New Scientist - Physics & Math

Desktop atom smashers could replace LHC

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:50:00 GMT

The next generation of particle smashers might be considerably smaller than the Large Hadron Collider – and made almost literally out of thin air

Commentary: Reasons to be jolly about 2008

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:01:00 GMT

After a year in which the much-anticipated Large Hadron Collider has been delayed, you might think particle physicists don't have much to be jolly about – not so...

A year in the quantum world

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 11:46:00 GMT

The quantum world is now one of the most closely scrutinised areas of science, and throughout 2008 new discoveries have poured in

Diamond 'wires' – quantum computing's best friend

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:18:00 GMT

Only the best material will do to make hardware that crunches numbers using quantum mechanics

Who did most to knock man off his pedestal?

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Darwin or Galileo: who did most to cut us down to size? and a host of thinkers decide who really deserves 2009's anniversary crown

The scientific guide to gift wrapping

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:10:00 GMT

Need to squash all your presents into the smallest parcel possible? Here's how...

Snowflake maker to improve weather forecasts

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:00:00 GMT

An ice cloud chamber that allows physicists to study the delicate processes that govern snowflake formation could also help predict when snow is likely to fall

US investigation into gravity weapons 'nonsense'

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:19:00 GMT

Physicists are surprised to find that military intelligence has been investigating whether elusive gravitational waves could pose a threat to US security

Flaw may have sent Beagle 2 to a fiery doom

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 18:00:00 GMT

A design flaw probably caused the Mars probe to spin out of control as it descended, says a team of hypersonics engineers

Beagle 2 may have tumbled to a fiery doom

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 18:00:00 GMT

A design flaw probably caused the Mars probe to spin out of control as it descended, says a team of hypersonics engineers

'Evil water' linked to mysterious drownings

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:06:00 GMT

Expert swimmers who complain that some waters sap their progress even in fair weather may be telling the truth, experiments reveal

Calls to scrap the 'leap second' grow

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:30:00 GMT

The group charged with reviewing the future of the leap second, which keeps global time in sync, says there is little reason to keep adding it

Gas memory could send spooky messages the full distance

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:44:00 GMT

Extending the attention span of gas-based computer memory to store quantum bits could allow instant messages to be sent over 1000 kilometres

Memory trick may send spooky communication the distance

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:44:00 GMT

Extending the attention span of gas-based computer memory to store quantum bits could allow instant messages to be sent over 1000 kilometres

Distance boost for 'spooky' quantum communication

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:44:00 GMT

Extending the attention span of gas-based computer memory to store quantum information could allow instant messages to be sent over 1000 kilometres

Spinning water droplets behave like black holes

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:27:00 GMT

An experiment that reveals how drops of water generate odd shapes when spinning could be used to simulate the dynamics of black holes and atoms

Archimedes and the 2000-year-old computer

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:12:00 GMT

A corroded lump of bronze from an ancient Greek shipwreck turns out to be an advanced astronomical calculator. explores the latest link between this device and antiquity's most famous mathematician

Gallery: First images of the damage that shut the LHC

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 13:39:00 GMT

Pictures from CERN show the damage caused by escaping helium that shut down the world's most powerful particle accelerator

Gallery: First images of the damage that shut down LHC

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 13:39:00 GMT

Pictures from CERN show the damage caused by escaping helium that shut down the world's most powerful particle accelerator

Gallery: Images that morph before your eyes

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:30:00 GMT

A new artist's workshop showcases "anamorphic pictures" – images that only make sense when you view them from the right angle

Did our cosmos exist before the big bang?

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 18:00:00 GMT

What if our universe didn't emerge from nothing, but is a recycled version of one that went before? Anil Ananthaswamy investigates

2008 to be extended by one second

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:25:00 GMT

Tugs from the Sun and Moon are gradually slowing the Earth's spin and causing its days to get longer – a leap second will adjust for the effect

Gallery: Snowflakes as you've never seen them before

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:40:00 GMT

We still do not understand how the different types of snowflake form, but new technologies are starting to crack the mystery by revealing their internal structure

What happens when silicon can shrink no more?

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:30:00 GMT

Silicon has become synonymous with microelectronics, but now any number of pretenders are waiting to take its place, says

Search for 'God particle' hit by huge repair bill

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:01:00 GMT

Repairing the Large Hadron Collider is proving more difficult and costly – $29 million – than expected, says CERN