The Amplituhedron: Why Space-Time Is Not Doomed

Scientific magazines and websites have been raising quite the hubbub about the Amplituhedron, a geometric structure that can be used to simplify calculations in particle physics. They claim that its existence means “space-time is doomed,” or some other nonsense along those lines. Today I will (try to) explain what all this is about.

Small Nuclear Reactors Have A Big Problem

Small modular nuclear reactors are supposed to fix the problem of conventional nuclear reactors being too expensive and time-consuming to build. But we’ve been hearing about how promising they are for 15 years now. So where are they? A report that just appeared sheds light on what happened.

This new “AI Scientist” can “fully automate discovery”, researchers claim

AI has already replaced writers, software developers, customer service agents, and more. Now it’s coming for science. In two new papers, researchers present AI agents that can do the entire job of a scientist – from hypothesis formulation, to literature research, data collection and analysis, all the way to writing a paper.

A New Pattern in Nature

Mathematicians are obsessed with patterns. They've been obsessed for so long you'd think they've got it figured all out. But just recently they discovered a new type of pattern that is everywhere in nature. Once you have seen it, you can't help but notice that it's really everywhere.

“Neutral Science is Undesirable” Climate Scientists Argue

Climate scientists on social media are constantly pushing the idea that their research demands action. On one hand, climate change is a very real and pressing issue. But should climate scientists be mixing their research with activism?

This Theory of Everything Could Actually Work: Wolfram’s Hypergraphs

Mathematician and Computer Scientist Stephen Wolfram wants to do no less than revolutionising physics. He wants to do it with computer code that gives rise to all the fundamental laws of nature that we know and like -- and maybe more. Unfortunately, Einstein’s theories of general relativity inherently clash with how computers work. And yet, he and his team might have found a clever way around this problem.

AI Can’t Reason. Should It Drive Cars?

If you’ve paid any attention to current AI models like ChatGPT, you know that they... have problems. But they have already acquired emergent abilities, and some researchers think that the current AIs will also learn to use logic and reasoning. In a new paper now, researchers say that this is unlikely. Let’s take a look.

Tiny Black Holes Might Have Left Holes in… Everything

That dark matter is made of black holes is an old idea that never worked well and yet never went entirely away. In a new paper, physicists have now proposed that microscopic black holes, even if not enough to make up dark matter, could leave holds in everything, including us. Let’s take a look.



This video comes with a quiz which you can take here:

New Alien Signal Rumour -- What's Behind It?

In the past week, we have seen several headlines claiming that an announcement is coming up that the SETI institute has found signs of intelligent extraterrestrial life. I've had a look at what we know about the rumours.

Most Age Records are Pension Fraud, Scientist Says

According to a new (not yet peer reviewed) study, there’s a strangely strong correlation between longevity and living in areas with low income levels and high crime rates. Are people who claim they’re over 110 years old really that old? Let’s take a look.

The Quantum Computing Collapse Has Begun

A year ago, I predicted that quantum computing would not have a good 2024. The year is almost over, so let’s take a look at developments in the world of quantum computing, which has been a wild mix of good and bad news, including IBM’s revised quantum roadmap, Google’s error correction progress, and the fate of other quantum computing firms.

New Theory: Is the Universe a Bubble? I had a look

I recently saw a new paper that claims our observations could be better explained if the universe was surrounded by a shell. According to the author, that could do away with dark energy and alleviate the Hubble tension. I had a look at the paper.

Scam or Breakthrough? Energy Saving with Electron Spins

Holcomb Energy Systems says they’re working on a new invention that’s “The Future of Energy on Planet Earth.” The invention supposedly saves massive amounts of energy by harnessing the power of electron spins in electrical steel. Too good to be true? Probably. Let’s take a look.

A Watched Quantum State Doesn’t Change. Really?

The quantum Zeno effect is that, if you observe a quantum state it won’t change. Is this a real effect? What does it mean and when does it apply? I have answers.

Surprise Comeback: Dark Energy Could Be Holographic After All

Dark energy is (probably) real, but physicists still don’t know what it’s made of or how to interact with it. One idea that solves this problem is that dark matter isn’t made of anything, but is a consequence of the universe being holographic. While that idea has been floating around since the ‘90s, it's had a few problems. Now a pair of physicists claim to have solved that problem.

This video comes with a quiz which you can take here:

I Didn’t Believe In AI Coding. I Was Right.

With the rise of AI, we’ve been told that the technology can be used to help software engineers code more efficiently. We have heard plenty of warnings that AI might even take their jobs. But a bunch of studies now show that AI doesn't help software development as much as promised -- at least for now. Let’s take a look.

These recent scientific fraud cases worry me a lot

I’ve talked a lot about scientific fraud in the past. Now, investigations have found even more widespread examples of falsified research. Not just in psychology and medicine, but also in material science. Let’s take a look.

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics Did Not Go To Physics -- This physicist is very surprised

A quick comment on the 2024 Nobel Prize in physics which was awarded for the basis of neural networks and artificial intelligence. Well deserved, but is it physics?

Superconducting Cables are Coming. I’m Not Joking

Superconductivity is a nice idea but totally unpractical, right? Well, there is a company which thinks otherwise. They are building superconducting wires with a much improved design. I have dug up the patents and here is what I've found.

“People Don’t Realize This” about Climate Change, Elon Musk Says

Plenty of people have sounded the carbon emissions alarm over the years. In his recent-ish election season talk with Donald Trump, Elon Musk unexpectedly joined their ranks. Unexpected not because he supports action on climate change -- we've known this for a long time -- but because he claimed that rising carbon dioxide levels will make it uncomfortable to breathe, and give us headaches and nausea. Really?

This is why physics is dying

In which I get very depressed because I've heard the same nonsense for 20 years and nothing has changed.

These physicists think they know what's inside a black hole

Physicists are obsessed with black holes, but we still don’t know what’s going on inside of them. One idea is that black holes do not truly exist, but instead they are big quantum objects that have been called fuzzballs or frozen stars. This idea has a big problem. Let’s take a look.

Negative Time is Real, Physicists Confirm. Kind Of.

A new paper claims to have confirmed the existence of “negative time.” I had never heard of this, but I had a look at the paper. And I think I have figured it out.

New Theory of Consciousness Explains Why Zombies Don’t Exist

A collaboration of a neurologist, a computer scientist, and a philosopher has just put forward a new theory of consciousness. It is based on the idea of causal models. The authors claim boldly that their idea solves the hard problem of consciousness and explains why zombies don't exist in nature. Really? I've had a look.

Who Will Win This Year’s Nobel Prize in Physics? My Speculations

The Nobel Prize in Physics will be announced on October 8th. In this video, I share my speculation for likely candidates.