We extend the theory of symmetry-breaking dynamics in non-equilibrium second-order phase transitions known as the Kibble-Zurek mechanism (KZM) to transitions where the change of phase occurs not in ...

Ordered materials with 7-fold, 9-fold or 11-fold symmetries are never observed in nature. Researchers discovered the reason for this when they tried to impose a 7-fold symmetry on a layer of charged ...

Reflective symmetry is when a shape can be folded in half, with either side of the fold being a mirror image of the other. Rotational symmetry is when a shape can be rotated and it still looks the ...

An update to technology more than a century old might be key to making the next big discovery in particle physics. This wiring diagram, drawn in 1994, is an early sketch of a concept that might help ...

In general usage, symmetry most often refers to mirror or reflective symmetry; that is, a line (in 2-D) or plane (in 3-D) can be drawn through an object such that the two halves are mirror images of ...

Symmetry attracts us. Studies comparing people’s reactions to different faces have shown, for example, that they find highly symmetrical faces more attractive than less symmetrical faces. The symmetry ...