The United States is planning to develop a next-generation missile defense system, dubbed the “Golden Dome,” to protect the country from incoming missiles. However, scientists suggest that implementing such a system would be daunting due to the difficulty of intercepting intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and other advanced threats. The system aims to defend against not…
Science on The Soothsayer / page 15
A team of researchers led by Nico Deshler at the University of Arizona has developed a new type of coronagraph that can capture images of dim exoplanets extremely close to bright stars. This breakthrough instrument has the potential to revolutionize exoplanet discovery and could also have significant applications in areas such as communications, quantum sensing,…
In a groundbreaking experiment, scientists have used a levitated magnet to search for dark matter, a mysterious substance believed to be present throughout the cosmos. Although no signs of dark matter were detected, researchers believe that a few tweaks to the experiment could improve its sensitivity to dark matter’s potential influence. The experiment, which combines…
Researchers at the Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, have made a breakthrough in proton therapy by developing a method to measure the linear energy transfer (LET) of proton beams. This advancement could lead to more effective cancer treatment by reducing LET in healthy tissue while maintaining or increasing it within the target…
A new book, “Women in the History of Quantum Physics,” sheds light on the often-forgotten stories of 16 female quantum physicists who made significant contributions to the field. Despite facing discrimination and obstacles, these women paved the way for future generations of female physicists. The book aims to combat the conventional narrative of quantum physics…
Physicists at CERN have successfully completed a “test run” for transporting antimatter across the European particle-physics facility, paving the way for more precise measurements of the differences between matter and antimatter. This breakthrough could help solve one of the biggest mysteries in physics: why our universe appears to be made up almost entirely of matter….
Mathematicians at the University of Oxford have finally solved a 60-year-old problem posed by the renowned mathematician Paul Erdős, shedding new light on the mysteries of addition. The breakthrough, achieved by graduate student Benjamin Bedert, reveals that in any set of integers, there exists a large subset of numbers that must be sum-free. This discovery…
A new book, “The Salmon Cannon and the Levitating Frog,” highlights the importance of basic science research, which often seems “silly” or unrelated to everyday life. However, as the book’s author, Carly Anne York, shows, these seemingly insignificant projects can lead to groundbreaking discoveries that transform our lives. York shares examples of how research on…
Physicists in the US have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of ultracold atom traps, finding that five-body recombination could be the largest contributor to loss from these traps at specific “Efimov resonances.” This process, which involves the formation of a tetramer molecule and a single free atom, could have significant implications for building…
The Mars rover Perseverance has made history by capturing the first visible-light image of an aurora on another planet. The image, taken during a solar storm on March 18, 2024, shows a faint greenish tinge in the Martian sky. Scientists believe that similar aurorae would be visible to future human explorers on Mars. Forecast for…