I Walked Inside America's Newest Particle Accelerator

In the Near Experimental Hall

A vacuum chamber at SLAC. Photo: Isaac Schultz

A lit-up vacuum chamber in the Near Experimental Hall at SLAC. Windows on the chamber give researchers multiple vantage points for cameras imaging the samples being used in experiments. This instrument, chemRiXS, is being constructed specifically for LCLS-II and will image chemical events and quantum phenomena.

Previous Next

Watch a Man Get Launched Off a Truck at 50 MPH, for Science

Relax, you're in the loving arms of physics.

Social Media Tom Hawking Feb 10

Black Hole Simulation Interstellar Travel

Should You Be Worried About a Tiny Black Hole Hitting Your Body?

A Vanderbilt physicist has both good and bad news.

Space & Spaceflight Margherita Bassi Nov 24

Nobel Prizes: 5 Unlikely Winner Reactions, From the Unbothered to the Downright Mad

Apparently people just have better things to do than win the world's most prestigious prize.

Science Gayoung Lee Oct 8

Physicists Blow Up Gold With Giant Lasers, Accidentally Disprove Renowned Physics Model

For the first time, physicists have directly measured the temperature of extremely hot gold particles using a giant X-ray laser—a breakthrough with major implications for engineering spacecraft or nuclear fusion reactors.

Physics & Chemistry Gayoung Lee Jul 23

Cool Physics Feat Makes a Sphere Roll Down a Vertical Wall

Scientists have discovered that under the right conditions, a gummy bear-like ball can roll down a vertical wall all by itself—upending a core assumption in physics.

Physics & Chemistry Margherita Bassi Jun 7

The Best Way to Drop an Egg Without Breaking It, According to Science

Turns out, conventional wisdom on the matter appears to be wrong.

Physics & Chemistry Ed Cara May 8