Magazine
In-depth stories about the cosmos, physics and the big questions — told in plain language.
Antimatter Explained Simply: the mirror of matter
Every particle has an antiparticle. When they meet, they vanish into pure energy. So why is the universe made almost entirely of matter?
Classical Computer vs. Quantum Computer Explained Simply
A normal computer works with clear zeros and ones. A quantum computer uses superposition and entanglement. Where does the real difference lie?
Dark Energy Explained Simply: the engine of the universe
The universe is not only expanding, it is doing so ever faster. Behind this accelerating expansion lies the mysterious dark energy.
The Fermi Paradox Explained Simply: Where is everybody?
The universe is vast and ancient. It should be teeming with life. So why have we never heard anything? That is the Fermi paradox.
Neutron Stars Explained Simply: a Sun inside a city
A neutron star packs more than a solar mass into a sphere the size of a city. It is the densest object we can directly observe.
String Theory Explained Simply: vibrating threads instead of particles
What if the smallest building blocks are not points but tiny vibrating threads? String theory aims to unify all of physics this way.
Time Dilation Explained Simply: why time is stretchable
Time does not pass equally fast everywhere. Motion and gravity stretch it. This effect is measured, real and even noticeable in GPS.
Dark Matter Explained Simply: the invisible majority
Most of the matter in the universe is invisible. We notice dark matter only through its gravity. What lies behind it?
Wormholes Explained Simply: shortcuts through spacetime?
A wormhole would be a tunnel through spacetime connecting two distant places. Theory allows them, yet none has ever been observed.
The Black Hole Information Paradox
Does information vanish forever when something falls into a black hole? This question pits two pillars of physics against each other.
The Cosmic Microwave Background: the oldest light in the universe
The cosmic microwave background is a faint glow from the early universe. It shows us what the cosmos looked like 13.8 billion years ago.