Astronomers may have just confirmed one of the quirkiest aspects of quantum mechanics: that seemingly empty space can alter the behavior of light. This phenomenon, called “vacuum birefringence,” was first predicted nearly 90 years ago by Werner Heisenberg, one of the founding fathers of quantum mechanics. He suggested that even a perfect vacuum should be teeming with “virtual particles” that rapidly pop in and out of existence.
The astronomers, including Dr Marcus Lower from Swinburne University of Technology, used the properties of a magnetar—a rare type of neutron star with the strongest magnetic fie...
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