Madphysics

We tend to think of Albert Einstein has a highfalutin theoretical physics guru, but the physicist also worked on…

The Higgs boson is the missing particle that would complete the standard model of particle physics, but so far we've…

Gravity is usually the arch-nemesis of quantum mechanics, stubbornly refusing to play nice with the forces governing…

Behold the basic physics of the wet dog shake, as explored by Andrew Dickerson, Grant Mills, Jay Bauman, Young-Hui…

String theorists and particle physicists possess skills that also come in handy when playing poker, as it's a game…

We're pretty much certain that dark matter exists, but we're still working to nail down precisely what dark matter…

The strength of the electromagnetic interaction, one of physics's most fundamental constants, is actually very…

When it comes to undesired noises, silencing guns is the same thing as silencing incessant yammerers. It all comes…

Why do strands of spaghetti so rarely snap into only two pieces? Take a look at the solution to a mystery that, no…

Parachutes are designed to create as much drag as possible. So why do parachutes have holes in them?

You'd think a totally smooth surface would be better at flying through the air with the least amount of wind…

Find out what a sonic boom is, and how you can create it in the privacy of your own household.

A leading candidate for room temperature superconductors is the copper compound cuprate, but no one knew how…

A new theory explains the accelerating universe without invoking mysterious, unseen dark energy to account for the…

White holes are basically black holes in reverse: They eject all the matter sucked into a black hole. We've never…

The uncertainty principle is at the foundation of quantum mechanics: You can measure a particle's position or its…

There's a simple way to measure the speed of sound. It's low tech and unimpressive, but you get to blast an air…

The current explanation of the universe's origins relies on clumsy assumptions and can't explain most subatomic…

A working knowledge of surface tension allows you to shove a skewer through a balloon without popping it and a…

Water is clear. The sky is blue. So why are clouds white? And if regular clouds are white, why are rain clouds gray?