Pick of the week
Ask me anything: Katie Perry – ‘I’d tell my younger self to network like crazy’
Katie Perry is chief executive of the Daphne Jackson Trust, which helps people who’ve had a career break
Olympian Eileen Gu rules the piste with physics and international relations
There is lots of classical mechanics in freestyle skiing
Research updates
2D materials help spacecraft electronics resist radiation damage
Transistors based on atomically thin transition-metal dichalcogenides appear particularly robust
Time crystal emerges in acoustic tweezers
System could shed light on emergent periodic phenomena in biological systems
Giant barocaloric cooling effect offers a new route to refrigeration
Environmentally friendly dissolution-based method reduces temperature of water by nearly 27 K in just 20 seconds
Transfer learning could help muon tomography identify illicit nuclear materials
Hidden coated materials could be detected using new technique
Black hole is born with an infrared whimper
Observation sheds new light on how some massive stars fade away
Fluid gears make their debut
New work could promote the development of next-generation machines without mechanical interlocking teeth
Jobs hub
Access the latest physics careers advice
Latest news
The latest opinion and reviews
The pros and cons of patenting
Honor Powrie reveals her love–hate relationship with patents
The Future Circular Collider is unduly risky – CERN needs a ‘Plan B’
Michael Riordan calls on CERN to face financial and geopolitical reality
Physics World podcasts
Physics World podcast
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
World’s smallest QR code paves the way for ultralong-life data storage
Tiny QR code etched on ceramic sets the Guinness World Record as the world’s smallest
Read article: World’s smallest QR code paves the way for ultralong-life data storage
Challenges in CO2 Reduction Selectivity Measurements by Hydrodynamic Methods
Join the audience for a live webinar at 5 p.m. GMT/1 p.m EST on 18 March 2026
Does electrolyte purity really matter in CO2 electroreduction research? Quite a lot, if you’re ...
Read article: Challenges in CO2 Reduction Selectivity Measurements by Hydrodynamic Methods
New quantum-enabled proteins could improve biosensing
Researchers use directed evolution to create magneto-sensitive fluorescent proteins that can interact with magnetic fields and radio waves
Read article: New quantum-enabled proteins could improve biosensing
Earthquake-sensing network detects space debris as it falls to Earth
Proof-of-principle experiment resolved the shock waves produced by the Shenzhou-15 module when it re-entered the atmosphere
Read article: Earthquake-sensing network detects space debris as it falls to Earth
‘Relief’ as industrial megaproject in Chile that threatened world’s darkest skies is cancelled
The green hydrogen and ammonia project would have increased light pollution at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile’s Atacama Desert
Read article: ‘Relief’ as industrial megaproject in Chile that threatened world’s darkest skies is cancelled
Dual-tracer PET enables biologically individualized radiotherapy
Tailoring radiotherapy dose distributions to PET images of cancer biology could enhance tumour control and improve patient outcomes
Read article: Dual-tracer PET enables biologically individualized radiotherapy
Entanglement reveals the difficulty of computational problems
Efficiency and hardness of a computation problem are revealed
Read article: Entanglement reveals the difficulty of computational problems
Samples from the far side of the Moon shed light on lunar asymmetry
Unusual isotopic ratio in samples brought back by Chang'e-6 reveals clues about the early history of Earth's satellite
Read article: Samples from the far side of the Moon shed light on lunar asymmetry
Winners of International Quantum Year science-journalism competition picked
Physics World and Physics Magazine announce successful pitches
Read article: Winners of International Quantum Year science-journalism competition picked
CERN upgrade to LHCb experiment threatened by UK funding cuts
Upgrade to the UK-led project is unlikely to go ahead if UK funding cuts are not reversed
Read article: CERN upgrade to LHCb experiment threatened by UK funding cuts
Why a physics degree is so valuable in today’s uncertain job market
Sophia Chen analyses the challenges and opportunities facing today's graduates entering the job market
Read article: Why a physics degree is so valuable in today’s uncertain job market
Unusual astronomical event might be a ‘superkilonova’
Merger of two neutron stars in the aftermath of a supernova may have been observed for the first time, though questions remain
Read article: Unusual astronomical event might be a ‘superkilonova’
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
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
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.
Copyright © 2026 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors