astrophysics
The Particle That Broke a Cosmic Speed Limit
Physicists are beginning to unravel the mysteries of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays, particles accelerated by the most powerful forces in the universe.
Q&A
Concerns of an Artificial Intelligence Pioneer
Computer scientist Stuart Russell wants to ensure that our increasingly intelligent machines remain aligned with human values.
particle physics
‘Penguin’ Anomaly Hints at Missing Particles
A statistical anomaly in the signal from rare particle decays at the Large Hadron Collider offers hope that new discoveries might be around the corner.
astrophysics
Strange Stars Pulse to the Golden Mean
Nature has revealed peculiar mathematical objects that connect order and chaos.
particle physics
In LHC’s Shadow, America’s Collider Awakens
The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider fired up for its 15th run to take a deeper look at the building blocks of atoms.
theoretical physics
In Fake Universes, Evidence for String Theory
If string theorists can show that their framework is the only consistent theory of quantum gravity, does that make it true even without tangible evidence?
cosmology
Joint Dust Analysis Deflates Big Bang Signal
No definitive evidence for cosmic inflation is found, but support remains strong for the theory even as critics highlight its shortcomings as an explanation for how and why the universe began.
geometry
Scientists Conjure Curves From Flatness
Researchers have found a set of rules for imbuing flat surfaces with curvature, enabling them to form a virtually unlimited range of three-dimensional structures.
Computer Science
A Common Logic to Seeing Cats and Cosmos
New research suggests physicists, computers and brains employ the same procedure to tease out important features from among other irrelevant bits of data.