March 25, 2016

By Avery Thompson

Issue 8, Physical Science

The self-taught machine that beat the world Go champion

March 25, 2016

By Avery Thompson

Issue 8, Physical Science

The self-taught machine that beat the world Go champion

Do you always learn from your experiences? Google has designed AI that learned to play the Chinese board game Go by making mistakes — and it beat the world champion earlier this month.

March 7, 2016

By Sarah Bronson

Physical Science, Issue 8

All the colours of the rainbow

March 7, 2016

By Sarah Bronson

Physical Science, Issue 8

All the colours of the rainbow

A rainbow is a many-splendoured thing. Over the centuries, rainbows have baffled scientists, ensorcelled storytellers, and even inspired social change.

February 19, 2016

By Ling Sun

Issue 7, Physical Science

Swept up in a gravitational wave

February 19, 2016

By Ling Sun

Issue 7, Physical Science

Swept up in a gravitational wave

LIGO’s groundbreaking discovery vindicates Einstein and lets us tune in to the rhythm of the universe.

February 1, 2016

By Mark Richardson

Physical Science, Issue 7

Cutting it thin: Redeeming carbon

February 1, 2016

By Mark Richardson

Physical Science, Issue 7

Cutting it thin: Redeeming carbon

When it comes to constructing tiny, next-generation technology, carbon’s many forms give it an edge over the competition.

January 30, 2016

By Samantha Hood

Issue 6, Physical Science

Harvesting light in a quantum world

January 30, 2016

By Samantha Hood

Issue 6, Physical Science

Harvesting light in a quantum world

Some biologists studying photosynthesis are starting to think the weird world of quantum physics may be needed to understand how this crucial process works.

January 4, 2016

By Tom Hume

Issue 6, Physical Science

Deep learning: Turning data into artificial intelligence

January 4, 2016

By Tom Hume

Issue 6, Physical Science

Deep learning: Turning data into artificial intelligence

A new approach to artificial intelligence, called deep learning, is drawing insights and identifying patterns in huge numbers of data.

December 7, 2015

By Mathias Rothmann

Issue 5, Physical Science

Beer: A chemical composition

December 7, 2015

By Mathias Rothmann

Issue 5, Physical Science

Beer: A chemical composition

Cheers to beer! A pinch of physics, a dash of biology and a spoonful of chemistry all go into the brewing process.

November 2, 2015

By Synøve Scottwell

Issue 4, Physical Science

One atom at a time: The new age of molecular machines

November 2, 2015

By Synøve Scottwell

Issue 4, Physical Science

One atom at a time: The new age of molecular machines

It’s a small world after all — or at least it will be soon. Molecular machines are transforming the way we control motion on the nano-scale.

October 23, 2015

By Luke Weston

Issue 3, Physical Science

Making waves in the tiny world of neutrinos

October 23, 2015

By Luke Weston

Issue 3, Physical Science

The 2015 Nobel Prize in physics was recently awarded for the discovery of neutrino oscillation. What makes this strange property so intriguing?

October 5, 2015

By Leah Crane

Physical Science, Issue 3

Humans to Mars: A giant leap for a giant team

October 5, 2015

By Leah Crane

Physical Science, Issue 3

Humans to Mars: A giant leap for a giant team

How many people does it take to launch someone to another planet? Travelling to Mars will take more teamwork than any other human endeavour to date.

October 1, 2015

By Tessa Evans

Physical Science, Issue 2

Faking volcanoes: A risky plan B for climate change

October 1, 2015

By Tessa Evans

Physical Science, Issue 2

Faking volcanoes: A risky plan B for climate change

Volcanic eruptions help to cool the planet. Can geoengineers harness this in order to combat global warming?

September 7, 2015

By Luke Weston

Physical Science, Issue 2

Mining for WIMPs: The subterranean search for dark matter

September 7, 2015

By Luke Weston

Physical Science, Issue 2

Dark matter has never been directly detected; could a gold mine in Australia be part of the answer?