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Illustration shows how the mass of a large star warps the flat geometry of spacetime, illustrated as a contoured space.

Physical World

A quantum origin for spacetime

Physicists find hints that entanglement explains Einstein’s equations for gravity

Satellite photo of Earth shows Antarctica surrounded by hazy white and brown dust trails hovering above the Southern Ocean.

Physical World

The iron ocean

Through dust, not rust, the metal plays a complex, controversial role in Earth’s climate

Physical World

Fast facts about the Milky Way | Things to Know

VIDEO: Our galaxy may seem humble, but here are a few things to know about what makes it an exceptional place

Physical World

The science behind geyser blasts

VIDEO: From Yellowstone National Park to geothermal fields in Iceland, researchers travel the world to understand what makes geysers blow.

Conceptual illustration shows lots of blue and white strands undulating on a black background. A flashy red, orange and green rocket-shaped thing is shooting through the middle, leaving a streak of color in its wake.

Physical World

How particle accelerators came to be

PODCAST: They started out so small, one could fit on the palm of your hand, but to make groundbreaking discoveries, physicists had to think really big — as in, vast machines with the power and capacity to reveal the tiniest building blocks of our universe (Season 2/Episode 5)

Titaniun dioxide towers making up a metalens.

Physical World

Invisibility aside, metamaterials are making waves

Materials that manipulate light and sound in ways not seen in nature may be ready for prime time, improving imaging and communications

Conceptual illustration shows a subterranean scene with creatures and roots in the soil. A vibration sensor is stuck in the ground.

Living World

Life in the soil was thought to be silent. What if it isn’t?

A handful of scientists have started to train their ears to the worms, grubs and roots underground. They were not prepared for what they heard.

Conceptual illustration shows a dark, hot hydrothermal vent at the bottom of the ocean, plus the genesis of small organic chemicals and primitive cells.

Living World

At the dawn of life, did metabolism come first?

Some scientists propose that in the beginning, geochemistry gave way to biochemistry — with no genetic material necessary. Only later did RNA and DNA appear.

Conceptual illustration of a red planet with its golden star blazing out light from the left. Other small, pale stars twinkle in the background.

Physical World

The search for exoplanets

PODCAST: Not that long ago, scientists found evidence that our Sun wasn’t unique — other stars have their own orbiting bodies. It was a discovery centuries in the making. What does this mean for Earth today and our place in the universe? (Season 2/Episode 2)

Physical World

Making sense of many universes

The idea of a multiverse — multiple realms of space differing in basic properties of physics — bugs some scientists. Others find it a real possibility that should not be ignored.

Image shows a view of the sun and its corona. Half of the image is taken in UV light. The right half of the image shows the sun in visible light during an eclipse, when its corona can be easily seen.

Physical World

Hotter than the sun: The mysterious solar corona

Several new missions aim squarely at a long-standing astronomical conundrum, with the promise of improving space-weather predictions

Bubbles at the bottom of a glass, viewed from above.

Food & Environment

Champagne bubbles: the science

As you uncork that bottle and raise your glass, take time to toast physics and chemistry along with the New Year

Physical World

The origins and future of the Grand Canyon

VIDEO: How old is the Grand Canyon? Will the Colorado River run dry? Learn about how the Big Ditch formed and the present state and uncertain future of the Colorado River watershed.

Photo taken during Apollo 11 moon landing. On the 50th anniversary, scientists consider what we’ve learned from the moon rocks collected by Apollo astronauts. What the rocks tell us about the early solar system is still being discovered.

Physical World

How the moon landings changed our view of the solar system

Lunar samples hinted at a barrage of debris pummelling planets billions of years ago. Fifty years after Apollo 11, that story is still unfolding.

Photo shows orange lava spewing from atop a volcanic crater.

Physical World

There are more active volcanoes than you think

OPINION: Volcanologists warn that magma-filled vents evolve over time, leading to an underestimation of the number that might erupt — especially those capable of the biggest explosions

Photograph of an aerial view of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The swirls of surface oil are colored red and orange; other parts of the water are blue layered with oily iridescence.

Food & Environment

Eyes on the deep

Decades of exploring the seafloor have helped oceanographer Samantha Joye tackle marine issues — from the underwater movement of oil from Deepwater Horizon to the biology of remote microbial communities

Hubble Space Telescope image of Butterfly Nebula

Physical World

A dying star’s last hurrah

At the end of their lives, sunlike stars metamorphose into glowing shells of gas — perhaps shaped by unseen companions

Photo taken by the crew of the International Space Station of the sun peeking over the edge of the planet showing a sky that darkens as you move away from Earth.

Food & Environment

Why solar geoengineering should be part of the climate crisis solution

The controversial technology of reflecting sunlight away from the planet could help blunt the worst impacts of climate change

Short animated clip shows dynamic streaks of red and orange circling a dark center.

Physical World

What the image of the Milky Way’s black hole really shows

The massive object at the galaxy’s center is invisible. But this year’s picture of the swirling plasma around its edges will help to reveal more about the galaxy’s history and evolution.

Photo of a person’s palm holding a chunk of silver metal that pools as it melts.

Technology

Gallium: The liquid metal that could transform soft electronics

Bend it. Stretch it. Use it to conduct electricity. Researchers are exploring a range of applications that harness the element’s unusual properties.

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