Viewers of Quantum Events Are Also Subject to Uncertainty
The reference frames from which observers view quantum events can themselves have multiple possible locations at once—an insight with potentially major ramifications.
How Does a Movie Projector Show the Color Black?
There’s no such thing as black-colored light. So how can we see Darth Vader on a screen?
Why Can’t You Switch Seats in an Empty Airplane?
Yes, the weight distribution on an aircraft really does affect how well it flies. Our physics guy explains.
The Simple Math Behind Public Key Cryptography
The security system that underlies the internet makes use of a curious fact: You can broadcast part of your encryption to make your information much more secure.
The Physics of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloons
How do these giant balloons work? What makes them both easier and more complicated than a normal-size balloon?
Mathematicians Just Debunked the ‘Bunkbed Conjecture’
This famous probability theory was intuitive, even obvious. It was also wrong.
Why Is It So Tricky to Show the Sun, Earth, and Moon in a Diagram?
In a nutshell, you can get the distances or the sizes right, but not both. Space is hard!
Scientists Establish the Best Algorithm for Traversing a Map
Dijkstra’s algorithm was long thought to be the most efficient way to find a graph’s best routes. Researchers have now proven that it’s “universally optimal.”
How to Design a Real-Life Hot Wheels Loop
You should absolutely not build this thing. But it’s still fun to think through the physics.
Scientists Have Pushed the Schrödinger’s Cat Paradox to New Limits
A research team in China has held atoms in a state of quantum superposition for 23 minutes, suggesting tantalizing new possibilities in research and quantum computing.