The year 2024 has been a remarkable one for physics, where theory met technology and experiments pushed boundaries once thought unreachable. From advances in quantum computing that edge us closer to solving previously intractable problems,

It all begins with a question most of us have whispered to ourselves while watching Star Trek:

“Why can’t we just bend space and zip across the galaxy?”

At first, it sounds like pure science fiction—captains shouting “Engage!” and starships stretching into streaks of light. But over the years, physicists have looked at the math and thought: Hmm… maybe it isn’t entirely impossible.

For decades, physicists believed the known states of matter—solids, liquids, gases, and plasmas—were the whole story, with quantum phases like superconductors and superfluids being rare exceptions. But the universe continues to surprise us.

The lecture hall was quiet when I dimmed the lights and projected the image of a star-studded sky onto the screen. I looked at my students and said, “You see that? That’s not just the universe as it is—it’s the universe as it was, billions of years ago.

Among the wonders of our solar system, few features are as instantly recognizable as Jupiter’s Great Red Spot (GRS). This colossal storm has swirled across the planet’s atmosphere for centuries, larger than Earth itself and tinted with a reddish hue that has captivated astronomers since its discovery.

Few cosmic events are as dramatic—or as beautiful—as a solar flare. These eruptions on the Sun’s surface release colossal amounts of energy, equivalent to billions of nuclear bombs detonating simultaneously. Modern technology allows astronomers to capture these violent events