Why does light exist?

Why does light exist? It's a consequence of what physicists call a "gauge symmetry" and in today's video I do my best to try and explain how that works.

Biofuels are Delusion, New Data Reveal

Biofuels are fuels made from plant oils. The idea is that using plants to create fuel for cars and generators should lower carbon emissions, as the plants take in carbon from the atmosphere as they grow. But according to new analysis, the reality of biofuels doesn’t match the models, and synthesizing and burning the fuels might actually increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Let’s take a look.

The Laws of Nature Are Ugly. Do We Have to Accept This?

In which I wonder whether we will just have to accept that the laws of nature are ugly

The Geothermal Advantage Nobody Talks About

Geothermal energy – using the heat from within the Earth to generate electricity – has been around as a concept for decades at this point. But recently, geothermal technology has improved by leaps and bounds, and it could be poised to become a major source of renewable energy alongside solar and wind power. Not only this, the technology can also be used as energy storage. Let’s take a look.

Quantum Physics Can Change the Past, Physicists Show

Quantum physics works extremely well. It predicts experiments with absurd accuracy… but conceptually it’s a disaster. Here’s one example – in a recently published paper, physicists have come up with a quantum physics paradox that seems to show that we can change the past with quantum physics. Let’s take a look.

Why does space have 3 dimensions?

Why does space have 3 dimensions? Why not 2? Or 4? Or 7? It’s because physics wouldn’t work properly. Let’s take a look at the major reasons for why physics needs 3 dimensions.

Finally a Use for String Theory

String theory was supposed to be physics’ grand theory of everything. While it’s (so far) failed in that aspect, string theory’s principles should still be useful because its mathematical framework is so solid. In a new paper, researchers have demonstrated that by applying string theory to networks in the world of biology. Let’s take a look.

The Multiverse Just Killed Our Dreams of a Final Theory

A unified theory – that explains the interactions in the standard model of particle physics from one common origin – has been a goal of physicists ever since the completion of the standard model. But according to a recently published paper which analyzed the properties of the laws of nature in a multiverse, a unified theory might be incompatible with the presence of life in our universe. Let’s take a look at both of these ideas and why they might be incompatible.

Action at a Distance Can Explain Dark Matter, Physicists Show

Physicists don’t actually know what the universe is really made of. The currently most popular theory is that most of the universe is made of dark matter, a mysterious type of matter that we can only detect through its gravitational pull on other objects. But according to a new paper, we’ve misunderstood how gravity works. The authors say that gravity really can do action at a distance and that explains the observations that we currently ascribe to dark matter. Let’s take a look.

Surveillance Tech Is Shockingly Advanced

Scientists across the globe are pushing surveillance technology to new levels that will probably shock you. Researchers are using radar to track people through walls and reconstructing sounds from visual recordings, while corporations like Walmart and Home Depot are quietly deploying Bluetooth tracking and facial recognition tech. Let’s take a look at the biggest developments coming to surveillance technology.

AI Is Coming For Scientists’ Jobs. Seriously.

AI has been rapidly advancing over the past few years, and the technology is now becoming more widely adopted by scientists. What will the consequences be? Will AI begin replacing scientists? How will publishers handle the influx of AI-assisted papers? Is this the beginning of the singularity? Let’s take a look.

We Thought This Particle Was Impossible To Measure!

The #1 most-wanted particle in physics is the graviton, a quantum of gravity. If physicists were to prove that gravitons exist, they would unambiguously prove that Einstein’s theory is ultimately wrong and must be replaced by a more complete theory that gives quantum properties to space and time. In a recent paper, a physicist came up with an ingenious experiment that could prove that gravitons do exist. Let’s take a look.

It’s The End Of An Era For Physics.

It’s a new year, and according to a new paper, physics is headed into a new era. Over the past few years, the field of physics has seen a major shift in research priorities – let’s take a look at that shift, why it’s happened, and where physics is headed next.