Pick of the Week
Quiz of the week: what’s the secret to the Venus flytrap’s swift closure?
Have you been keeping up to date with physics news? Try our short quiz to find out
AI data centres’ electricity use nears country-scale levels, finds report
A recent United Nations report shows the stark environmental cost of a rapidly growing AI industry
Research updates
Easy-to-use calculation tool estimates out-of-field neutron dose during proton therapy
Python-based tool calculates the neutron dose anywhere in a proton therapy treatment room using information from the treatment plan
Soot from rocket launches is polluting Earth’s upper atmosphere
Problem set to worsen as launch numbers increase, say UCL researchers
Asymmetric weather pattern reveals exoplanet’s true atmosphere
New observations by the JWST provide a much clearer understanding of clouds on a distant world
Sunlight can produce correlated pairs of photons
Novel source for quantum optics experiments could enable experiments in space or other locations with limited electricity
Novel gravitational-wave model sheds light on dark matter
Dark matter may alter the dynamics of colliding black holes and leave a signature in their gravitational-wave emission.
Altermagnets can turn neighbouring materials altermagnetic, too
"Proximity effect" appears in models of semiconductor/altermagnet bilayer structures
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How AI is transforming human robots
Honor Powrie considers whether AI can make robots more human
The wonderful world of microfluidics
Nicole Sharp reviews How the World Flows: Microfluidics from Raindrops to COVID Tests by Albert Folch
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Word wave puzzle no.5
Can you work out the word in this puzzle?
Read article: Word wave puzzle no.5
HALHF is going all in on plasma acceleration
An experimental milestone in plasma acceleration at the UK’s CLARA test facility
Read article: HALHF is going all in on plasma acceleration
Ask me anything: Mary Bishai – ‘For a self-professed nerd like me, doing big science is heaven’
Mary Bishai is an experimental neutrino physicist at Brookhaven National Laboratory in the US
Read article: Ask me anything: Mary Bishai – ‘For a self-professed nerd like me, doing big science is heaven’
Quiz of the week: the last major galactic merger of the Milky Way created what feature?
Have you been keeping up to date with physics news? Try our short quiz to find out
Read article: Quiz of the week: the last major galactic merger of the Milky Way created what feature?
Stunning Moon sculpture unveiled at Royal Observatory Greenwich
Mirror Moon has been created by the British artist Luke Jerram
Read article: Stunning Moon sculpture unveiled at Royal Observatory Greenwich
The discovery of mesoporous carbon support with characteristic porosity and the art of mastering its use
Join the audience for a live webinar at 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. EDT on 15 July 2026
High durability and oxygen diffusivity of mesoporous carbon support of CNovel® MH-18 used for PEF...
Read article: The discovery of mesoporous carbon support with characteristic porosity and the art of mastering its use
Fractal maths helps distinguish genuine artworks from forgeries
The new technique offers a new way to tackle art fraud
Read article: Fractal maths helps distinguish genuine artworks from forgeries
It’s all kicking off: how much do you know about the science of football?
Kick off the 2026 FIFA World Cup by testing your knowledge of the physics of football
Read article: It’s all kicking off: how much do you know about the science of football?
Nuclear shells govern close proton–neutron partnerships
Electron scattering experiment gives a surprising result
Read article: Nuclear shells govern close proton–neutron partnerships
Solar-thermal desalination process operates at near 100% efficiency
New desalination technology produces drinking water from ocean water while capturing valuable salts and minerals
Read article: Solar-thermal desalination process operates at near 100% efficiency
Abnormal snoring sounds help diagnose common sleep disorder
A snoring-based framework shows potential as a low-cost, non-contact screening tool for obstructive sleep apnoea
Read article: Abnormal snoring sounds help diagnose common sleep disorder
Research on magnetic plasma confinement wins Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion Outstanding Paper Prize
The work is an important step to understanding the physics of “negative triangularity”
Read article: Research on magnetic plasma confinement wins Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion Outstanding Paper Prize
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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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From bunkers to bright spaces: the future of smart shielded radiosurgery treatment rooms
Join the audience for a live webinar at 4 p.m. GMT/5 p.m. CET on 31 March 2026
Discover how smart shielding enables bright, modern radiosurgery rooms beyond traditional bunker designs
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Innovations in Applied Mechanics 2026
23—26 September 2026 | London, UK
Innovations in Applied Mechanics brings together two previous, highly successful conferences MPSVA – Modern Practice in Stress and Vibration Analysis and DAMAS – International Conference on Damage Assessment in Structures to present research findings in stress analysis, vibration dynamics and structural damage assessment with the intention of providing directed focus on the state-of-the-art in theoretical and experimental methodology.
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