physics

Namitha Vishveshwara

11:44pm Dec 29, 2020

Science Science

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

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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Jake Socha/ Virginia Tech

5:46pm Jun 29, 2020

Science Science

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

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.
Santi Visalli / Getty Images

4:16pm Oct 16, 2018

Science Science Books

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

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.
Araya Diaz / Getty Images

10:47am Sep 17, 2018

National National Science Books

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

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.
Aldo Pavan / Getty Images

11:14am Jul 23, 2018

Science Science

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

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.
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

8:14pm Jul 18, 2018

National National Science

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

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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Courtesy of Clifford Johnson

11:21am Feb 23, 2018

Science Science Books

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

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.
Getty Images/iStockphoto

1:23pm Aug 16, 2017

World News World News Science

At CERN, Hunting For Invisible Worlds

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.
Meredith Rizzo/NPR

2:09pm Apr 17, 2017

National National Science Health & Safety

Untangling The Mystery Of Why Shoelaces Come Untied

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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NASA/JPL-Caltech

1:00pm Mar 03, 2017

Science Science

Something Very Exciting About A Nearby Star

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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Eliza Grinnell / Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

2:01pm Dec 19, 2016

National National Science

This Christmas Song Brought To You By The World's Tiniest Radio Receiver

by Rebecca Hersher

Engineers made a radio receiver with building blocks the size of two atoms. One benefit of a radio so small you can barely see it: The machine works at extremely high temperatures.
Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP/Getty Images

7:31am Oct 04, 2016

Science Science

3 Physicists Win Nobel Prize For Theoretical Research Into Phases Of Matter

by Camila Domonoske

One half of the prize went to David J. Thouless; the other half was shared by F. Duncan M. Haldane and J. Michael Kosterlitz. They used math to explain the odd behavior of unusual states of matter.