Physics & Math, features and articles | Educational Science

Jul 21, 2023

Scientists observe metal repairing itself for the first time. Could Terminator robots be on the horizon?

For the first time, scientists have spotted metal healing itself after cracking — an observation that could pave the way for the creation of structures and robots capable of mending themselves. But for those worrying about the rise of real-life Terminator robots — don't: The newly discovered mechanism only works...

Jul 22, 2023

How do sandcastles stay together?

Despite sand's crumbly nature, the world's tallest sandcastle to date — built in Blokhus, Denmark, in 2021 — stood a staggering 69 feet, 5 inches (21.16 meters) high, according to Guinness World Records. But how do sandcastles stay together? It requires the right mix of sand, water and air. Sand...

Aug 1, 2023

Bizarre particle that can remember its own past created inside quantum computer

A weirdo particle that can remember its own past has been created inside a quantum computer, and scientists think it could be used to probe even deeper into quantum phenomena. The quasiparticles, called non-abelian anyons, maintain records of their previous location when swapped with each other — enabling physicists to...

Aug 4, 2023

Did scientists really create a room temperature superconductor? Not so fast, experts say.

Scientists in South Korea have claimed to have made one of the holy grails of physics: a superconductor at room temperatures and pressures. Now, researchers around the world are racing to replicate the results. The material, called LK-99, has been presented by its creators as one that can carry electricity...

Aug 7, 2023

Room-temperature superconductors: The facts behind the 'holy grail' of physics

Since their first discovery in 1911, superconductors — materials which perfectly conduct electricity — have long beguiled and tantalized physicists. Superconductors are used in particle accelerators, nuclear fusion devices, MRI machines, and even maglev trains. Yet broader and more common applications are hampered by a forbidding temperature limit — so...

Aug 9, 2023

2nd nuclear fusion breakthrough brings us a (tiny) step closer to limitless clean energy

A nuclear fusion reaction that gives out more energy than puts in has been demonstrated by U.S. scientists for a second time. The successful experiment takes us one small but meaningful step closer to creating a new source of limitless clean energy. By firing the world's most energetic laser beam...

Aug 10, 2023

Bizarre 'demon' particle found inside superconductor could help unlock a 'holy grail' of physics

An elusive demon particle has been observed inside a superconductor nearly 70 years after it was first predicted. Its discovery could help resolve the mystery of how superconductors work. Pines' demon is a transparent, chargeless particle discovered inside a sample of the superconductor strontium ruthenate. It is a plasmon —...

Aug 11, 2023

Wobbling muon experiment could reveal a 5th force of nature — if the results hold up

A tiny wobbling particle may be about to reveal a fifth force of nature, scientists behind one of the biggest particle physics experiments say. Physicists at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, or Fermilab, near Chicago have found more evidence that the muon, a subatomic particle, is wobbling far more than...

Aug 17, 2023

'Strange metals' used in superconductors can entangle whole seas of electrons at once, and scientists finally understand how

Physicists have come up with a universal theory to explain how a group of bizarre metals behave, and it could aid the search for a room-temperature superconductor. Strange metals are a type of quantum material with some truly weird properties: Not only do they flout the rules of electrical resistance...

Aug 18, 2023

Turns out you can transmit sound in a vacuum, just not very far

For the first time, scientists have shown that sound can travel through the emptiness of a vacuum. However, the rule-breaking trick requires specific circumstances and can only be carried out over extremely small distances. The iconic tagline of the 1979 sci-fi film Alien tells us that in space no one...

Aug 22, 2023

Newly discovered black hole 'speed limit' hints at new laws of physics

Researchers have identified a new speed limit for the universe’s most extreme collisions. According to a study published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the maximum possible recoil velocity for colliding black holes exceeds a whopping 63 million mph (102 million km/h) — about one-tenth the speed of light. This...

Aug 23, 2023

Scientists discover strange 'singularities' responsible for exotic type of superconductivity

Physicists have uncovered a mysterious mechanism responsible for high-temperature superconductivity, and it could help in the search for one of the holy grails of physics. The new finding, known as oscillating superconductivity, identifies a process that enables materials to superconduct at much higher temperatures than normal — paving the way...

Aug 27, 2023

Math's 'hairy ball theorem' shows why there's always at least one place on Earth where no wind blows

You might be surprised to learn that you can't comb the hairs flat on a coconut without creating a cowlick. Perhaps even more surprising, this silly claim with an even sillier name, the hairy ball theorem, is a proud discovery from a branch of math called topology. Juvenile humor aside,...

Sep 1, 2023

'Doubly magic' form of oxygen may challenge a fundamental law of physics

For the first time, scientists have created oxygen-28, a rare oxygen isotope that has 12 more neutrons than oxygen-16, the most common form of oxygen on the planet. This newly created heavy oxygen isotope has the highest number of neutrons ever seen in an oxygen atom and was expected to...

Sep 2, 2023

How do mirages work?

Mirages have a reputation for deceit. The classic example is the oasis in the desert. Or there's the obstructed view of the iceberg that may have confused the Titanic's captain. The legendary ghost ship, the Flying Dutchman, is also a mirage. But what is a mirage? And are the images...