Many things spin, but not this fast Maciej Frolow/Getty
Tiny particles of glass spun by a laser are the fastest spinning objects we鈥檝e ever seen, at聽over 1 billion turns per second. Studying them could help us learn more about quantum physics and the big bang.
Two research teams used circularly polarised light to set charged silicon dioxide particles spinning. As a light wave travels, it oscillates up and down, moving in one direction, but this polarised light wave rotates a bit like the hands of a clock.
鈥淚t looks like a spinning helix, a little bit like DNA.…



