Physicists prove ‘quantum spookiness’ and start chasing Schrödinger’s cat
Testing the bizarre theory of quantum mechanics isn’t easy, but scientists are making progress.
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The Nobel Prize for Physics goes to topology – and mathematicians applaud
There’s no Nobel Prize in mathematics, but math undergirds much high-level science. The 2016 Nobel in Physics rewards work in topology, a branch of math with multiple real world applications.
‘Louder’ light could power a brighter quantum future
All of the light we see around us comes in chunks of energy known as photons. As well as making up light, photons can be used to carry and process information and their quantum properties make possible…
There’s a way to turn almost any object into a computer – and it could cause shockwaves in AI
Could reservoir computing be a future alternative to silicon chips?
Life on Venus? Traces of phosphine may be a sign of biological activity
The discovery of phosphine in the acidic clouds of Venus can’t be explained by any known chemical or geological processes.
Quantum sensors use atoms, electrons and light as ultra‑steady rulers – detecting faint motion, magnetism and gravity for navigation, medicine and science
Quantum computers are still a work in progress but quantum sensors are already in use at hospitals, laboratories and by defense contractors.
How Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard takeover will drive metaverse gaming into the mass market
Activision’s big titles have led the way in getting us used to virtual worlds. Making them VR will be a gamechanger.
Experiment shows Einstein’s quantum ‘spooky action’ approaches the human scale
We usually think of quantum entanglement in the realm of atomic systems, but now it’s been scaled up to relatively massive objects. This opens the door to new kinds of technology.
What my tomatoes taught me about quantum mechanics
Most people outside the esoteric worlds of little-science physics (aka quantum mechanics) and big-science physics (aka cosmology) will at some point realise both worlds fly in the face of intuition. Why…
A ‘direct wave’ from colliding black holes reveals signature of a whirlpool in spacetime
For the first time, scientists have gained information from the very surface of a newborn black hole.
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