 +0000 New prefixes in the International System of Units have been confirmed, ushering in ronto and quecto for tiny numbers and ronna and quetta for very large numbers, like the amount of data on internet servers 2347426-ronnametres-and-quettagrams-have-joined-the-ranks-of-si-units|2347426 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2346884-nuclear-fusion-reactions-create-unexpectedly-high-energy-particles/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 14 Nov 2022 16:00:12 +0000 Burning plasma fusion reactions, which have only recently been created, are producing higher-energy particles than researchers expected 2346884-nuclear-fusion-reactions-create-unexpectedly-high-energy-particles|2346884