A layman’s look at the latest in physics
While we love delving into the latest industrial topics and understanding of future technology that will impact the sector, STEM is a wide reaching rainbow and it’s important we look at the broader spectrum. With that in mind, we are taking a look at the latest from the world of physics with a very limited understanding!
- Discovery of new class of particles for quantum mechanics
Brown University researchers have discovered a new class of quantum particles called fractional excitons, which challenge conventional understanding of how particle behaviour. These particles form by pairing fractionally charged quasiparticles, which was previously thought to be impossible.A layman’s look
At the most basic level, this means new ways for manipulating quantum states in advanced computing and materials science, potentially changing our understanding of how matter and energy interact at the smallest scales. If these particles can be harnessed then quantum computers can be more reliable and powerful, potentially training AI models much faster. - AI predicting how the universe will end
The Cern Large Hadron Collider’s (LHC) next director general Mark Thomson says AI is paving the way for huge advances in particle physics, opening a window on to the fate of the universe. He says that strategies similar to the AI-powered prediction of protein structures are being used to detect incredibly rare events that hold the key to how particles came to acquire mass in the first moments after the big bang and whether our universe is teetering on the brink of a catastrophic collapse.A layman’s look
There’s nothing like the end of the universe to grab headlines but readers should not be concerned! A planned upgrade to the LHC will increase its beam intensity by a factor of ten by 2030, enabling two Higgs bosons to appear at the same time. Scientists will use AI to analyse incredibly complex particle collision data to find patterns that would be impossible for humans to detect even with the most sophisticated devices. The goal is to help scientists understand how Higgs particles gained mass after the Big Bang and whether there’s a possibility that fluctuations may trigger a reverse event, ending the universe. It’s all very theoretical, so I think the universe is safe for now. While high-energy collisions could one day reveal extra-dimensional effects such as mini black holes or gravitons leaking, no such phenomena have been observed, so it looks like we are stuck in this dimension for now! - High-energy cosmic neutrino detected under Mediterranean Sea
Scientists have detected the most energetic neutrino ever, observed using a deep-sea telescope at 2.1 miles underwater. The observed neutrino was 30 times more energetic than any other neutrino detected to date, 10,000x more energetic than particles made by the LHC. Although one of the most abundant particles in the universe, and produced in processes like nuclear reactions in the sun or during supernovas, neutrinos are electrically neutral and often called ghost particles as they rarely interact with matter, passing through almost everything (including Earth) without being noticed. This discovery could help scientists understand what is going on in the cosmos.A layman’s look
There was a lot to unpack here from my limited understanding, especially the what and the why? Neutrinos are valuable to research as they act as ‘cosmic messengers’ that can be traced back to their source either within the Milky Way or beyond. The scientists in this experiment believe the neutrino observed could be tracked to one of 12 supermassive black holes at the centre of distant galaxies, though it may have arisen from some other source. Detecting and analysing these particles will help scientists learn more about the origins of cosmic radiation, behaviour of matter in extreme environments, and the fundamental forces of the universe.
Physics is always asking the very biggest of questions about the universe, and while it can seem that finding answers only invites more questions, all this work could lead to major advancements in technology, energy, medicine and other fields.
