Heat energy leaps through empty space, thanks to quantum weirdness
Wednesday, December 11, 2019 - 13:20
in Physics & Chemistry
If you use a vacuum-insulated thermos to help keep your coffee hot, you may know it's a good insulator because heat energy has a hard time moving through empty space. Vibrations of atoms or molecules, which carry thermal energy, simply can't travel if there are no atoms or molecules around.