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Can a single particle have a temperature? It may seem impossible with our standard understanding of temperature, but ...

A long-standing law of thermodynamics turns out to have a loophole at the smallest scales. Researchers have shown that quantum engines made of correlated particles can exceed the traditional ...

Researchers have made a breakthrough in applying the first law of thermodynamics to complex systems. The law is a bedrock of physics, but has long failed to describe systems that are out of ...

Phase-transition language can illuminate not only Joseph’s story but also the history of humanity. To be clear, this is a metaphor, not a reduction. Human history is not governed by thermodynamic laws ...

One of the firmest hitching posts in science is absolute zero, the temperature ( -273° C. or 0° Kelvin) where vibratory motions of the atoms cease. Generations of physics students have been told that ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. If there’s one law of physics that seems easy to grasp, it’s the second law of thermodynamics: Heat flows spontaneously from hotter ...

Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Why Trust Us? Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story: The Laws of Thermodynamics explain ...