Physicists Rewrite a Quantum Rule That Clashes With Our Universe
[ad_1] “There are some configurations of the future that don’t correspond to anything in the past,” Cotler said. “There’s nothing in the past that would evolve into them.” Giddings has…
The Enigma of Dragonfly 44, the Galaxy That’s Almost Invisible
[ad_1] In 2016, astronomers led by Pieter van Dokkum of Yale University published a bombshell paper claiming the discovery of a galaxy so dim, yet so broad and heavy, that…
The Problem With Spinning Spacecraft
[ad_1] While it would be awesome for people to be able to live in space, a “weightless” environment poses some serious challenges. Humans function best on Earth’s surface, where they…
The Unnatural Future of Physics
[ad_1] Physicists don’t think the truth should be “out there.” They want nature to come naturally, make sense, fit in or have a good reason not to. Unnaturalness is a…
The Physics of Smashing a Spacecraft Into an Asteroid
[ad_1] There are a couple of things to notice. First, after the collision DART is moving backwards, because it bounced. Since velocity is a vector, that means that it will…
How Far Would You Have to Tunnel Underground to Lose 20 Pounds?
[ad_1] Now, what if I move outside this sphere? It turns out that the gravitational field due to a spherical distribution produces the same gravitational field as if all the…
The Physics of Going Fast—but Not Too Fast—on a Giant Slide
[ad_1] Really, the only difference is that this is a downward-curving path with the center of this circular curve below the slide instead of above. (Once again, the gray C-shape…
How to Simulate Walking on the Moon—Without Leaving the Planet
[ad_1] Even if the magnitude of the gravitational force and the buoyancy force were equal, having a different location for the center of mass and buoyancy will mean the object…
NASA Delayed the Psyche Launch. Here’s Why That’s a Big Deal
[ad_1] NASA and the Psyche team declined interview requests until an independent review of the mission delay has been completed. Agency officials will make a decision about next steps based…