Recent decades have witnessed remarkable progress in establishing rigorous mathematical frameworks for quantum field theory (QFT), conformal field theory (CFT), quantum gravity and string theory.

Such was the case until December 1984, when John Schwarz, of the California Institute of Technology, and Michael Green, then at Queen Mary College, published a once-in-a-generation paper showing that ...

For more than a century, modern physics has rested on two towering frameworks that do not quite agree with each other.

In an unprecedented step, researchers crafted a detailed model compatible with the universe’s accelerated expansion.

DURHAM, N.C. – Using lasers to contain some ultra-chilled atoms, a team of scientists has measured the viscosity or stickiness of a gas often considered to be the sixth state of matter. The ...

In a nutshell, string theory is a sprawling realm of theoretical physics that assumes that tiny vibrating strings are the ...

A hundred years ago, quantum mechanics was a radical theory that baffled even the brightest minds. Today, it's the backbone ...

An illustration of two black holes about to merge and emitting copious gravitational waves. And as the numbers of gravitational-wave observations have increased, physicists’ careful modeling is ...

In a bold step toward solving one of science’s most puzzling problems, researchers have proposed a new way to bring gravity into the same mathematical language as the other forces of nature. While the ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. String theory captured the hearts and minds of many physicists decades ago because of a beautiful simplicity. Zoom in far enough on a ...

Gauge theory and string theory represent two foundational pillars in contemporary theoretical physics, offering profound insights into the nature of fundamental interactions and the structure of the ...