Articles for category: Physics

a lake with mountains in the background

Could You Surf on Titan’s Methane Lakes? Let’s Do the Physics

Imagine standing on the shore of a lake that stretches beyond the horizon, but instead of water lapping at your feet, it’s liquid methane at minus 290 degrees Fahrenheit. This isn’t science fiction – it’s Saturn’s moon Titan, where vast hydrocarbon seas could theoretically support the most extreme surfing adventure in our solar system. While ...

Parallel universe.

Could Parallel Universes Be the Answer to the Fermi Paradox?

Trizzy Orozco

The Fermi Paradox poses one of the most intriguing questions in the field of astrophysics: If the universe is so vast, why haven’t we found evidence of extraterrestrial life? This paradox, named after the physicist Enrico Fermi, challenges our understanding of the cosmos. It raises the possibility that there are factors beyond our current comprehension ...

Tanvir Qureshi: Concrete Crack Bridge for Self-Healing. Electron Microscopy prize in the ZEISS photography competition 2014.

Self-Healing Materials: How Scientists Are Creating Objects That Repair Themselves

Trizzy Orozco

Imagine a world where your car could fix its own dents or your smartphone screen could heal its scratches. It might sound like science fiction, but thanks to the groundbreaking field of self-healing materials, this is becoming a reality. Self-healing materials are engineered substances that have the ability to automatically repair damage without human intervention. ...

Warp speed.

The Physics of Star Trek: How Much of Sci-Fi Is Becoming Real?

Trizzy Orozco

In the vast realm of science fiction, “Star Trek” stands as a beacon of imaginative storytelling, blending futuristic technology with dazzling space adventures. Yet, beneath its fictional veneer lies a fascinating question: how much of this sci-fi universe is becoming real? As technology rapidly advances, what once seemed like pure fantasy is slowly inching closer ...

The Heavy Photon Search Silicon Detector.

Why Scientists Are Trying to Turn Light Into a New Form of Matter

Trizzy Orozco

In a world where science continuously pushes the boundaries of the imaginable, there lies a fascinating endeavor that captivates the curiosity of many: the transformation of light into a new form of matter. This scientific pursuit is not just about bending the rules of physics but also about uncovering the mysteries of our universe. Imagine, ...

Microgravity

The Strangest Ways Scientists Have Tested Gravity (Including in Minecraft!)

Annette Uy

The enigmatic force of gravity has long intrigued scientists, inspiring them to devise innovative ways to study its effects. From dropping objects from towering heights to conducting intricate experiments in virtual worlds, the quest to understand gravity has led researchers down some truly peculiar paths. This article delves into the fascinating and sometimes bizarre methods ...

Brain Activity

The Boltzmann Brain Hypothesis: Could the Universe Be a Cosmic Hallucination?

Annette Uy

Imagine waking up one day in a world that feels eerily familiar and yet, unsettlingly artificial. This mind-bending scenario is at the heart of the Boltzmann Brain hypothesis—a concept that challenges our foundational understanding of reality itself. The question it poses is both simple and profound: Could everything we perceive as the universe be an ...