All Stories by Emily Conover
- Physics
Can light spark superconductivity? A new study reignites debate
Brief blasts of light might make some materials into fleeting superconductors. Magnetic measurements strengthen the case for this controversial claim.
- Physics
Advanced nuclear reactors need a different type of uranium. Here’s 4 things to know
The nuclear fuel of the future may be HALEU, high-assay low-enriched uranium. But questions about the material remain.
- Physics
A black hole made from pure light is impossible, thanks to quantum physics
A “kugelblitz” is a black hole made of concentrated electromagnetic energy. But it’s not possible to make one, according to new calculations.
- Quantum Physics
Physicists measured Earth’s rotation using quantum entanglement
The experiment is a step toward testing how quantum physics interfaces with gravity.
- Particle Physics
Scientists propose a hunt for never-before-seen ‘tauonium’ atoms
Made of heavy relatives of the electron, the exotic atoms could be used to test the theory of quantum electrodynamics.
- Quantum Physics
Two real-world tests of quantum memories bring a quantum internet closer to reality
Scientists successfully entangled quantum memories linked by telecommunications fibers across two different urban environments.
- Physics
Here’s how ice may get so slippery
Ice’s weirdly slick exterior might originate from the boundaries between two different types of ice that form on the surface of frozen water.
- Particle Physics
The neutrino’s quantum fuzziness is beginning to come into focus
An experiment studying the neutrino’s “wave packet” sets a limit on the uncertainty of the subatomic particle’s position.
- Cosmology
The universe may have a complex geometry — like a doughnut
Physicists haven’t yet ruled out the possibility that the universe has a complicated topology in which space loops back around on itself.
- Physics
Newfound ‘altermagnets’ shatter the magnetic status quo
The newly discovered type of magnetic material could improve existing tech, including making better and faster hard drives.
- Chemistry
A new method of making diamonds doesn’t require extreme pressure
Lab-grown diamonds can form at atmospheric pressure in a liquid of gallium, iron, nickel and silicon.
- Physics
Separating science fact from fiction in Netflix’s ‘3 Body Problem’
Real science underpins much of the action in the show — along with a hefty dose of artistic liberty.
