Detailed Footage Finally Reveals What Triggers Lightning
The first detailed observations of lightning’s emergence inside a cloud have exposed how electric fields grow strong enough to let bolts fly.
The Great Neutrino Mystery Could Point to Missing Particles
Years of conflicting measurements have led physicists to propose a “dark sector” of invisible particles that could explain dark matter and the universe’s expansion.
Fractons, the Weirdest Matter, Could Yield Quantum Clues
Theorists are in a frenzy over these bizarre, but potentially useful, hypothetical particles that can only move in combination with one another.
The Secret Ingredient That Powers Supernovas
Three-dimensional computer simulations have solved the mystery of why doomed stars explode at all.
Looking for Gravitons? Check for the ‘Buzz’
The hypothetical particles are a cornerstone of quantum gravity theories, but they’re famously hard to observe. Yet maybe they create detectable ‘noise.’
The Universe Is Expanding Faster Than It Should. Why?
The Hubble constant predicts how rapidly space should grow—but astronomical observations don’t line up. Here are the top ideas about what might be going on.