All Stories by Emily Conover
- Space
The Milky Way is shaped like a curvy potato chip
Our galaxy’s got curves. You can see them in a chart of thousands of stars called Cepheids.
- Physics
This device turns the kilogram’s new definition into a real mass
A new suitcase-sized device will be able to measure small masses — around 10 grams — with surprising accuracy.
- Physics
Black holes might have a temperature
Physicists made a mock black hole in their lab. They used it to show the real, celestial black holes have a slight temperature.
- Physics
Dying stars can make gold as they collapse into black holes
There are spinning stars in space. Some of them collapse into black holes. Along the way, they may generate a lot of heavy elements — including gold.
- Physics
Here’s the first picture of a black hole
The Event Horizon Telescope imaged the supermassive beast lying some 55 million light-years away in a galaxy called M87.
- Physics
A short history of black holes
From dreaming up black holes to snapping the first picture of one, the history of black holes has had many twists and turns.
- Animals
This spider slingshots itself at extreme speeds to catch prey
By winding up its web like a slingshot, this spider achieves an acceleration rate far faster than a cheetah’s.
- Physics
Scientists now know why microwaved grapes make plasma fireballs
Grapes trap microwave energy that bounces back and forth within the fruit. Until boom — a plasma!
- Physics
Thunderstorms hold stunningly high voltage
By studying particles called muons, scientists found that the electric potential inside a thunderstorm may be 10 times higher than previously thought.
- Physics
High-speed video reveals the best way to shoot a rubber band
What’s the best way to shoot a rubber band? High-speed video reveals how to avoid hitting your thumb.
- Animals
How some insects fling their pee
Insects called sharpshooters use a tiny barb on their rear ends to hurl their pee at 20 times the acceleration of Earth’s gravity.
- Physics
Much of a proton’s mass comes from the energy of the particles inside it
Thanks, Einstein! Your famous E=mc2 formula now explains much of a proton’s ‘mass.’ Its building-block quarks make up just a small part of its left, calculations now show.
