The problem: Einstein’s equation E=mc2 gives us a pretty good guess at one way that matter is created in the universe: photons that make up light colliding at high speeds. But pulsars — rapidly spinning neutron stars — are the only place where those kinds of collisions are theorized to happen, so it has been hard to test many basic theories about quantum physics and the composition of the universe.
The solution: Scientists at Osaka University and UC San Diego have developed an experiment they believe could turn light into matter in a laboratory. They believe lasers could make photons collide and produce a dense batch of gamma rays, which would annihilate each other and leave an electron-positron pair behind.
- It might not be as magical as instantly creating a kitchen table by flashing a light, but when you have electrons, you have matter.
No experiment has actually been conducted yet, though. The big breakthrough is the simulations the team ran, which showed that lasers currently available could be used to conduct the process, something previously thought to be impossible to do in a lab.