Theoretical Models

Theoretical Models

An image of a nebula surrounded by stars, fine-tuned for life within its cosmic expanse.
Two of the answers add a dimension to physics that doesn’t belong there. Maybe we could call it "astrotheology."
universe bulk volume brane dimension
Three fundamental forces matter inside an atom, but gravity is mind-bogglingly weak on those scales. Could extra dimensions explain why?
gaia ESA milky way
Einstein's laws of gravity have been challenged many times, but have always emerged victorious. Could wide binary stars change all that?
An artist's rendering of a neutron star in space.
Ultracold gases in the lab could help scientists better understand the universe.
A pi symbol is shown on a white background representing real mathematical concepts.
Is mathematics woven into the very fabric of reality? Or is it merely a product of the human mind?
a computer generated image of a speaker and a box.
How are we to deal with the quantization of spacetime and gravity?
black hole emission radiation
In 1974, Hawking showed that black holes aren't stable, but emit radiation and decay. Nearly 50 years later, it isn't just for black holes.
einstein quote imagination knowledge
"Imagination is more important than knowledge" is often taken to mean that your conceptions outweigh what's real. That's not what he said.
a group of open doors in front of a blue sky.
The multiverse is an idea that has gained a lot of traction in popular culture. But what does science have to say about it?
a drawing of a mountain and a satellite dish.
Theory without experiment is blind, and experiment without theory is lame.
universe bulk volume brane dimension
Unless you confront your theory with what's actually out there in the Universe, you're playing in the sandbox, not engaging in science.
a man playing a violin in front of a piano.
To Einstein, nature had to be rational. But quantum physics showed us that there was not always a way to make it so.
particle collisions
The difference between predictions and observations of the magnetic properties of muons suggests a mystery for the Standard Model.
asteroid city
The authors call it "wildly theoretical" — but let's take a look, anyway.
The science fiction dream of a traversable wormhole is no closer to reality, despite a quantum computer's suggestive simulation.
Higgs boson
On July 4, we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the discovery of the Higgs boson, the missing piece of the Standard Model of particle physics.
neutrinos
Experiments cannot confirm what theory predicts about neutrinos. And particle physicists have no idea why.
In all of science, no figures have changed the world more than Einstein and Newton. Will anyone ever be as revolutionary again?
Equations that describe time travel are fully compatible and consistent with relativity — but physics is not mathematics.
singularity
Singularities frustrate our understanding. But behind every singularity in physics hides a secret door to a new understanding of the world.
is the multiverse real
Is the multiverse real? It's one of the hottest questions in all of theoretical physics. We invited two astrophysicists to join the debate.
symmetric
If the electromagnetic and weak forces unify to make the electroweak force, maybe, at even higher energies, something even greater happens?
space expanding
Yes, the Universe is expanding, but you might wonder, "How fast is it expanding?"
parallel universe
In scientific theories, the Multiverse appears as a bug rather than as a feature. We should squash it.
Three of our dimensions are spatial and one is temporal, but could there be more? From any point in space, you are free to move in any direction you choose. No […]
The Big Theoretical Physics Problem At The Center Of The ‘Muon g-2’ Puzzle In early April, 2021, the experimental physics community announced an enormous victory: they had measured the muon’s magnetic […]
The mismatch between theory and experiment is anything but certain. The most exciting moments in a scientist’s life occur when you get a result that defies your expectations. Whether you’re a […]
There’s a lot to get rid of if we want to get only our Universe out of String Theory. A lot of people, when they learn about String Theory for the […]
It might not feel that way, but a 95% dark Universe really is the best game in town. No matter how much we might try and hide it, there’s an enormous […]