Latest News
Our pick of the latest physics stories from around the world wide web.
Mars site may hold 'buried life'
30/07/2010
Researchers have identified rocks that they say could contain the fossilised remains of life on early Mars.
Triple-slit experiment confirms reality is quantum
23/07/2010
An upgraded version of the classic double-slit experiment has been performed – it's only taken a century to do it.
Powerful cosmic blast blinds telescope
19/07/2010
A burst of x-rays that temporarily blinded a NASA satellite last month was the most powerful blast ever recorded, leaving astronomers mystified about its origin.
Solar Impulse plane starts 24-hour test flight
07/07/2010
An experimental aircraft that draws its power from the Sun is making a round-the-clock test flight.
Goce satellite views Earth's gravity in HD
29/06/2010
The Goce satellite returns a remarkable high-definition view of how gravity varies across the Earth.
Climate change is leaving us with extra space junk
25/06/2010
Dead satellites and rocket parts are taking longer to drop out of orbit, thanks to cooling of the upper atmosphere as the air beneath gets warmer.
'Killer space rock' hunt to begin
17/06/2010
A new telescope facility in Hawaii designed to search for asteroids and comets which could threaten Earth has been made operational.
Physicists burst bubble mystery
10/06/2010
With the help of high speed video, scientists have discovered that there is far more to bursting bubbles than meets the eye.
Mars minerals point to warmer and wetter past
04/06/2010
The Red Planet harbours rocks rich in carbonate minerals, suggesting there was more water there in the past than previously thought.
Icelandic volcano's ash blanket was electric
27/05/2010
An electric charge detected in Eyjafjallajökull's ash cloud could lead to airborne detectors that warn pilots of dangerous flying conditions.
New clue to anti-matter mystery
19/05/2010
A US-based physics experiment has found a clue as to why the world around us is composed of normal matter and not its shadowy opposite: anti-matter.
Bat studies to aid roving robots
11/05/2010
Detailed studies of the ways bats and dolphins use sound to echo-locate could soon help people with cochlear implants listen in stereo.
Laser creates clouds over Germany
04/05/2010
A laser has been used to generate small clouds on demand in lab, and real-world experiments suggest this could be a way to call down rain when it's needed.
Asteroid coated with ice suggests ingredients for life came from space
29/04/2010
Ice and organic chemicals found on an asteroid back the theory that asteroids provided the Earth with the bare necessities of life.
Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory returns first images
22/04/2010
Stunning new images are released of huge explosions and looping gases on the Sun, captured by Nasa's new solar mission.
Quiet sun puts Europe on Ice
15/04/2010
A new study has identified a compelling link between solar activity and winter temperatures in northern Europe.
Pavement power lights up Toulouse
14/04/2010
Electricity generated by pedestrians is being used to illuminate street lights in France's technology capital.
World's deepest undersea vents discovered in Caribbean
12/04/2010
What are believed to be the world's deepest undersea volcanic vents have been discovered in the Caribbean.
Solar plane prototype in first test flight
07/04/2010
A solar-powered plane prototype takes to the air for the first time in its first step towards a round-the-world journey.
Tiny cube to tackle space debris
29/03/2010
UK researchers have developed a device to drag space debris out of orbit.
How atom bomb tests could help detect wine fraud
22/03/2010
Radioactive carbon traces from nuclear tests may help pinpoint a wine's vintage.
Limits of quantum world stretched
18/03/2010
Scientists have created the largest-ever 'quantum state', a result that has implications for quantum physics and computing.
Mile-high mega kites could pull giant, floating power plants
11/03/2010
Catamarans fitted with hydroelectric turbines and hitched to a 6.5 million-square-foot parafoils flying nearly a mile in the air could supply giga watts of power.
Chile earthquake: Shock effect on Earth's axis
04/03/2010
The earthquake that struck Chile may have shifted the Earth's axis and created shorter days.
Ice deposits found at Moon's pole
02/03/2010
A radar experiment aboard India's Chandrayaan-1 lunar spacecraft has identified thick deposits of water ice near the Moon's north pole.
Latex could silence noisy neighbours
23/02/2010
The rumbling bass from the party animals next door need no longer keep you awake at night.
Pliable power pack will let gadgets feed on your body
16/02/2010
Sheets of material that produce voltage when flexed could generate power from the motion of the human body.
Sat-nav devices face big errors as solar activity rises
10/02/2010
Researchers say the Sun is awakening after a period of low activity, which does not bode well for a world ever more dependent on satellite navigation.
Quantum trick for pressure-sensitive mobile devices
09/02/2010
Hand-held devices could soon have pressure-sensitive touch-screens and keys, thanks to a UK firm's material that exploits a quantum physics trick.
How spider webs catch water drops
04/02/2010
A new study has shown how spider silk captures water from the air and gathers it into jewel-like droplets.
Jason ocean mission secures funds
03/02/2010
European nations commit to build the next Jason spacecraft, a key mission to monitor the behaviour of the world's oceans.
Obama cancels Moon return project
02/02/2010
US President Barack Obama has cancelled the NASA project designed to take humans back to the Moon.
Laser fusion test results raise energy hopes
29/01/2010
A major hurdle to producing fusion energy using lasers has been swept aside, results in a new report show.
Nasa accepts Spirit Mars rover 'stuck for good'
27/01/2010
The US space agency (Nasa) has admitted defeat in its battle to free the Spirit rover from its Martian sand trap.
