Novel theory addresses centuries-old physics problem
The 'three-body problem,' the term coined for predicting the motion of three gravitating bodies in space, is essential for understanding a variety of astrophysical processes as well as a large class of mechanical problems, and has occupied some of th.....»»
Ancient scroll reveals new story of Plato"s death—here"s why you should be suspicious of it
Plato of Athens (429–347 BC) may be one of the most famous philosophers of all times. He was the thinker who came up with the "theory of forms" and founded the first academic institution. Yet we know little about his life, such as how he died, or w.....»»
Math degrees are becoming less accessible—and this is a problem for business, government and innovation
There's a strange trend in mathematics education in England. Math is the most popular subject at A-level since overtaking English in 2014. It's taken by around 85,000 and 90,000 students a year......»»
What Kind of Battery Would You Need to Power a Lightsaber?
On Star Wars Day, we use some basic physics to measure the power of the Force. It’s strong!.....»»
Microsoft plans to lock down Windows DNS like never before. Here’s how.
ZTDNS brings the best of both worlds to DNS: encryption and fine-grained control. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) Translating human-readable domain names into numerical IP addresses has long been fraught with gaping secur.....»»
New study is first to use statistical physics to corroborate 1940s social balance theory
Most people have heard the famous phrase "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." Now, Northwestern University researchers have used statistical physics to confirm the theory that underlies this famous axiom. The study, "Proper network randomization is.....»»
Viewpoint: Figures like Andrew Tate may help spread misogyny. But they"re amplifying—not causing—the problem
Following an emergency meeting of the National Cabinet this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a raft of measures to tackle the problem of gender-based violence......»»
New process tackles pollution on dual fronts of plastic waste and fuel emissions
What if we could help the global plastic waste problem and the transportation industry with the same technology?.....»»
Japanese aerospace company captures an actual picture of space debris
Space debris is a growing problem, so companies are working on ways to mitigate it. A new satellite called ADRAS-J was built and launched to demonstrate how a spacecraft could rendezvous with a piece of space junk, paving the path for future removal......»»
Researchers find unexpected roadblock to conductivity in Mott insulators
In the realm of condensed matter physics, few phenomena captivate physicists' curiosity as much as Mott insulators. According to traditional theory, this odd class of materials should be capable of conducting electricity, yet they behave mostly as in.....»»
Do earthquake hazard maps predict higher shaking than actually occurred? Research finds discrepancy
A new study by Northwestern University researchers and coworkers explains a puzzling problem with maps of future earthquake shaking used to design earthquake-resistant buildings. The research was published May 1 in the journal Science Advances in a p.....»»
CERN gives green light to build new experiment to search for unknown particles
After many years of preparations, CERN has approved a new experiment: the Search for Hidden Particles (SHiP). Physicist Alexey Boyarsky was involved from the start. "We know there is physics that's missing and we aim to find it.".....»»
Generating graph states of atomic ensembles via photon-mediated entanglement
Graph states, a class of entangled quantum states that can be represented by graphs, have been the topic of numerous recent physics studies, due to their intriguing properties. These unique properties could make them particularly promising for quantu.....»»
Violence against women is both a legal and cultural problem. What can Australia do to address it?
Australia is finally having a sustained conversation about violence against women and what we can do about it......»»
ALICE gets the green light for new subdetectors
Two detector upgrades of ALICE, the dedicated heavy-ion physics experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), have recently been approved for installation during the next long shutdown of the LHC, which will take place from 2026 to 2028. The first o.....»»
Apple working on fix for bug causing iPhone alarms to not play sounds
Over the last several weeks, a number of reports on social media have surfaced from iPhone users claiming their alarms don’t properly play a sound. Apple has since confirmed that it’s aware of this problem, and says it is working on a fix......»»
Astronomers" simulations support dark matter theory
Computer simulations by astronomers support the idea that dark matter—matter that no one has yet directly detected but which many physicists think must be there to explain several aspects of the observable universe—exists, according to the resear.....»»
Neutron stars could be capturing primordial black holes
The Milky Way has a missing pulsar problem in its core. Astronomers have tried to explain this for years. One of the more interesting ideas comes from a team of astronomers in Europe and invokes dark matter, neutron stars, and primordial black holes.....»»
UV light treats beet disease and combats fungicide resistance
Germicidal ultraviolet light is effective at killing a damaging fungus that infects table beets, adding an important organic tool to fight the growing problem of fungicide resistance, according to a new Cornell study......»»
Intervention based on science of reading and math boosts comprehension and word problem-solving skills
New research from the University of Kansas has found that an intervention based on the science of reading and math effectively helped English learners boost their comprehension, visualize and synthesize information, and make connections that signific.....»»
The planetary orbit in Netflix"s "3 Body Problem" is random and chaotic, but could it exist?
I first encountered the three-body problem 60 years ago, in a short story called "Placet is a Crazy Place" by American science fiction writer Frederic Brown......»»