Elizabeth Gibney is a senior physics reporter for Nature magazine.
Ultra-Precise Particle Measurement Narrows Pathway to ‘New Physics’
A long-awaited calculation of the W boson’s mass agrees with theory, contradicting a previous anomaly that had raised the possibility of new physics beyond the Standard Model
Queen’s Brian May Is a Champion for Badgers and Science
Queen guitarist Brian May has spent a decade studying the science of bovine tuberculosis, which can be carried by badgers, and has identified a new method of spread
Exotic Quantum State Achieved after Decades-Long Quest
Molecular Bose-Einstein condensates could help to provide the answers to fundamental questions or form the basis of new quantum computers
Europe’s Mars Rover Will Use New Nuclear Power Source
The radioactive unit will help to deliver Europe’s first Mars rover to the planet’s surface
Large Hadron Collider’s $17-Billion Successor Moves Forward
A feasibility study on CERN’s Future Circular Collider identifies where and how the machine could be built—but its construction is far from assured
First Space-Based Gravitational Wave Detector Gets Go-Ahead
The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna could discover gigantic ripples in spacetime from merging supermassive black holes and more
What Time Is It on the Moon?
Satellite navigation systems for lunar settlements will require local atomic clocks. Scientists are working out what time they will keep
Nuclear Fusion Lab Achieves ‘Ignition’: What Does It Mean?
Fusion researchers at the U.S. National Ignition Facility created a reaction that made more energy than they put in
How Many Yottabytes in a Quettabyte? Extreme Numbers Get New Names
Prolific generation of data drove the need for prefixes that denote 1027 and 1030
The Leap Second’s Time Is Up: World Votes to Stop Pausing Clocks
How, and whether, to keep atomic time in sync with Earth’s rotation is still up for debate
The Middle East Is Going Green while Supplying Oil to Others
Middle Eastern governments are ramping up their green ambitions ahead of the COP27 climate summit but show few signs of reining in fossil-fuel exports
Where Is Russia’s Cyberwar? Researchers Decipher Its Strategy
When Russia invaded Ukraine, many analysts expected an unprecedented level of cyberattacks—which so far haven’t materialized
China Plans Asteroid Missions, Space Telescopes and a Moon Base
In the next five years, the nation hopes to launch a robotic craft to an asteroid, two lunar missions and an orbital observatory
‘Like Froth on a Cappuccino’: Spacecraft’s Chaotic Landing Reveals Comet’s Softness
Detective work reconstructs the final movements of the European Space Agency’s Philae probe
Last Chance for WIMPs: Physicists Launch All-Out Hunt for Dark Matter Candidate
Researchers have spent decades searching for the elusive particles. A final generation of detectors should leave them no place to hide
Arab World’s First Mars Probe Takes to the Skies
Celebration is tinged with relief as $200-million orbiter embarks on 7-month odyssey to the Red Planet
This Photo of the Sun Is the Closest Ever Taken
Close-up reveals a surface dancing with ‘campfires’
How a Small Arab Nation Built a Mars Mission from Scratch in Six Years
The United Arab Emirates’ Hope orbiter is the Arab world’s first interplanetary spacecraft — and has jump-started science in the country. Will the momentum last?
CERN Makes Bold Push to Build $23-Billion Super Collider
European particle-physics lab will pursue a 100-kilometer machine to uncover the Higgs boson’s secrets — but it doesn’t yet have the funds
Universe’s Coolest Lab Creates Bizarre Quantum Matter in Space
Physicists have made a Bose–Einstein condensate on the International Space Station—allowing them to probe the mysteries of quantum physics in detail
Coronavirus Lockdowns Have Changed the Way Earth Moves
A reduction in seismic noise because of changes in human activity is a boon for geoscientists
Destination Neptune! Rare Chance to Reach Ice Giants Excites Scientists
A planetary alignment provides a window to visit Uranus and Neptune—but time is tight
European Space Windfall Will Fast-Track Science Missions
Europe’s space agency is set to receive 45% more money than in the previous three-year budget
The Quantum Gold Rush
The science is immature, and a multipurpose quantum computer doesn’t yet exist. But that isn’t stopping investors from pouring cash into quantum start-ups