In 1999, a Danish physicist named Lene Hau did the unthinkable. She slowed the speed of light. It was a remarkable move that completely changed our idea of universal constants. Since then, Hau has repeatedly proven that we can manipulate the speed of light, even going so far as to stop it, move it around, …
The fine folks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have been in the news a lot recently. Not only are they hunting for dark matter, but they’ve also developed a much more efficient way to boil water. The improved method uses new surface treatments to increase the efficiency of heating and evaporating water. The …
Scientists managed to observe one of the rarest physics events ever while hunting for dark matter. Researchers with the XENON Collaboration were busy hunting for signs of one of the universe’s biggest mysteries when they observed the radioactive decay of a substance known as xenon-124, an event that has eluded scientists for decades.
Physicists have discovered that certain magnetic material freezes when the temperature rises to a certain point. We’ve typically only seen this behavior when we cool down magnetic materials, not when we heat them up. As such, it has left physicists scratching their heads and baffled by the development.
Scientists have discovered a new, mysterious particle. Of course, making new discoveries is exciting. But, perhaps the most exciting thing about this particle is that it could be a candidate for dark matter. Incredibly, the never-before-seen particle was discovered using an experiment small enough to fit on a kitchen counter.
Researchers attempting to solve the problem of dark matter have proposed a particle that can travel to an unseen fifth dimension. The work is entirely hypothetical, as it attempts to explain a type of matter that nobody has ever seen using a particle that has never been identified. Proving or disproving the theory will likely …
Researchers say that if you’re worried about paradoxes in time travel, you shouldn’t be. Based on a lot of complex math, the team says they’ve determined that paradoxes related to time travel would be self-correcting. For example, you could go back and interact with your past self without ruining your future or even changing it …
Scientists used gravitational-wave data to detect the merger of two smaller black holes and the formation of a larger one. The larger black hole is still smaller than a supermassive black hole, but it’s larger than any “standard” black hole. This new type of black hole, called an “intermediate-mass black hole” is the first of …
A new study took a microscopic look at razors to determine why they go dull when cutting soft material such as hair. The team found that the angle of the hair can have a big impact on how dull the blade gets after cutting through it. The research could yield new, more durable blades. It’s …
When astronomers gaze into space they can see many different things. Galaxies, stars, and even black holes can be spotted from our place here on Earth. However, one of the most abundant types of matter in the universe can’t actually be seen at all, or at least we’ve yet to invent the means to do …
