Unusual signals from Antarctica could indicate new particles
Researchers have picked up weird radio signals over Antarctica that don't match what physics says should happen.
Using the ANITA experiment, which flies high above the ice to catch cosmic neutrinos, they found something that might shake up what we know about tiny particles and space.
What is ANITA?
ANITA is basically a science balloon packed with sensors, floating above Antarctica to listen for radio waves.
The clear Antarctic ice makes it perfect for catching signals from cosmic neutrinos—super rare particles coming from space.
Signals deep under the ice
The odd thing is these signals seem to come from deep under the ice at angles that current science can't explain.
Normally, neutrinos would get stopped by rock before making it this far, but these pulses made it through between 2016 and 2018.
Two main possibilities
Scientists think there are two main possibilities: either there's a totally new kind of particle out there, or cosmic neutrinos are interacting with the ice in ways we didn't expect.
They're still digging into the mystery—and whatever they find could change how we see the universe.