Physics

"It's always exciting to set a world record," Tongcang Li from Purdue University said.

Researchers in China found a star 15,000 light years away orbiting a "dark companion" that defies theories of stellar evolution.

This has not stopped physicists attempting to work out how you would spot one if they did—because while there is no proof they do exist, they are at least theoretically possible.

Mayor's co-laureate, Didier Queloz agreed, telling Newsweek, "It's time to stop dreaming and confront reality, and for our human society to carry our effort and act to ensure that a future exists and that maybe, one day, we will be able to journey among the stars."

"I can't believe we are the only living entity in the universe," Didier Queloz said

"Simulations and movies like these really help us visualize what Einstein meant when he said that gravity warps the fabric of space and time," the creator of the images said.

The development could have implications for a broad range of fields.

Let's take a look at his rocket to see what potential pitfalls or successes he could have.

Of course, more detailed work is needed to verify that the true complexity of the observations can also be modelled successfully.

Einstein's general theory of relativity beautifully describes the nature of gravity and its effect on large objects in the universe. However, there are alternative explanations.

Around 30 years ago, researchers first detected gamma-ray emissions inside storms that are now associated with lightning. But what is the nature of the relationship between the two phenomena?

The Uncertainty Principle suggests we can never know all the properties of a particle at the same time.

There are several ways we could alter Earth's orbit so it is in a spot further away from the Sun.

The discovery can help solve key puzzles in the standard model of particle physics.

To an outside observer, the quantum system appears to go from a complex state to a simple one.

There may be way less dark matter out there than scientists think—and maybe even none at all.

This new model does not require any negative mass exotic material and offers a very simple design.

The normal melting point of gold is 1,947 degrees Fahrenheit.

We cannot build a time machine today, but could we in the future?

If this particle really exists, then it is not just outside the standard model but outside it in a way that nobody anticipated.

Ice VII does not occur naturally on the Earth's surface, although scientists have been able to produce it in the lab.

The camera's abilities could have numerous beneficial applications in a host of fields, ranging from biomedicine to materials science.

Researchers have managed to turn liquid droplets back into bubbles.

Breakthrough will help with the development of reliable quantum computers.

Leading physicist says the statistical chance of dark energy existing is low.

If correct, the new theory would mean these black holes would all have about the same mass.

Scientists at CERN observed Higgs boson decaying into subatomic particles called bottom quarks.

Researchers have finally cracked it.

The results could help scientists to create new nanoparticles that could be used to develop highly efficient solar cells.

The theory of general relativity, which describes the nature of gravity, revolutionized science after its publication in 1915.