physics

C.V. Vishveshwara in 2007 in Oak Park, Illinois.

Science

C.V. Vishveshwara's Revolutionary Black Hole Research Turns 50

11:44pm December 29, 2020

by Joe Palca

Before scientists were even sure black holes existed, an Indian astrophysicist did the math behind Einstein's predictions of what would happen if two black holes collided.

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A Chrysopelea paradisi snake flying in the air during experiments in The Cube at Virginia Tech. Left: the snake is fully extended just after take-off from the branch on the left. Right: the snake undulating during flight.

Science

How Snakes Fly (Hint: It's Not On A Plane)

5:46pm June 29, 2020

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

A snake researcher always wondered how flying snakes propelled themselves. Then, someone told him he should work with the snakes in The Cube — a vast theater space with cameras everywhere.

Physicist Stephen Hawking on Oct. 10, 1979, in Princeton, New Jersey.

'Brief Answers To The Big Questions' Is Stephen Hawking's Parting Gift To Humanity

4:16pm October 16, 2018

by Marcelo Gleiser

The physicist's posthumous book highlights his belief in the rationality of nature and in our ability to uncover its secrets — and a faith in science's ability to solve humanity's biggest problems.

Neil deGrasse Tyson attends Film Independent at LACMA presents StarTalk — A Conversation with Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, on June 5 in Los Angeles.

'Accessory To War' An Uncomfortable Wake-Up Call For Some

10:47am September 17, 2018

by Marcelo Gleiser

An "unspoken alliance" between scientists and the military had been brewing for millennia prior to Hiroshima. Neil deGrasse Tyson and Avis Lang excel at detailing this union and its possible future.

Brick transfers heat to dough more slowly than steel, allowing both pizza crust and toppings to simultaneously reach perfection.

Science

Pizza Physics: Why Brick Ovens Bake The Perfect Italian-Style Pie

11:14am July 23, 2018

by Angus Chen

Brick transfers heat to dough more slowly than steel, allowing both crust and toppings to simultaneously reach perfection. In a home oven, that balance is elusive — but you might be able to get close.

An early prototype of the silicon-chip-sized particle accelerator that physicists at Stanford are working on. Eventually, miniature accelerators might have a role in radiating tumors, the scientists say.

Physicists Go Small: Let's Put A Particle Accelerator On A Chip

8:14pm July 18, 2018

by Joe Palca

A tiny accelerator could be useful in medicine as well as basic science. Instead of speeding up beams of electrons through giant tunnels, the aim here is to build accelerators on semiconductor chips.

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An image from Clifford Johnson's The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe.

'The Dialogues' Takes On Physics And Reality In Words And Pictures

11:21am February 23, 2018

by Adam Frank

Commentator Adam Frank interviews physicist Clifford Johnson, who has taken a new approach to the exploration of questions about the nature of the universe — the graphic novel.

At CERN, Hunting For Invisible Worlds

1:23pm August 16, 2017

by Marcelo Gleiser

With so many dedicated to solving nature's riddles at CERN, it's hard not to think of it as a modern cathedral, a link between reason and mystery, a place of pilgrimage, says blogger Marcelo Gleiser.

The laces on the left are tied in a strong knot that lies horizontally. The laces on the right are tied in a knot that makes the bow lie vertically and which, according to new research, can come untied more easily.

Untangling The Mystery Of Why Shoelaces Come Untied

2:09pm April 17, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley have figured out why shoelaces seem to come untied at the worst moments, like when you're running.

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The possible surface of TRAPPIST-1f, one of the newly discovered planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system.

Science

Something Very Exciting About A Nearby Star

1:00pm March 03, 2017

by Shawn Fitzmaurice

Recently, seven rocky, Earth-like planets were discovered orbiting a nearby star adding to a catalog of 3,500 known extrasolar or exoplanets. Find out how we find planets like these, and what's so cool about them.

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