Angle of rotation: A light source (left) sends a beam of light through a topological insulator with an intrinsic magnetic field (centre), changing the direction of polarization by an angle that is ...

What is the meaning of life? Even the best of us couldn't hope to answer that question in a Universe Today article. But there are those who would try to "constrain" it, at least in terms of physics. A ...

A crucial number that rules the universe goes big in a strange quantum material. The fine-structure constant is about 10 times its normal value in a type of material called quantum spin ice, ...

Thorium atomic nuclei can be used for very specific precision measurements. This had been suspected for decades, and the search for suitable atomic nucleus states had been ongoing worldwide. In 2024, ...

Not so constant: is α different here? Is the fine-structure constant different in different parts of the universe? The answer to this intriguing question could be one step closer, thanks to a new way ...

Over the years, many physicists have wondered whether the fundamental constants of nature might have been different when the universe was younger. If so, the evidence ought to be out there in the ...

A fundamental constant of the universe may not be soconstant after all, according to a new study. Recent observations of distant galaxies suggest that thestrength of the electromagnetic force ? the so ...

Has the value of the fine-structure constant changed over the history of the Universe? An earlier analysis of radiation from distant quasars suggested the answer is yes — a new analysis says no.

One of the most exciting prospects in physics has been discovering that fundamental constants are not actually constant at all. When I first started writing, physicists and astronomers were just ...