Particle physics

The strong force holds protons and neutrons together, but the theory behind it is largely inscrutable. Two new approaches show how it works.

The same phenomenon by which an opera singer can shatter a wineglass also underlies the very existence of subatomic particles.

Puzzling particles, quirky (and controversial) quantum computers, and one of the most ambitious science experiments in history marked the year’s milestones.

Through his encyclopedic study of the electron, an obscure figure named Stefano Laporta found a handle on the subatomic world’s fearsome complexity. His algorithm has swept the field.

Years of conflicting neutrino measurements have led physicists to propose a “dark sector” of invisible particles — one that could simultaneously explain dark matter, the puzzling expansion of the universe, and other mysteries.

The unexpected discovery of the double-charm tetraquark has given physicists a new tool with which to hone their understanding of the strongest of nature’s fundamental forces.

When Steven Weinberg died last month, the world lost one of its most profound thinkers.

The Standard Model is a sweeping equation that has correctly predicted the results of virtually every experiment ever conducted, as Quanta explores in a new video.

An enigmatic connection between the forces of nature is allowing physicists to explore gravity’s quantum side.