Physics
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PhysicsTrying to break a photon would create a quantum mess
Attempting to cut a light particle in half would spawn up to infinite new photons, a new model shows.
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ArchaeologyMystery solved: Why earthquakes haven’t wrecked Egypt’s Great Pyramid
Its materials, shape and internal design have helped this ancient wonder withstand strong shaking.
By Skyler Ware -
ChemistryTabletop lightning helps make an alcohol used for fuels and more
Methanol is used in plastics, paints and as a race car fuel. It’s been hard to make. But engineers have found a simple trick: Add lightning to methane.
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Materials ScienceScientists Say: Metal-Organic Framework
Special pockets in these molecular structures make them useful in medicine, climate science and more.
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SpaceThe lives of black holes, from birth to death
After more than a century, scientists are just beginning to understand black holes — the most bizarre and powerful things in the universe.
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PhysicsExploding black holes could solve a big cosmic mystery
Tiny black holes in the early universe could explain why matter is common and antimatter is not.
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PhysicsOrigami research takes top prize at 2026 Regeneron ISEF competition
The top three winners each won at least $80,000. Other teen finalists shared in more than $7 million in prizes at this international science fair.
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AnimalsPhysics explains how snakes climb and stand without limbs
Tree snakes can raise their body into the air without falling over. They keep their balance by bending their bodies close to their base.
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PhysicsThunderstorms can make trees twinkle with an electric glow
The tiny, storm-driven electric zaps dance and jump around pine needles and other leaves. Videos have just captured that subtle flickering in forests.
By Lily Burton -
LifeScientists Say: Biophoton
All living things glow with this mysterious light. But scientists need ultra-sensitive tools to detect it.
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SpaceScientists Say: Observable universe
No light will ever reach Earth from beyond this distant horizon of space.
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SpaceDo multiple universes exist?
Some branches of physics hint that our universe is just one of many in a vast “multiverse.”