latest news

How do scientists get lead into the LHC?

01/28/25

Sarah Charley

Once a year, the Large Hadron Collider smashes lead ions. But how do scientists get a heavy metal into a particle accelerator?

Illustration: mentee wondering about a map, mentors offering pieces of maps

11/23/21

How to be a better mentor (and mentee)

Building a fulfilling mentor-mentee relationship requires agency and investment from both parties.

11/16/21

Catherine Heymans shines as Astronomer Royal for Scotland

Heymans, the first woman to be appointed to the role, hopes to give kids and others the chance to appreciate the stars.

11/09/21

The problem-solver: Cosmic inflation

Just over 40 years ago, a new theory about the early universe provided a way to tackle multiple cosmological conundrums at once.

Conceptual illustration of birds and fish

11/02/21

From physics to fisheries

Students in the Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program hope to use skills they developed at Fermilab to benefit Indigenous communities.

Illustration: Telescopes in space, telescopes on the ground

10/19/21

Eyes on the sky

There’s no one best way to build a telescope.

Illustration of hot, warm, and cold dark matter particle marble run

10/12/21

Is dark matter cold, warm or hot?

The answer has to do with dark matter’s role in shaping the cosmos.

Illustration showing runners behind a pattern representing magnet quenches

10/05/21

How to train your magnet

New accelerator magnets are undergoing a rigorous training program to prepare them for the extreme conditions inside the upgraded Large Hadron Collider.

Illustration of a lab where scientists are surrounded by computers and writing equations on a chalkboard

09/28/21

The coevolution of particle physics and computing

Over time, particle physics and astrophysics and computing have built upon one another’s successes. That coevolution continues today.

View full archive