physics

T.D. Lee changed science in China and my life. This is what I owe to him

5:00am September 05, 2024

Chinese particle physicist Yangyang Cheng reflects on the legacy of the late Nobel laureate T.D. Lee — how his ideas changed her life, and the limit to his engagement with Beijing.

Nobel Prize-winning physicist Tsung-Dao Lee has died at age 97

11:55am August 06, 2024

by The Associated Press

The Chinese American physicist, who in 1957 became the second-youngest scientist to receive a Nobel Prize, died on Sunday at his home in San Francisco.

A cicada perches on a picnic table in front of Nolde Mansion in Cumru Township, PA in May 2021. New research shows that these insects urinate in a surprising way.

Science

Scientists studied how cicadas pee. Their insights could shed light on fluid dynamics

5:01am March 20, 2024

by Ari Daniel

Cicadas, and the way they urinate, offer a 'perfect' lab for understanding fluid dynamics at very small scales, researchers say

Queue Listen Now

This 10.0 mm (0.4 inches) monster snowflake holds the Guinness record for the largest snow crystal. A microscope was used to photograph it in four quadrants, which were later digitally recombined.

Science

Just how big can a snowflake get? It depends on what you mean by 'snowflake'

5:00am December 25, 2023

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

The Guinness World Record folks would have us believe in a 19th century snowflake more than a foot wide, but some scientists are skeptical.

A new study finds that climate change is causing more home runs.

Global warming could be juicing baseball home runs, study finds

9:53am April 12, 2023

by Ari Daniel

Baseball home runs appear to be getting a little extra help from climate change, a new study finds. That's because baseballs can fly farther through air that's made thinner by warmer conditions.

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.

Queue Listen Now

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.