SMRTR Science & EngineeringFeb 4, 2026Scientific American

Physicists trace particles back to the quantum vacuum

SMRTR summary

Scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory have directly observed "strange quarks" that originated as virtual particles spontaneously emerging from the quantum vacuum, confirming a 30-year-old theoretical prediction. By analyzing particle collisions at near-light speed, researchers traced how these virtual particle pairs became real particles with matching spin directions, potentially solving mysteries about proton mass.

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