For several centuries now, scientists have known that light behaves like a wave, expanding out from its source until absorbed or reflected by objects, which are in turn illuminated. In recent years, ...

Here we explore how gravitational lensing is helping scientists see the invisible. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Gravitational ...

Light has been put to work generating the same force that makes airplanes fly, a study appearing online December 5 in Nature Photonics shows. With the right design, a uniform stream of light has ...

Researchers have found that under certain conditions, a laser beam can act like an opaque object and cast a shadow, opening new possibilities for technologies that could use a laser beam to control ...

Because large objects in space have an effect on light, can smaller objects do the same thing? Can something the size of the Earth also influence light and make it bend? Every object in the universe ...

Invisibility — like time travel, teleportation, flying, and super-speed — has been a fixture in science fiction ever since science fiction has existed. The most well-known examples range from the one ...

According to Einstein's general theory of relativity, the gravity from huge objects like stars and galaxies can curve the fabric of spacetime, to the point that passing light will bend from its usual ...

You almost certainly know Newton's famous thought experiment about orbits, but just in case you don't, here it is, as presented by Universe Today's Fraser Cain: Imagine you had a cannon that could ...

The speed of light is usually thought of as a speed limit for how fast an object can travel, but you’re right to also think of it as a speed limit on the transfer of information. If you want an object ...

Astronauts see city lights from space, even from the International Space Station. The view of Earth from space can evoke strong emotional responses, called the "overview effect". Visibility of objects ...