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Physics World Weekender

Cosmic time capsules: the search for pristine comets

Small white dot with a blue halo. Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS observed by the Hubble telescope

Cosmic dawn: the search for the primordial hydrogen signal

Sarah Wild talks to astronomers across the world who are on a hunt for a subtle hydrogen signal that could confirm or disprove our ideas on the universe’s evolution

A radio antenna shaped like a table in remote tundra

Victoria Grinberg: the astrophysicist sharing her love for science

X-ray astronomer Victoria Grinberg talks about spreading her passion for science

Research updates

Hot ancient galaxy cluster challenges current cosmological models

Artist’s impression of the SPT2349–56 galaxy cluster

Modelling wavefunction collapse as a continuous flow yields insights on the nature of measurement

Schematic diagram showing a spinning coin. In the "instantaneous wavefunction collapse" picture, the coin is instantly either heads or tails. In the quantum state diffusion gradual wavefunction collapse, the coin is drawn as wobbling between heads and tails as it falls, before finally settling on heads.

NPL unveils miniature atomic fountain clock

Illustration of a conventional atomic fountain clock (left) next to NPL’s miniature atomic fountain clock

Shining laser light on a material produces subtle changes in its magnetic properties

New use for photolithography could have applications for data storage

Polarization-sensitive photoacoustic microscopy reveals heart tissue health

Label-free imaging technique can distinguish diseased cardiac tissue from healthy tissue and identify different types of fibrosis

Gravitational lensing sheds new light on Hubble constant controversy

Astronomers calculate new value for the universe's expansion

RFID-tagged drug capsule lets doctors know when it has been swallowed

A dissolvable drug capsule uses radiofrequency signals to ensure that people are taking their medication on schedule

Quantum state teleported between quantum dots at telecoms wavelengths

Frequency-converted photons are key to proof-of-principle experiment

Solar storms could be forecast by monitoring cosmic rays

Forbush decrease effect is tracked between the Sun and Earth

Jobs hub

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Latest news

People
News

Physicist Norbert Holtkamp takes over as head of Fermilab

Astronomer Daniel Jaffe named president of the Giant Magellan Telescope project

Russia plans to revive abandoned Soviet-era particle accelerator

The Baikal Deep Underwater Neutrino Telescope

The latest opinion and reviews

The obscure physics theory that helped Chinese science emerge from the shadows

Mission to Mars: from biological barriers to ethical impediments

Emma Chapman reviews Becoming Martian: How Living in Space Will Change Our Bodies and Minds by Scott Solomon

Two adults and a child wearing spacesuits on a red planet with biodomes in the background

Can entrepreneurship be taught? An engineer’s viewpoint

Honor Powrie wonders what skills she’d need to be an entrepreneur

Physics World podcasts

Laser fusion: Focused Energy charts a course to commercial viability

Quantum
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Quantum metrology at NPL: we explore the challenges and opportunities

Quantum information theory sheds light on quantum gravity

Explore our two regular podcast series! Physics World Weekly looks at the latest events and headlines in physics, as well as featuring short interviews with scientists and our team of journalists. Physics World Stories takes a more in-depth look at a topic.

Explore more of our recent articles

Fuel cell catalyst requirements for heavy-duty vehicle applications

Join the audience for a live webinar at 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. EST on 18 February 2026

Discover the realities and requirements of catalyst development for fuel cell applications

Ask me anything: Mažena Mackoit-Sinkevičienė – ‘Above all, curiosity drives everything’

Mažena Mackoit-Sinkevičienė works in quantum optics and technology and is vice-president of the Lithuanian Physical Society

CERN accepts $1bn in private cash towards Future Circular Collider

Cash comes as Mark Thomson takes the reins at CERN

India turns to small modular nuclear reactors to meet climate targets

While SMRs could help meet climate targets there are concerns over their commercial viability

Photonics West explores the future of optical technologies

SPIE Photonics West sees the global optics and photonics community come together to present and discuss the latest industry trends and research breakthroughs

San Francisco skyline with Oakland Bay bridge

CERN team solves decades-old mystery of light nuclei formation

ALICE collaboration identifies three-phase process that allows particles to form despite energetically unfavourable conditions

Image showing a neutron and a delta particle emerging from a white flash. The neutron and the delta particle both contain three quarks, represented by colourful spheres. Arrows indicate that the neutron and the delta subsequently undergo a reaction that produces a deuteron (a neutron-proton pair) and a pion.

Anyon physics could explain coexistence of superconductivity and magnetism

Calculations explain curious properties of some 2D materials

Shapiro steps spotted in ultracold bosonic and fermionic gases

Research could lead to a standard for chemical potential

Illustration of a Josephson junction in an ultracold gas

Watching how grasshoppers glide inspires new flying robot design

The findings could result in flying robots with smaller batteries

Cracking the limits of clocks: a new uncertainty relation for time itself

Physicists uncover a universal limit on timekeeping precision, proving that anything from heartbeats to ocean waves can be a clock – but none escape the noise

Bidirectional scattering microscope detects micro- and nanoscale structures simultaneously

New device could be used to observe structures as small as individual proteins, as well as the environment in which they move

Conceptual illustration of the bidirectional quantitative scattering microscope

Chess960 still results in white having an advantage, finds study

Research suggests that the standard game, and other permutations, can be unfair to players who go second

Featured employer

Physics World Jobs offers a range of opportunities for jobseekers with a background in physics or engineering. At all stages of your career, we can help find the job for you

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

For more than 60 years, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has applied science and technology to make the world a safer place. Its defining responsibility is ensuring the safety, security and reliability of the nation’s nuclear deterrent

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Featured webinar

Tune into online presentations that allow expert speakers to explain novel tools and applications

Reversible degradation phenomenon in PEMWE cells

Join the audience for a live webinar at 6 p.m. GMT/1 p.m. EST on 4 February 2026

Sponsored by The Electrochemical Society, Hiden Analytical, Scribner Associates, Gamry Instruments

Investigate how voltage dips below 1.5 V trigger reversible PEMWE performance gains, driven by iridium oxidation dynamics and reaction kinetics

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Featured event

Stay up to date with the latest international conferences, symposia and exhibitions for interdisciplinary scientists working across academic research and industry

Food Physics 2026

4—5 February 2026 | Leeds, UK

Physics plays a crucial role in the design of delicious, healthy, and nutritious food and beverages. This annual conference, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2026, brings together academics and industry professionals to share the latest developments and explore opportunities for physicists to tackle multidisciplinary challenges. These challenges range from sustainability to food manufacturing and the design of multiphase microstructures.

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