Latest news with #ShirleyLi
Hans India
2 days ago
- Science
- Hans India
Mysterious particle pierces earth, hinting at possible first direct dark matter detection
In February 2023, an underwater telescope anchored deep in the Mediterranean Sea—known as KM3NeT—recorded the brightest particle event ever seen. A stunning flash of light pierced through the detector's sensor network, revealing an object carrying a staggering 220 peta-electronvolts (PeV) of energy—nearly 100 times more powerful than anything produced by the Large Hadron Collider. Initially believed to be an ultra-energetic neutrino, this high-energy particle earned the nickname 'impossible muon' because of how unusually bright it was—35 times brighter than any prior detection. But soon, scientists hit a snag: its cousin observatory, IceCube in Antarctica—larger and operational for over a decade—had no record of a similar event, even though it had clear access to the same region of the sky. This anomaly led researchers to entertain a revolutionary idea: the flash could be humanity's first direct evidence of dark matter—the mysterious, invisible material believed to make up five times more mass than ordinary matter in the universe. Their theory suggests that the particle may have originated from a blazar—a galaxy with a supermassive black hole ejecting high-speed jets of particles. If those jets contain dark matter particles, they could survive billion-year journeys through space. The particle that struck KM3NeT came from a direction populated by known blazars, lending weight to the hypothesis. As the beam traveled sideways through Earth, it pierced 93 miles (150 km) of rock before reaching KM3NeT. Scientists theorize that during this underground trek, a dark matter particle might have collided with a nucleus, briefly becoming an 'excited' state that quickly decayed into two tightly aligned muons. KM3NeT's detectors, unable to distinguish the twin paths, saw a single blazing track. In contrast, IceCube—due to its South Pole location—would have seen the particle pass through only 9 miles (15 km) of crust. With less matter in its path, a collision (and thus detection) was far less likely. Not all physicists are convinced. Some argue the simplest explanation is still a record-breaking neutrino. Others, like Shirley Li of UC Irvine, note that while the dark matter model predicts a pair of overlapping muons, current instruments can't resolve such fine detail at these extreme energies—yet. Regardless of the outcome, the discovery has reignited the global pursuit to uncover what dark matter is made of. As KM3NeT expands and IceCube undergoes planned upgrades, scientists will continue watching the skies—and seas—for answers. Whether this was a neutrino anomaly or the long-sought dark matter breakthrough, one underwater flash may have just opened a new chapter in modern physics.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Seven Stories About Buzzy New Movies
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. In today's reading list, spend time with our writers' takes on some of the buzziest movies of the past year. How to Lose an Oscar in 10 Days The star of the year's most nominated film torpedoed her chance to win the trophy—in audacious fashion. By Shirley Li Is Anyone Shocked by Babygirl? Don't turn to Nicole Kidman for a frank accounting of what sexual domination looks like. By Caitlin Flanagan The Oscars Have Left the Mainstream Moviegoer Behind The Academy found its nominees on the international film-festival circuit, not at the movie theater. By David Sims The Movie That Mattered Most in 2024 Blink Twice anticipated the culture shift that defined the year. By Sophie Gilbert The Failed Promise of the New Captain America The first intriguing Marvel sequel in years quickly wastes its potential. By David Sims A Horror Movie About an Atheist Who Won't Shut Up The hollowness at the center of Heretic By McKay Coppins The Film That Rips the Hollywood Comeback Narrative Apart The Substance is one of several recent movies that scrutinize older female performers' struggle to stay relevant. By Shirley Li The Week Ahead The 97th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O'Brien (streaming tonight on Hulu) Mickey 17, Bong Joon-ho's new sci-fi-comedy film about a disposable space worker who dies and regenerates to help colonize an ice world (in theaters Friday) Daredevil: Born Again, a Marvel action series about a blind lawyer who fights crime (out Tuesday) Essay Grad School Is in Trouble By Ian Bogost Jennie Bromberg was somehow still exuberant last weekend about her future career in public health. In January, she interviewed for a competitive Ph.D. program in epidemiology at the University of Washington, one of several to which she has applied. 'I loved them. It was amazing,' she told me by phone while on a walk with her Australian shepherd. But the email that arrived from UW shortly after she got home was not the acceptance letter that she'd hoped for. Nor was it even a rejection. Instead, it said that she'd been placed in grad-school purgatory. Read the full article. More in Culture Here's who will win at the 2025 Oscars—and who should win. There was never a movie star like Gene Hackman. America now has a minister of culture. Six older books that deserve to be popular today Goodbye to baseball's most anachronistic rule. Catch Up on Did Russia invade Ukraine? Is Putin a dictator? We asked every Republican member of Congress. Why MAGA likes Andrew Tate The Putinization of America Photo Album Take a look at the winning entries in this year's Underwater Photographer of the Year contest. Article originally published at The Atlantic
Atlantic
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Atlantic
Seven Stories About Buzzy New Movies
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. In today's reading list, spend time with our writers' takes on some of the buzziest movies of the past year. How to Lose an Oscar in 10 Days The star of the year's most nominated film torpedoed her chance to win the trophy—in audacious fashion. By Shirley Li Is Anyone Shocked by Babygirl? Don't turn to Nicole Kidman for a frank accounting of what sexual domination looks like. By Caitlin Flanagan The Oscars Have Left the Mainstream Moviegoer Behind The Academy found its nominees on the international film-festival circuit, not at the movie theater. By David Sims The Movie That Mattered Most in 2024 Blink Twice anticipated the culture shift that defined the year. By Sophie Gilbert The Failed Promise of the New Captain America The first intriguing Marvel sequel in years quickly wastes its potential. By David Sims A Horror Movie About an Atheist Who Won't Shut Up The hollowness at the center of Heretic By McKay Coppins The Film That Rips the Hollywood Comeback Narrative Apart The Substance is one of several recent movies that scrutinize older female performers' struggle to stay relevant. By Shirley Li The Week Ahead The 97th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O'Brien (streaming tonight on Hulu) Mickey 17, Bong Joon-ho's new sci-fi-comedy film about a disposable space worker who dies and regenerates to help colonize an ice world (in theaters Friday) Daredevil: Born Again, a Marvel action series about a blind lawyer who fights crime (out Tuesday) Essay Grad School Is in Trouble Jennie Bromberg was somehow still exuberant last weekend about her future career in public health. In January, she interviewed for a competitive Ph.D. program in epidemiology at the University of Washington, one of several to which she has applied. 'I loved them. It was amazing,' she told me by phone while on a walk with her Australian shepherd. But the email that arrived from UW shortly after she got home was not the acceptance letter that she'd hoped for. Nor was it even a rejection. Instead, it said that she'd been placed in grad-school purgatory. More in Culture Catch Up on The Atlantic Photo Album
