One of the coolest things about physics is that the same basic concept can pop up in several seemingly unrelated things: say, a CD, the seed shrimp’s antennae, certain fossils in the Burgess shale, ...

This page contains hints, solutions, and advanced challenges for our diffraction grating challenge. If you would like a grating (or a set for your class if you are a teacher), please contact us at ...

For thousands of years, thinkers argued about whether light is made of particles or waves. At the beginning of the 20th century, scientists realized it was both: massless particles and waves. An even ...

The diffraction grating of a spectrometer partially determines the optical resolution that can be achieved by the spectrometer and also determines the wavelength range. Selecting the correct grating ...

A material that is capable of the “reverse diffraction” of light and that is inspired by butterfly wings has been made by researchers in the US. The structure combines features of the butterfly’s ...

In the year 1900, no one would have guessed that light — to all appearances an ethereal wave-like phenomenon — might take the form of localized particles. Nor would anyone have expected that the ...

Modern Canadian plastic money (specifically the Frontiers series) has a diffractive element in it as a security feature. When a laser beam shines through the maple leaf on the bill, it produces a ...

Alfredo has a PhD in Astrophysics and a Master's in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces from Imperial College London.View full profile Alfredo has a PhD in Astrophysics and a Master's in Quantum ...