It is one of the most important laws of nature that we know: The famous second law of thermodynamics says that the world gets more and more disordered when random chance is at play. Or, to put it more ...

Can quantum systems become more disordered, as thermodynamics would predict? Yes, they can - if a proper definition of "entropy" is used. It is one of the most important laws of nature that we know: ...

Though a cornerstone of thermodynamics, entropy remains one of the most vexing concepts to teach budding physicists in the classroom. Physics teachers designed a hand-held model to demonstrate the ...

For more than a century, gravity has been the stubborn outlier in physics, perfectly described on cosmic scales yet refusing to mesh with the quantum rules that govern everything else. A growing camp ...

Can the flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas? This intriguing hypothetical scenario, commonly called "the butterfly effect," has come to embody the popular conception of a ...

The following is an extract from our Lost in Space-Time newsletter. Each month, we hand over the keyboard to a physicist or two to tell you about fascinating ideas from their corner of the universe.

Electron–proton collisions Study reveals importance of entanglement entropy. (Courtesy: Kevin Coughlin/Brookhaven National Laboratory) An international team of physicists has used the principle of ...

For more than a century, gravity has been the stubborn outlier in physics, resisting every attempt to merge Einstein’s smooth space-time with the jittery world of quantum mechanics. A new wave of ...