Despite 2025 being designated the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ) we still know surprisingly little about how quantum effects “work”. According to this year’s anniversary, the quantum story started in 1925 when Werner Heisenberg formulated his matrix mechanics while spending time on the German island of Helgoland. But Heisenberg was not the … Continue reading Particle Physics (IYQ 2025)
What is mass?
Mass is a tricky concept. We all think we know what it is: it's what you measure when you put something on weighing scales or a digital balance. Alternatively, you could say mass is the property of an object that resists changes to its movement. In other words, an object with lots of mass is … Continue reading What is mass?
Six Impossible Things
Most of the physics you learn at school hasn't changed for hundreds of years. It is important stuff because we know that it works and it underpins a lot of the modern world. But that doesn't mean it is right. This is the point that is made in John Gribbin's new book, Six Impossible Things. … Continue reading Six Impossible Things
Experimental Physics
At the risk of being controversial, I would like to suggest that experiments are much more powerful than theories because experiments provide the evidence to prove whether or not a theory is correct. Technically, you can't prove that a theory is correct: you can only prove that it works for the particular case that you … Continue reading Experimental Physics
Mr Tarrant's physbang 'blog 