the coolest place

The International Space Station is home to the Cold Atom Lab — one of the coldest places in the known Universe. (NASA)

Quantum matter in the coolest place in space Physicists have made a Bose–Einstein condensate on the International Space Station. (Bose–Einstein condensates form when clouds of atoms are chilled to just above absolute zero and they coalesce into a single macroscopic quantum object.) The results are a proof-of-principle showing that the Cold Atom Lab can successfully exploit the microgravity of space in ways that should allow scientists to create phenomena that would be impossible on Earth. The US$100-million facility is on track to become the coldest place in the known Universe. Nature | 4 min read Go deeper with the expert view in the Nature News & Views article.Reference: Nature paper

Hear more about the the Cold Atom Lab, plus other top stories, in the Nature Podcast. (22 min listen)