physics

Physicists may have accidentally discovered a new state of matter. The possibilities are endless.

“Imagination is the limit,” says Swastik Kar, an associate professor of physics. “It could change the way we can detect and communicate signals. It could change the way we can sense things and the storage of information, and possibilities that we may not have even thought of yet.”

by Laura Castañón February 26, 2020

James Halverson, an assistant professor of physics at Northeastern, uses data science to study the many possibilities in string theory. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Can machine learning help physicists answer puzzling questions in string theory?

James Halverson, an assistant professor of physics at Northeastern, is working at the intersection of string theory and machine learning to better understand physical laws that govern the universe.

by Brittany Flaherty - contributor August 5, 2019

“We haven’t even come close to explaining why the world is the way it is,” James Halverson says. “But we demonstrated a selection mechanism that could someday be an important piece of the final answer.” Photo by Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University

Think of a flea on a tightrope. You’re unravelling the nature of the universe.

Theoretical physicists at Northeastern have teamed up with network scientists to find a new way to examine the fundamental nature of our universe.

by Laura Castañón March 5, 2019

Alex Vespignani, left, and Marco Ajelli are taking another look at one of the basic assumptions of computer models that forecast the spread of epidemics: that in the early stages of an epidemic, the average number of new cases caused by each infected person is relatively constant. Photo by Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University

Tracking an epidemic requires computer models. But what if those models are wrong?

Researchers at Northeastern have found that one of the basic assumptions used in disease modeling simply isn’t realistic. Now they’re looking at how epidemics travel through various layers of a population to find a better way to track a disease.

by Laura Castañón November 19, 2018

A group of researchers led by Northeastern physicist Arun Bansil has received a $3.54 million grant from the Department of Energy to investigate new ways to design quantum information systems. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Quantum information systems will revolutionize computing… as soon as we figure out how to make them.

Physics professor Arun Bansil has received a $3.54 million grant from the Department of Energy to investigate new ways to design quantum information systems, which could revolutionize data encryption, enable new medical treatments, and more accurately model the changing climate.

by Laura Castañón November 5, 2018

Stephen Hawking interacts with physics students in 1990, as professor Pran Nath moderates the discussion. Photos courtesy of Pran Nath.

Stephen Hawking, an independent thinker who ‘didn’t follow conventional rules’

Professor Pran Nath twice invited Stephen Hawking to Northeastern to speak at his International Symposium on Particles, Strings, and Cosmology. He reflected on the genius of the world-renowned physicist, who died on Wednesday at the age of 76.

by Jason Kornwitz March 15, 2018

September 6, 2012 - Michael Pollastri is an Associate Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Technology researching new therapeutic drugs for neglected tropical diseases in the Egan Research Center.

Awards in science, engineering, the arts among honors to Northeastern community

Every year, Northeastern faculty, students, and staff earn distinguished recognition for their innovative research. In the past five months, the honors have ranged from a $2.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health awarded to associate professor Michael Pollastri to conduct drug discovery for human African trypanosomiasis, or “sleeping sickness,” to five undergraduates awarded the 2016-17 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Power and Energy Society Scholarship.

by Thea Singer March 7, 2017

02/05/16 - BOSTON, MA. Bryan Spring, Assistant Professor Department of Physics, poses for a portrait in the Egan Engineering/Science Research Center at Northeastern University on Feb. 5, 2015. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Physicist uses light to accelerate treatment of drug-resistant cancers

Assistant professor Bryan Spring develops photodynamic therapies that both target malignant cells and halt new tumor growth. It’s a novel one-two punch approach to personalized medicine.

by Thea Singer February 11, 2016

The growth of physics research, and its changing impact on our lives

Over the past century, the discipline of physics has expanded exponentially, crossing boundaries into areas as diverse as biology and engineering. Network scientists in the lab of Albert-László Barabási analyzed how this growth drives technological breakthroughs that improve our lives.

by Thea Singer December 14, 2015

Researchers find the organization of the human brain to be nearly ideal

A new strategy for mapping networks, from those underlying the Internet to the human brain, suggests possibilities for repairing damaged connections and disrupting dangerous ones.

by Thea Singer July 6, 2015