Physics

Physicists Create Sound Waves That Move Exclusively in One Direction

Self-oscillations (red and blue) guide sound waves (green, orange, purple) in only one direction through the circulator. (Xin Zou)Imagine three people arranged in a circle, where each can only hear one other directly. Scientists have created a device that directs sound waves in just this way, allowing them to travel in a single direction only.Developed...

Nuclear Fusion vs. Fission: A Physicist Clarifies the Distinction

(Solar Orbiter/EUI Team/ESA & NASA)Nuclear power generates about 10% of the world's electricity, with countries like France relying on it for nearly 70%. Tech giants like Google are also turning to nuclear energy to power their demanding data centers.The energy for nuclear power comes from atomic binding energy, released through two primary processes: fission...

High School Students Publish Impossible Proofs of Pythagoras Theorem

Credit: PixabayWhat started as a bonus question in a high school math competition has led to an astonishing 10 new proofs of the ancient Pythagorean theorem.It has long been considered impossible to use trigonometry to demonstrate a theorem that is foundational to trigonometric principles, as this creates a logical fallacy of circular reasoning by...

Study Proposes Diamond Injection to Cool the Planet

Credit: PixabayHeist movies are rarely about solving climate change, and for good reason. It’s hard to imagine George Clooney racing down the highway with a truckload of stolen diamonds, saying, "Hey, let’s crush these sparkly gems into powder and scatter them through the stratosphere to cool the planet."Calculating Diamonds for Global CoolingHowever, a team...

Two Scientists Won the Nobel Prize in Physics for Discoveries Enabling Machine Learning

John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton, seen in picture, are awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Physics, which is announced at a press conference by Hans Ellergren, center, permanent secretary at the Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden Tuesday Oct. 8, 2024. Credit: Christine Olsson/TT News Agency via APJohn Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton, two...

Superconductivity Breakthrough: Frictionless Flow of Edge State Atoms

An artist's impression of atoms (gold) flowing friction-free along an edge of laser light (green)Sampson WilcoxMIT scientists have successfully guided atoms into a unique "edge state" for the first time, enabling them to move without any friction. This breakthrough could pave the way for improved superconductor materials.When electrons pass through various materials, they experience...

World’s First Nuclear Clock May Outperform Atomic Clocks

An artist's impression of the new nuclear clockOliver Diekmann, TU WienAtomic clocks are currently the most precise timekeepers, losing only seconds over billions of years. However, nuclear clocks could potentially surpass them, enhancing GPS and internet technologies. Scientists have now developed and tested the first prototype nuclear clock.Atomic clocks measure time by counting the...

World’s Fastest Microscope Captures 1 Quintillionth of a Second

A new electron microscope can effectively freeze time, snapping images of events just 1 attosecond longDepositphotosThe subatomic world is challenging to visualize not only because of its minute scale but also due to its incredibly rapid dynamics. Physicists at the University of Arizona have now developed the world's fastest electron microscope, capable of capturing...

Heaviest Clumps of Antimatter Ever Created in Particle Collider

An illustration of the newly discovered antimatter nucleus, antihyperhydrogen-4Institute of Modern Physics, ChinaPhysicists have achieved a significant milestone by producing the heaviest antimatter clumps ever recorded. These clumps, known as antihyperhydrogen-4, could provide insights into some of physics' most complex questions.Understanding AntimatterAntimatter consists of particles with the same mass as regular matter but...

Physics Discovery Predicts When a System Is Nearing a Critical Point

(DrPixel/Getty Images)As the myth goes, lemmings sometimes follow each other off cliffs to their doom. Imagine joining your fellow lemmings on a sunny mountain hike, enjoying the day—until suddenly, you plunge into the air, and everything goes black.The cliff's edge represents what scientists refer to as a "critical point," where a system's behavior (like...