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Physics
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Where Did Earth Get Its Oceans? Maybe It Made Them Itself.
At first, scientists thought Earth’s water came from comets. Then, asteroids. Now, they wonder if Earth’s water is homegrown.
Entanglement Builds Space-Time. Now “Magic” Gives It Gravity.
In holographic theories, physicists may have traced the pliability of space-time to its quantum roots: a measure of quantumness known as “magic.”
How We See the Beautiful, Violent Sun
Over hundreds of years, increasingly sophisticated instruments have revealed — and continue to reveal — the secrets of our star.
When Quiet Undersea Volcanoes Turn Disruptive
Earth’s largest volcanic system, hidden in mountain chains under the sea, has long been assumed to erupt only quietly. The shallow seafloor off Iceland tells another story.
Rubin Tracks Skyscraper-Size Asteroids, Failed Supernovas, and Interstellar Visitors
Astronomers are preparing for a new era of big-data astronomy, and results are already starting to arrive.
Will We Ever Be Able To Forecast Volcanic Eruptions Like Weather?
It should be possible, but getting there will require a greater understanding of subsurface physics.
What Causes Lightning? The Answer Keeps Getting More Interesting.
Armed with a slew of new instruments, physicists are closing in on one of nature’s oldest mysteries — and finding that storm clouds are seething with violent and unexpected phenomena.
Physicists Discover the Most Complex Forms of Ice Yet
Scientists keep detecting new forms of ice. According to simulations, there could be many more left to find.
Quantum ‘Jamming’ Explores the Truly Fundamental Principles of Nature
Some quantum cryptographers want to find ways to keep messages secret even if the rules of quantum mechanics don’t hold. The recently rediscovered idea of quantum jamming complicates things.