We care about your data, and we'd like to use cookies to give you a smooth browsing experience. Please agree and read more about our privacy policy.
Quanta Homepage
  • Physics
  • Mathematics
  • Biology
  • Computer Science
  • Topics
  • Archive

Philip Ball

Contributing Writer

Twitter

Latest Articles

A graph that’s broken and crumbling
quantum physics

Experiments Spell Doom for Decades-Old Explanation of Quantum Weirdness

By Philip Ball
October 20, 2022
Comment
Read Later

Physical-collapse theories have long offered a natural solution to the central mystery of the quantum world. But a series of increasingly precise experiments are making them untenable.

A curly arrow being straightened out.
theoretical physics

Physicists Rewrite the Fundamental Law That Leads to Disorder

By Philip Ball
May 26, 2022
Comment
Read Later

The second law of thermodynamics is among the most sacred in all of science, but it has always rested on 19th century arguments about probability. New arguments trace its true source to the flows of quantum information.

A video of masks swirling around.
quantum computing

Major Quantum Computing Strategy Suffers Serious Setbacks

By Philip Ball
September 29, 2021
Comment
Read Later

So-called topological quantum computing would avoid many of the problems that stand in the way of full-scale quantum computers. But high-profile missteps have led some experts to question whether the field is fooling itself.

An illustration of a cell sitting atop a circuit diagram.
cell biology

Biologists Rethink the Logic Behind Cells’ Molecular Signals

By Philip Ball
September 16, 2021
Comment
Read Later

The molecular signaling systems of complex cells are nothing like simple electronic circuits. The logic governing their operation is riotously complex — but it has advantages.

quantum physics

How Big Can the Quantum World Be? Physicists Probe the Limits.

By Philip Ball
August 18, 2021
Comment
Read Later

By showing that even large objects can exhibit bizarre quantum behaviors, physicists hope to illuminate the mystery of quantum collapse, identify the quantum nature of gravity, and perhaps even make Schrödinger’s cat a reality.

developmental biology

Cells Form Into ‘Xenobots’ on Their Own

By Philip Ball
March 31, 2021
Comment
Read Later

Embryonic cells can self-assemble into new living forms that don’t resemble the bodies they usually generate, challenging old ideas of what defines an organism.

Illustration of gold unicorn
optics

Alchemy Arrives in a Burst of Light

By Philip Ball
September 30, 2020
Comment
Read Later

Researchers have shown how to effectively transform one material into another using a finely shaped laser pulse.

Illustration of black holes connected by a wormhole.
quantum information theory

Wormholes Reveal a Way to Manipulate Black Hole Information in the Lab

By Philip Ball
February 27, 2020
Comment
Read Later

A proposal for building wormhole-connected black holes offers a way to probe the paradoxes of quantum information.

quantum physics

Quantum Darwinism, an Idea to Explain Objective Reality, Passes First Tests

By Philip Ball
July 22, 2019
Comment
Read Later

Three experiments have vetted quantum Darwinism, a theory that explains how quantum possibilities can give rise to objective, classical reality.


Previous
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
Next

About the author

Philip Ball is a science writer and author based in London who contributes frequently to Nature, New Scientist, Prospect, Nautilus and The Atlantic, among other publications. His books include Bright Earth, Invisible and most recently, The Water Kingdom.
Follow Quanta
Facebook
Facebook

Twitter
Twitter

Youtube
YouTube

Instagram
Instagram

RSS
RSS

Newsletter

All Time

Most Read From Philip Ball

This Data is Current Loading...
This Data is Current Loading...
This Data is Current Loading...
The Quanta Newsletter

Get highlights of the most important news delivered to your email inbox

Recent newsletters
Quanta Homepage
Facebook
Twitter
Youtube
Instagram

  • About Quanta
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Simons Foundation
All Rights Reserved © 2023