Explore the Science

In Explore the Science you can read about current research in physics and the interesting lives of physicists. You can also watch the PhysicsCentral news vodcast, see some great physics pictures, and listen to the PhysicsCentral podcast where we discuss new and interesting topics in Physics.
 

Physics in Action

New worlds around strange stars are waiting to be discovered...and we're on the hunt.

TESS: A Satellite Scout for Nearby Exoplanets

New worlds orbiting strange stars are waiting to be discovered...and we're on the hunt.


What could we accomplish with machines that draw power from the air around us?

Meet the Tiny Machines that Harness Humidity for Power

What could we accomplish with machines that draw power from the air around us?


More Physics in Action

Art of Physics

The Art of Physics features the work of a variety of different fine artists who are giving a fresh perspective on how to look at science concepts. Physics is more than just equations and experiments… Take a step into our virtual reality gallery spaces to learn how.

Learn More
 

Science off the Sphere

sphere logoAstronaut and chemist Dr. Don Pettit does physics demos that are out of this world. Currently on board the International Space Station, Dr. Pettit presents fantastic physics that can only be demonstrated in micro-gravity.

Go to Science off the Sphere page.

Physics in Pictures

Thin films can create A rainbow isn't the only amazing thing that can happen when light bounces around inside water droplets! Using cutting-edge machine-learning technology, scientists are pushing the envelope of quantum computing. The Swallow Tanager gets its brilliant blue and turquoise hues by harnessing the wave properties of light. The interior of a neutron star plays host to strange phases of matter unlike anything seen here on Earth. The birth of a star produces spectacularly fast-moving bursts of particles. The incredible energy of the Z Pulsed Power Facility makes for an impressive sight. Finding the best way to pack objects into a container of a certain shape is harder than you might think. The non-Newtonian properties of liquid soap and shampoo fluid let them A unique blend of nanoscale structures might let us create frost-proof surfaces The interplay of surface tension and evaporation leads to some spectacular fluid dynamics! Charged particles, imaged with a bubble chamber, spiral and curl in a magnetic field.

More Physics in Pictures

 

Podcasts & Vodcasts

Drag Racing Cubesats with the NASA CubeQuest Challenge
December 23, 2016
In this edition of the PhysicsCentral podcast, we hear from a few teams who are still in the running for the CubeQuest Challenge: a contest for homegrown teams to build their own small satellites - cubesats - and compete against each other by demonstrating technological feats. Five million dollars in prize money will be divided among teams who can get into orbit around the moon, maintain a stable orbit for a long time, or make it almost all the way to Mars' orbit while still communicating with Earth.

Podcast Archive



Geothermal Heat Pump
January 02, 2013
A more efficient geothermal pump taps the Earth's heat to lower utility bills by up to 80 percent

 
Vodcast Archive