Browse Physics

A model shows that as the size of a brittle material grows, the probability that it will fracture from a single crack approaches $100\%$.

Dynamical systems that maximize their future possibilities behave in surprisingly “intelligent” ways.

The composition of cells in tissues can be found using statistical fluctuations of cell types.

A statistical model favors an unexpected mechanism for avoiding duplicated genetic material in certain viruses.

Breaking time-reversal symmetry in a thermoelectric device affects its efficiency in unexpected ways.

Defining a “temperature” for granular materials would allow them to be described with an equation of state.

Spin-orbit-coupled cold atomic gases are proposed as a model system for observing the signatures of quantum chaos.

An equation that describes a wide array of phenomena can be directly tested by watching the equivalent of a drying coffee drip.

New calculations determine the minimum cost of making a quantum measurement.

A new model of molecular motors working in unison finds that motor-motor interactions can boost the efficiency of the system.

Few mathematical tools exist for describing non-equilibrium systems, but new methods may emerge from the study of a simple transport model.

Methods from statistical physics and graph theory help uncover the structure of human language.

A phase transition controlled by noise determines how volatile rankings are.

Numerical simulations are revealing general properties of jammed states of matter.

The explanation for why helium doesn’t solidify at low temperatures may be more complicated than previously thought.

Particles on a surface can have a negative mobility when subject to an oscillating driving force.