Schaibley, JR et al. Valleytronics on 2D equipment. At night. Rev. Mater. 116055 (2016). Article ADS Google Scholar Xiao, D., Yao, W. & Niu, Q. Valley-contrasting physics in graphene: magnetic moment and topological transport. Phys. Pastor Lett. 99236809 (2007). Article ADS Google Scholar Xiao, D., Chang, M.-C. & Niu, Q. Berry phase effects in electronic … Read more
It is not often that astronomers can see large changes in the brightness of a galaxy within a few years. Most galaxies change in brightness (and other properties) over millions or billions of years. So, when images of the distant 10-billion-light-year galaxy J0218-0036 showed that it dimmed to a twentieth of its previous brightness in … Read more
Your support helps us tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is breaking new ground as the story unfolds. Whether it’s investigating the finances of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest film, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on American women fighting for reproductive rights, … Read more
Physicists at the Large Hadron Collider accidentally turned lead into gold while trying to recreate the Big Bang. Researchers working on the “Alice” experiment at Cern, Switzerland, have produced a rare precious metal as they try to recreate conditions from shortly after the universe began. Medieval alchemists had tried to turn lead into gold for … Read more
Primordial black holes (PBHs) are a very special type of black hole, thought to have formed from dense pockets of subatomic matter in the seconds after the Big Bang – and a new study reports what may be the first direct time. That may take years to prove, but the prospect is exciting. Black holes … Read more
From scaling to error correction, many problems still need to be solved before a working quantum computer can be built, but researchers continue to find the necessary solutions. Quantum computers can be used to solve complex problems that are impossible for the most conventional computer. But building a working quantum computer is, of course, not … Read more
Isosurface of the Dyson orbital, taken from Piccinelli, Samuele, et al., “Exploring paths towards quantum chemistry: the case of a molecule with a half-Möbius topology,” arXiv, 9 March 2026. arXiv:2603.08696 A recent paper in the journal Science announced the discovery of a truly new and surprising substance that could have a major impact on our … Read more
James Webb Telescope (JWST) discovered small galaxies with black holes that are not well understood. These black holes, located in galaxies with masses much smaller than those traditionally associated with supermassive black holes (SMBHs), challenge long-held beliefs about how galaxies and their central black holes evolve. The discovery of these “extreme” black holes pushes the … Read more
Credit: POSTECH University, South Korea. Water is the most common liquid on Earth, yet it almost defies the laws of thermodynamics. Every known liquid contracts and thickens when cooled. Water does the opposite. As you cool water after it freezes, it shrinks considerably, which is why ice floats easily in ponds, lakes, and oceans. Now, … Read more
For more than two decades, textbooks and science fairs have been telling the same story that the universe is not only expanding, but accelerating. Now a new wave of data is quietly shaking up that picture and giving new life to a mysterious ending called the Big Crunch, where everything in the universe finally collapses … Read more