One of the more absurd facts of the universe is that empty space is never empty. At tiny scales particles are constantly popping in and out of existence – and these so-called “virtual” particles have a very real influence on the world around us.
Now, using a trick of quantum optics as astonishing as it is weird, physicists from the University of Konstanz in Germany have found a way to manipulate nothingness by controlling how virtual particles interact with a pulse of light.
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