Physics
Physicists Come Up With Intriguing Way to Measure Art's Evolution
By mapping the complexity and entropy of 140,000 paintings created between 1031 and 2016, the researchers demonstrated the interaction of art movements
Why Do Grapes Send Sparks Flying in the Microwave?
The effect can be replicated with just about any grape-sized, water-based sphere, from large blackberries to gooseberries, quail eggs and hydrogel beads
Magnetic North Is Cruising Toward Siberia, Puzzling Scientists
It has drifted so far that scientists made an emergency revision to the World Magnetic Model
How Scientific Chance and a Little Luck Helped Usher in the Nuclear Age
Accidental experiments and chance encounters helped Enrico Fermi produce the first nuclear reactor
Scientists Predict Sun Will One Day Turn Into Giant Crystal Ball
New observations of white dwarfs confirm theory that the star remnants transition into solid structures as they cool
Meet Farout, the Solar System's Most Distant Minor Planet
Observations suggest the object is 300 miles in diameter, pinkish-red and 3.5 times as far away from the sun as Pluto
The Ten Best Science Books of 2018
These titles explore the wide-ranging implications of new discoveries and experiments, while grounding them in historical context
Smithsonian.com's Chief Digital Officer Shares His Favorite Books of the Year
Our own William Allman describes the 2018 titles he found to be the most enjoyable and eye-opening reads
Scientists Measure the Second With Record-Breaking Precision
A new generation of optical clocks are becoming ever more reliable as physicists work to redefine time
The Woman Whose Invention Helped Win a War — and Still Baffles Weathermen
Her work long overlooked, physicist Joan Curran developed technology to conceal aircraft from radar during World War II
Scientists Are About to Redefine the Kilogram and Shake Up Our System of Measures
After more than 100 years of defining the kilogram according to a metal artifact, humanity is preparing to change the unit based on a constant of nature
Optical Tweezers Give Scientists a Tool to Test the Laws of Quantum Mechanics
Quantum superposition is one of the great mysteries of physics—a mass existing in two states at once—and scientists hope to probe the phenomenon
The Physics of a Perfect Pizza
It takes just the right amount of heat and conduction to turn dough into the perfect Roman Margherita pizza
Does the Same Goose Always Lead the Flying V and More Questions From Our Readers
You asked, we answered
We Haven't Been Zapped Out Of Existence Yet, So Other Dimensions Are Probably Super Tiny
In theory, other dimensions aren't big enough to form black holes and consume our universe or it would have happened already
The Nobels Notoriously Overlook Women Physicists. Donna Strickland's Win Puts That Disparity into the Spotlight
Nobel committee recognizes three physicists in total, all of whom contributed to advancing laser technology
Watch the Strongest Indoor Magnetic Field Blast Doors of Tokyo Lab Wide Open
The unexpectedly large 1,200 tesla boom could help researchers explore quantum physics and help in the quest for nuclear fusion
This New Coating Could Help Keep Buildings Cool
The porous polymer uses tiny air holes to reflect all wavelengths of sunlight, cooling buildings far better than white paint
Hey Fellow Kids, This Is How You Flip a Water Bottle
New paper by undergrads illuminates the physics behind the Water Bottle Challenge
Explorers Will Face Dangerous Amounts of Radiation On Their Trip to Mars
New data from the Mars Trace Gas Orbiter shows just the flight there and back alone will expose astronauts to 60 percent the lifetime radiation dose
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