Auroras, shimmering bands of light that shoot through the night sky near the Earth’s poles, can follow patterns known as arcs ...

Applied physicists in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have demonstrated a new way to structure light in custom, repeatable, three-dimensional patterns, ...

Long before quantum mechanics existed, a scientist developed a powerful way of describing motion by drawing an analogy between particles and light.

Einstein’s claim that the speed of light is constant has survived more than a century of scrutiny—but scientists are still daring to test it. Some theories of quantum gravity suggest light might ...

Light can be sculpted into countless shapes. Yet building optical devices that can simultaneously manipulate many different optical patterns at once is extremely complicated, and remains a major ...

This Christmas, astronomers are highlighting a spectacular region of space that looks remarkably like a glowing holiday tree. Known as NGC 2264, this distant star-forming region sits about 2,700 light ...

I test a series of light experiments to explore reflection, refraction, and optical illusions, demonstrating how light behaves in surprising and educational ways. Elon Musk predicts future without ...

In 1845, Michael Faraday discovered what’s known today as the Faraday Effect—which describes how light and electromagnetism are related. A new study revealed that the magnetic component of light ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Voyager 1 is one of humanity’s most poignant and remarkable ...

In 1845, physicist Michael Faraday provided the first direct evidence that electromagnetism and light are related. Now, it turns out that this connection is even stronger than Faraday imagined. In his ...

Many science fiction and fantasy stories are enveloped in a warm glow, and it’s not just because of nostalgia. Some characters literally glow — from ET’s fingertip to the demon markings in this year’s ...

Hornof, D., Helm, V., de Dios Rodriguez, E. et al. A snapshot of relativistic motion: visualizing the Terrell-Penrose effect. Commun Phys 8, 161 (2025). https://doi ...