Work in attosecond physics has led to a better understanding of how electrons move around. Oselote/iStock via Getty ImagesA group of three researchers earned the 2023 Nobel Prize in physics for work that has revolutionized how scientists study the electron – by illuminating molecules with attosecond-long flashes of light. But how long is an attosecond, and what can these infinitesimally short pulses tell researchers about the nature of matter? I first learned of this area of research as a gradua