Physicists publish solution to the quantum measurement problem

(Phys.org) —Quantum mechanics is a highly successful theory, but its interpretation has still not been settled. In their recent opus magnum, Theo Nieuwenhuizen (Institute of Physics, UvA) and colleagues claim to have found ...

Melting solid below the freezing point

Phase transitions surround us—for instance, liquid water changes to ice when frozen and to steam when boiled. Now, researchers at the Carnegie Institution for Science have discovered a new phenomenon of so-called metastability ...

New record for measurement of atomic lifetime

Researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute have measured the lifetime of an extremely stable energy level of magnesium atoms with great precision. Magnesium atoms are used in research with ultra-precise atomic clocks. The new ...

Why does lightning zigzag? At last, an answer to the mystery

Everyone has seen lightning and marveled at its power. But despite its frequency—about 8.6 million lightning strikes occur worldwide every day—why lightning proceeds in a series of steps from the thundercloud to the earth ...

Annihilating nanoscale defects

Target dates are critical when the semiconductor industry adds small, enhanced features to our favorite devices by integrating advanced materials onto the surfaces of computer chips. Missing a target means postponing a device's ...

Mastering metastable matter

The phenomenon of metastability, in which a system is in a state that is stable but not the one of least energy, is widely observed in nature and technology. Yet, many aspects underlying the mechanisms governing the behaviour ...

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