{
  "id": 16754423,
  "title": "Mathematical puzzle from 1904 takes physical form in gold-studded helium droplets",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/27/mathematical-puzzle-from-1904-takes-physical-form-in-gold-studded",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-27T13:27:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-10-mathematical-puzzle-physical-gold-studded.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "When identical charges repel each other but are confined to the surface of a sphere, they seek the arrangement with the lowest possible energy. The idea is simple, but the problem gets harder to solve with every charge added. The so-called Thomson problem dates back to the \"plum-pudding\" model of the atom, which Nobel laureate Joseph J. Thomson proposed in 1904. The atomic model has long been…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}