Physics in Pictures

cracking

Cracking Up

If you dropped a wineglass, you'd expect it to shatter, not skitter across the floor like a silver goblet would.

supernovae

Supernovae Surprise

There's no avoiding the tragic end of a large star's life: it dies in a catastrophic explosion called a supernova.

drip

Steady Drip of Progress

It flows in rivulets, puddles in depressions, falls from the sky; you can even buy it at Costco--three-dimensional, "bulk" water is everywhere.

speed

Speed Trap

Like traffic cops with radar guns, physicists can now gauge the speed of electrons in a current.

soapy

A 'Soapy' Solution

Researchers have been frustrated in their attempts to confirm the long-standing theory that describes how dyes mix in turbulent liquids.