For the first time, researchers have directly observed an exotic type of radioactive decay called two-neutrino double electron capture. The decay, seen in xenon-124 atoms, happens so sparingly that it ...

The element radium can be found in extremely tiny amounts in the Earth’s crust and oceans, and in its pure form it is a soft silvery metal. To an untrained eye, a small piece of radium may look like a ...

For half a century, our view of the world has been based on the standard model of particle physics. However, this view has been challenged by theories 1 that can overcome some of the limitations of ...

ASSERGI, Italy – In a research lab under almost a mile of rock and a six-centimeter-thick shield created from boiled-down lead from an ancient Roman shipwreck, physicists are observing a rare form of ...

It was 100 years ago today that Ernest Rutherford put forward the 'planetary' theory of the atom with a very small positively charged nucleus orbited by electrons, a discovery that underpinned ...

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. “What is radium and why is it dangerous?” – ...

The element radium can be found in extremely tiny amounts in the Earth’s crust and oceans, and in its pure form it is a soft silvery metal. To an untrained eye, a small piece of radium may look like a ...

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like ...