Theoretical physics

The renowned physicist Leonard Susskind has identified a possible quantum origin for the ever-growing volume of black holes.

Experiments suggest that exotic superconducting materials share a “strange metal” state characterized by a quantum speed limit that somehow acts as a fundamental organizing principle.

In the latest campaign to reconcile Einstein’s theory of gravity with quantum mechanics, many physicists are studying how a higher dimensional space that includes gravity arises like a hologram from a lower dimensional particle theory.

A new theory proposes that the quantum properties of an object extend into an “atmosphere” that surrounds the material.

Cosmologists have predicted the existence of an oscillating signal that could distinguish between cosmic inflation and alternative theories of the universe’s birth.

Computer simulations and custom-built quantum analogues are changing what it means to search for the laws of nature.

String theorists elide a paradox about black holes by extinguishing the walls of fire feared to surround them.

A controversial new paper argues that universes with dark energy profiles like ours do not exist in the “landscape” of universes allowed by string theory.

A quickly closed loophole has proved that the “great smoky dragon” of quantum mechanics may forever elude capture.