Physics & mathematics
![A cube refracting different wavelengths of light](jpg/qiiby4rdrsvz6ktdetpfxh-320-80.jpg)
Whether it's the forces that keep athletes twirling, the weird laws governing the quantum realm, or the far-out ideas of time travel and alternate universes, physics and mathematics cover a lot of interesting territory.
Our team of expert science writers and editors are here to demystify these concepts with clarity and accuracy, keeping you up to date with the latest physics news, discoveries, articles and features.
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Latest about Physics & Mathematics
![An image of the researchers' fractal maze.](jpg/esbpvmacqrvarhykwzplir-320-80.jpg)
World's most difficult maze could help reveal the secrets of otherworldly quasicrystals
By Ben Turner published
Scientists created a maze-like fractal inspired by the movements of chess pieces. The ultra-difficult maze could help to improve our understanding of bizarre quasicrystals.
![The ITER tokamak pictured during its assembly in 2021.](jpg/yd3yf3duztwhupp9tyfkqi-320-80.jpg)
World's largest nuclear fusion reactor is finally completed. But it won't run for another 15 years.
By Ben Turner published
ITER, a $28 billion fusion reactor in France, has finally had its last magnetic coil installed. But the reactor itself won't fire up fully until 2039 at the earliest.
![](jpg/kuysrftiiq5mdkal2srdym-320-80.jpg)
'The beauty of symbolic equations is that it's much easier to … see a problem at a glance': How we moved from words and pictures to thinking symbolically
By Robyn Arianrhod published
"Even the +, −, =, and × signs we take for granted only came into widespread use in the 17th century. Which means that the earlier algebraists we know of … all had expressed their equations mostly in words or pictorial word images"
![An illustration of the Milky Way's central black hole, wrapped in orange gas clouds and orbiting stars](jpg/yiunpeawqkttokbumeyfxk-320-80.jpg)
'Immortal' stars at the Milky Way's center may have found an endless energy source, study suggests
By Andrey Feldman published
Strange stars clustered near the Milky Way's center are much younger than theory predicts is possible. New research suggests their youth could actually be eternal — and fueled by annihilating dark matter.
![A green aurora rings part of the globe](jpg/jce2bdfgh7fz4cl2hepsju-320-80.jpg)
Earth's upper atmosphere could hold a missing piece of the universe, new study hints
By Paul Sutter published
Mysterious dark matter could slosh over our planet like a wave. If it does, it may produce telltale radio waves in Earth's atmosphere, new theoretical research suggests.
![An artist's rendering of Kepler 16-b and its two suns](jpg/mxxltg8qufqu3kejecmssg-320-80.jpg)
What is the 3-body problem, and is it really unsolvable?
By Skyler Ware published
The three-body problem is a physics conundrum that has boggled scientists since Isaac Newton's day. But what is it, why is it so hard to solve and is the sci-fi series of the same name really possible?
![Albert Einstein smiles in a black and white photograph](jpg/svozi2bdvyyslszgwmfm5h-320-80.jpg)
32 fun and random facts about Albert Einstein
By Isobel Whitcomb published
Albert Einstein was much more than a scientific genius. From his political beliefs to his hatred of socks, here are 32 facts about Einstein you might not have heard before.
![Geomagnetic field around planet Earth in space. Elements of this image furnished by NASA.](jpg/vqslfjpkzltrshq5ja4zn4-320-80.jpg)
'A force more powerful than gravity within the Earth': How magnetism locked itself inside our planet
By Frank Close published
"As the magma cooled to form what is today the world's solid outer crust, magnetism was locked into minerals containing iron, such as magnetite."
![A stunning, billowing cloud of purple and orange gas in space](jpg/feek8hkvqw2dv9fneqgtkr-320-80.jpg)
Euclid space telescope reveals more than 300,000 new objects in 1st 24 hours of observations (photos)
By Ben Turner published
The Euclid space telescope has released five mesmerizing new photos of our universe, kicking off a six-year campaign to unveil the secrets of dark matter, dark energy and other cosmological mysteries.
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