latest news

10/16/17

Scientists observe first verified neutron-star collision

For the first time, experiments have seen both light and gravitational waves released by a single celestial crash.

10/12/17

Xenon takes a turn in the LHC

For the first time, the Large Hadron Collider is accelerating xenon nuclei for experiments.

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Curiouser and curiouser: a riddle at the ALICE detector

12/09/25

Sarah Charley

In 2023, the ALICE experiment was ready for their best year yet, until a mysterious signal threatened everything. As the LHC wraps up its 2025 lead-ion run, physicists recall how they worked together to solve the puzzle.

01/01/05

R. Keith Ellis and Thomas Ludlam: Strong interaction

The discovery of asymptotic freedom did not mean that Quantum Chromodynamics was immediately accepted as the theory of the strong interaction.

01/01/05

The growth of inflation

Twenty-five years after Alan Guth turned cosmology on its head, what’s the latest story of the universe’s first moments?

01/01/05

Smart scarecrow

"See, that's Albert Einstein!" / "Huh?" was the most common response from caramel-apple-wielding pre-school kids to their parents.

01/01/05

Sold on cold

Particle physics has chosen low-temperature superconducting technology for the International Linear Collider. What is "cold," and why have particle physicists lowered the temperature on a new accelerator?

01/01/05

Virtual cake

Celebrating anniversaries of global organizations presents unique challenges and asks for creative solutions.

01/01/05

Data by the boxload

How many CDs are in the box? "100," a child guessed. "1000," said another. The answer was 2000, the equivalent of just 0.1 percent of the database capabilities at SLAC. "Imagine 2 million CDs in your bedroom."

01/01/05

Gravitational lenses

Gravitational lenses distort light and help scientists study dark matter.

01/01/05

Seiching

Maori lore says that the rising and falling of the water level in Lake Wakatipu every 51 minutes is due to the breathing of the giant sleeping beneath.

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