Fundamental Physics

Mathematicians have discovered a 'lumpy' version of a sphere that can shrink perfectly uniformly, disproving the long-held belief that only perfectly round shapes could do so.

A new proof identifies a 'safe zone' in quantum systems where the 'spooky' phenomenon of entanglement is physically impossible.

Researchers have calculated the exact 'tipping point' for a slope that allows a path to climb uphill forever in a random landscape.

Mathematicians finally proved that a deceptively simple equation—one of the shortest ever left unsolved—has no whole-number solutions.

A famously chaotic and unpredictable number sequence has been proven to never 'crash,' solving a long-standing worry about its mathematical consistency.

A mathematical 'fate map' of cosmic dust reveals that certain space particles are doomed to be completely invisible to scientists once they enter our atmosphere.

A fundamental model used to describe the subatomic building blocks of the universe only works mathematically if there are exactly 13 dimensions.

Quantum 'matter waves' typically seen in atoms are reportedly driving the growth of centimeter-long wires at room temperature.

Physicists propose using the Higgs boson to test whether quantum information can travel faster than the speed of light.

A new algorithm claims to solve the world's hardest math problems by betting on the existence of parallel universes.

You can build a functioning neutrino detector in your kitchen using a microwave and simple grocery store ingredients.

A single record-breaking particle detected in the Mediterranean Sea has allowed scientists to probe physics at energies higher than the Large Hadron Collider.

The ultimate limit to AI growth may not be data or chips, but the literal boiling point of the Earth.

The existence of all matter in the universe might be the result of tiny black holes exploding shortly after the Big Bang.

Scientists discovered a liquid state where time essentially flows both ways, making the fluid's path look the same forward and backward.

A new software package allows scientists to 'hear' what different materials sound like based on their atomic vibrations.

By pushing on a membrane with light, scientists have 'broken' Newton's Third Law to make sound waves grow exponentially.

The massive swarm of commercial satellites being launched into orbit might accidentally solve global warming by casting a 'shadow' over the Earth.

Physicists have developed a way to reliably create 'supersolids'—a bizarre state of matter that is simultaneously a solid crystal and a frictionless liquid.

Researchers have designed a way to build 'sound lasers' that shoot synchronized beams of coherent vibrations instead of light.

A new 'quantum battery' design could store energy perfectly forever without any of the leaks or degradation found in normal batteries.

A 'Theory of Infantile Dynamics' uses the laws of thermodynamics to explain why babies are so effective at creating chaos.

Researchers have discovered how to use laser light to 'sculpt' microscopic plastic blobs into porcupines and pineapples.

Scientists successfully turned a single molecule's light on and off by moving just one atom inside it.

A massive physics simulation has 'proven' that the most successful way to survive the stock market is to follow the trend like water.

A new theory suggests that socks disappearing in the laundry can be explained by quantum particles spontaneously splitting into lint.

Exposing graphene to a burst of deep-UV light makes it 100 times cleaner, instantly revealing 'hidden' states of matter.

Massive 'dark matter nuggets' the size of dust grains may be trapped inside the Earth, emitting detectable particle streams.

The mathematical 'laws' used to predict how cities grow and change over time are often statistical illusions that don't apply to any actual city.

Mathematical models of high-stakes 'cat-and-mouse' games reveal that being irrational is actually a superior winning strategy.

A 70-year-old mystery about how to 'see' inside objects with a single wave source has finally been solved.

Particles that normally repel each other will suddenly 'collapse' and huddle together at the edges of their container if the repulsion strength crosses a specific tipping point.

A new 'smart skin' for rooms can bend radar waves to see heartbeats and movements hidden in shadows or around corners.

A new method uses simple trigonometry to classify the roots of 5th-degree equations, a problem famously declared 'unsolvable' by traditional algebra.

Mathematical proof reveals that standard computer simulations of turbulence are fundamentally incorrect and full of 'noise.'

Researchers have developed a way to turn an entire room into a wireless charger that powers tiny, battery-free gadgets anywhere in the space.

A new laser-assisted camera system can detect your heart rate from across a room by 'seeing' microscopic vibrations in your skin.

Physicists are now writing the laws of the universe as computer code to prove that certain 'theories of everything' are mathematically perfect.

The classic laws of thermodynamics might be wrong for finite systems like small clusters of atoms or tiny biological structures.

Scientists have trained an AI 'agent' to take control of individual atoms, teaching them to sense magnetic fields with a precision that humans can't design.

AI has 'learned' the fundamental rules of how plasma particles collide, discovering patterns that have eluded human physicists for nearly a century.

Mathematical models of social networks reveal that political polarization is an inevitable 'physical state' caused by how small the world has become.

Scientists have successfully built a computer circuit that processes data using high-speed sound waves instead of electricity.

Researchers have discovered perfect mathematical 'blueprints' for mysterious deep-sea vortex pairs called 'hetons.'

A version of gravity that 'remembers' its own past has been proven mathematically stable, offering a new alternative to Einstein’s theory.

An AI can now reconstruct the exact 3D shape of your entire vocal tract just by listening to the sound of your voice.

Increasing the mutation rate of a virus can actually delay the moment it evolves into a dangerous new strain.

Physicists modeled how quantum matter behaves as the 'universe' it lives in is crushed into a point of infinite density.

A new mathematical tool can predict when a complex system is about to fail by looking only at the 'shape' of its data.

A deck of cards with many duplicates stays almost perfectly ordered until a 'magic number' of shuffles, where it suddenly becomes random.