Imagine flying thousands of miles through pitch-black skies, over oceans and mountains, guided only by invisible forces. What if I told you that birds—those delicate, fluttering creatures in our backyards—are navigating these epic journeys not just with instincts, but with the strangest rules in physics: quantum mechanics? For decades, scientists have puzzled over how birds ...
Imagine sitting in a darkened theater, popcorn in hand, heart pounding as a scientist on screen unlocks the secrets of dinosaurs, black holes, or genetic codes. From the wild-eyed dreamers of Jurassic Park to the stoic explorers of Interstellar, movie scientists have fueled our collective imagination, inspired heated dinner-table debates, and sometimes even nudged real-world ...
Scientists at the University of Cambridge have developed a next-generation 2D quantum sensor that detects vectorial magnetic fields with unprecedented accuracy. By leveraging atomic spin defects in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), this innovation surpasses traditional diamond-based quantum sensors, offering multi-axis detection and enhanced sensitivity at the nanoscale. How Hexagonal Boron Nitride Transforms Quantum Sensing Hexagonal ...
Scientists at Harvard University and the Paul Scherrer Institute have successfully frozen fleeting quantum states using ultrafast laser pulses. This breakthrough allows researchers to stabilize quantum motion for significantly longer durations, opening new possibilities for quantum computing and material science. How Quantum States Are Stabilized Quantum materials exhibit remarkable properties when excited by external sources, ...
Physicists at ETH Zurich have developed an ultra-thin lens capable of converting infrared light into visible wavelengths. This breakthrough, achieved using lithium niobate metasurfaces, could revolutionize imaging technology by enabling compact, high-performance optical devices. How Metalenses Work Traditional lenses rely on curved glass to bend light toward a focal point, but metalenses use nanoscale structures ...
Gravity has been recognized to be one of the fundamental forces of nature for a long time and is a subtle pull that keeps galaxies from separation and planets orbiting. But what if it’s not a force? What if gravity is just an effect of something more bizarre that is the universe operating as a ...
Physicists have uncovered the mechanical forces that shape the iconic structure of rose petals, revealing how geometric frustration influences their curling patterns. This discovery provides insights into the physics of natural growth and could inspire new developments in shape-morphing materials. Understanding Geometric Frustration Unlike most flowers, which exhibit wavy or smooth petal edges, roses develop ...
Imagine a city where cobblestones glow with centuries-old secrets, where golden spires reach for the sky, and where every shadow might be hiding remnants of a forgotten magic. Welcome to Prague, a city that hums with mystery and pulses with the strange marriage of science and sorcery. Here, ancient laboratories hide behind gothic facades, skeletons ...
The speed of light was a mystery for millennia, a fugitive constant that escaped measurement and understanding. Now among the most basic foundations of contemporary physics, it shapes our knowledge of space, time, and the very fabric of reality. Light’s speed is more than just a number; it’s a cosmic speed limit, a ruler for ...
Far beneath the Black Hills of South Dakota, deep within a network of caverns that were cut into ancient rock, scientists search for an answer that has evaded man for thousands of years: why is there something, rather than nothing, in the Universe? The question is not simply philosophical, it’s a basic problem of physics. ...
Linnea H, BSc Sociology
