A new study published in Physical Review Letters presents evidence for the creation of matter and antimatter from energy, specifically light particles (photons). In doing so, it offers a splendidly concrete example of the world's most famous equation: E=mc2. The equation, derived by Einstein, dictates how energy (E) is equivalent to mass (m) times the speed of light (c) squared.

Nuclear science is many things: it's powerful, it's potentially dangerous, and it's ultimately still not totally understood by scientists - at least when it comes to its constituent parts. Controlling the splitting of atoms to fuel a nuclear reaction is old hat these days, but while scientists understand how these reactions take place what they don't understand completely is something much more fundamental: the behavior of protons and neutrons.

As mysterious as the Italian scientist for which it is named, the Majorana particle is one of the most compelling quests in physics. Its fame stems from its strange properties - it is the only particle that is its own antiparticle - and from its potential to be harnessed for future quantum computing.