Wei Zhu

Inside the proton, life is boiling. Quarks don't just sit there: they're glued together by carrier particles called gluons (from the word glue). Usually, this glue is spread evenly, like butter on a skillet. But when energies become enormous, gluons start clumping together. This is the gluon condensate — an ultra-dense state of the gluon field.

Gravitational microlensing is a fascinating cosmic effect predicted by Einstein and developed by Zwicky. A massive body passing between us and a distant star bends its light like a lens, creating characteristic magnifications and distortions.