Articles by

Emily Conover

Physicists are mostly unconvinced by Microsoft’s new topological quantum chip

ANAHEIM, CALIF. — At the world’s largest gathering of physicists, a talk about Microsoft’s claimed new type of...

Calls to restart nuclear weapons tests stir dismay and debate among scientists

When the countdown hit zero on September 23, 1992, the desert surface puffed up into the air,...

A map of 14 million galaxies and quasars deepens a dark energy mystery

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Change is in the air. New data strengthen a hint that dark energy, long...

The sound of clapping, explained by physics

A round of applause, please: Scientists have finally figured out what’s behind the sound of clapping....

Squishy materials reveal new physics of static electricity 

Rub a balloon on your hair and the balloon typically picks up a negative electric charge, while...

Quantum mechanics was born 100 years ago. Physicists are celebrating

A century ago, science went quantum. To celebrate, physicists are throwing a global, year-long party. In 1925,...

A tiny neutrino detector scored big at a nuclear reactor

A tiny neutrino detector has found its footing in a fresh setting — at a nuclear reactor. ...

What nuclear weapons experts will watch for under Trump 

It’s a pivotal moment for nuclear weapons. Tensions between the United States and Russia, the two major nuclear...