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Particle physics

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How the Physics of Resonance Shapes Reality

January 26, 2022

The same phenomenon by which an opera singer can shatter a wineglass also underlies the very existence of subatomic particles.

The Year in Physics

December 22, 2021

Puzzling particles, quirky (and controversial) quantum computers, and one of the most ambitious science experiments in history marked the year’s milestones.

The Algorithm That Lets Particle Physicists Count Higher Than Two

November 22, 2021

Through his encyclopedic study of the electron, an obscure figure named Stefano Laporta found a handle on the subatomic world’s fearsome complexity. His algorithm has swept the field.

Is the Great Neutrino Puzzle Pointing to Multiple Missing Particles?

October 28, 2021

Years of conflicting neutrino measurements have led physicists to propose a “dark sector” of invisible particles — one that could simultaneously explain dark matter, the puzzling expansion of the universe, and other mysteries.

‘Impossible’ Particle Discovery Adds Key Piece to the Strong Force Puzzle

September 27, 2021

The unexpected discovery of the double-charm tetraquark has given physicists a new tool with which to hone their understanding of the strongest of nature’s fundamental forces.

How Steven Weinberg Transformed Physics and Physicists

August 11, 2021

When Steven Weinberg died last month, the world lost one of its most profound thinkers.

A Video Tour of the Standard Model

July 16, 2021

The Standard Model is a sweeping equation that has correctly predicted the results of virtually every experiment ever conducted, as Quanta explores in a new video.

How Gravity Is a Double Copy of Other Forces

May 4, 2021

An enigmatic connection between the forces of nature is allowing physicists to explore gravity’s quantum side.

‘Last Hope’ Experiment Finds Evidence for Unknown Particles

April 7, 2021

Today’s long-anticipated announcement by Fermilab’s Muon g-2 team appears to solidify a tantalizing conflict between nature and theory. But a separate calculation, published at the same time, has clouded the picture.

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