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Physics

See the latest physics news and expert analysis on dark matter, the multiverse, theoretical and particle physics, quantum theory, and more from the world of physics.
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Quantum computer circuitry illustration. Conventional computers store information as 'bits', with each transistor holding either a 1 or a 0. Quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits, which operate according to two principles of quantum physics. One of the principles, supposition, allows a qubit to store a 1 and a 0 at the same time. This means two qubits can hold four values at once. The second principle, entanglement, means that the state of one qubit can depend on the state of another. As you expand the number of qubits, the machine becomes exponentially more powerful.

Physics

Quantum theory at 100: Let’s celebrate its power and provocation

Quantum theory started with a bout of hay fever, and went on to transform our view of the universe – but its legacy isn't complete

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2G4A579 3D visualization of gravity distorsion, physical objects in orbit, space, general theory of relativity, law of universal gravitation, scientific

Physics

Why I still love reckoning with the quantum gravity problem

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Where exactly does the quantum world end and concrete reality begin?

Physics

Where exactly does the quantum world end and concrete reality begin?

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Could the ancient Greeks have invented quantum theory?

Physics

Could the ancient Greeks have invented quantum theory?

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What exactly would a full-scale quantum computer be useful for?

Physics

What exactly would a full-scale quantum computer be useful for?

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Carlo Rovelli on what we get wrong about the origins of quantum theory

Physics

Carlo Rovelli on what we get wrong about the origins of quantum theory

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What does quantum theory really tell us about the nature of reality?

Physics

What does quantum theory really tell us about the nature of reality?

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A timeline of the most important events in quantum mechanics

Physics

A timeline of the most important events in quantum mechanics

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Physics

Where Schrödinger’s cat came from – and why it’s getting fatter

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Speculative novel layers Groundhog Day with existential dreaminess

Physics

Speculative novel layers Groundhog Day with existential dreaminess

Solvej Balle's newly translated speculative novel, On the Calculation of Volume (parts I and II), examines the numbing effects of time through the old trope of being stuck in a single day. It is an effective meditation

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Physics

Space could emerge from time

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Physics

How to make great coffee with fewer beans, according to science

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Physics

'Quantum Darwinism' may explain why we live in a shared reality

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How optical clocks are redefining time and physics

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