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Conceptual illustration of a photographic darkroom in which images of the universe are being developed

Sharpening our cosmic focus

04/23/25

Ali Sundermier

NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory is gearing up to illuminate the universe’s darkest secrets with groundbreaking new technology.

Conceptual illustration that features a woman looking at a drop of water versus snorkeling in the water

04/15/25

Explain it in 60 seconds: big data

How do you solve a problem like big data?

Conceptual illustration of someone looking at DESI and a tree that has both green and brown leaves

04/08/25

A new side to dark energy steps into the light

The long and continuing quest to understand dark energy has entered exciting new territory.

Illustration of two dogs hula hooping in front of an audience

04/01/25

Don’t call it toponium

A large and unexpected excess of top quark pairs has the physics community excited, but the interpretation is still up for debate.

03/25/25

A new piece in the matter-antimatter puzzle

The LHCb experiment at CERN has revealed a fundamental asymmetry in the behavior of particles called baryons.

DESI’s instrument, a long black cylinder supported by the metal telescope framework, points at the domed ceiling. The dome interior is bathed in blue light.

03/19/25

New DESI results strengthen hints that dark energy may evolve

Combining the DESI data with other experiments shows signs that the impact of dark energy may be weakening over time—and the standard model of how the universe works may need an update.

03/18/25

Scientists recall the discovery of the top quark 30 years ago at Fermilab

On March 2, 1995, the top quark discovery at Fermilab was announced by scientists on the CDF and DZero collaborations, and the sixth and final quark was added to the Standard Model.

Illustration of four physicists profiled in the article

03/12/25

From the lab to the classroom

Most students who earn a PhD in physics build careers outside of research. Meet four physicists who went from particle physics research to teaching high school physics and math.

Conceptual illustration of a firehose shooting out particles

02/26/25

Explain it in 60 seconds: High-Luminosity LHC

The upgrade to the Large Hadron Collider will allow scientists to better study known phenomena and to search for new ones.

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