Pick of the week
Green concrete: paving the way for sustainable structures
Concrete is one of the world's biggest carbon emitters. Benjamin Skuse asks if AI can help tame concrete’s climate impact
The future of particle physics: what can the past teach us?
Robert P Crease reports from a conference at CERN on particle physics in the 1980s and 1990s
Research updates
Visible light paints patterns onto chiral antiferromagnets
New technique for manipulating domains helps pave the way towards antiferromagnetic data storage
Wobbling gyroscopes could harvest energy from ocean waves
Design can be tuned to work at a wide range of wave frequencies
Metallic material breaks 100-year thermal conductivity record
Transition metal nitride conducts heat nearly three times better than copper
Nickel-enhanced biomaterial becomes stronger when wet
A biomaterial that increases its strength when in contact with water could provide a biodegradable alternative to plastics
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
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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
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The physics of why basketball shoes are so squeaky
The noise is down to the base of the shoe forming wrinkles that travel at near supersonic speeds
Read article: The physics of why basketball shoes are so squeaky
Todd McNutt: how an AI software solution enables creation of the best possible radiation treatment plans
Medical physicist Todd McNutt explains how Plan AI, an artificial intelligence-powered plan quality software solution, uses data mining to streamline and improve radiotherapy plann...
Read article: Todd McNutt: how an AI software solution enables creation of the best possible radiation treatment plans
New journal aims to advance the interdisciplinary field of personalized health
Medical Sensors and Imaging will publish innovative research at the intersection of engineering, biomedical and computer sciences
Read article: New journal aims to advance the interdisciplinary field of personalized health
Olympian Eileen Gu rules the piste with physics and international relations
There is lots of classical mechanics in freestyle skiing
Read article: Olympian Eileen Gu rules the piste with physics and international relations
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
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
Read article: Giant barocaloric cooling effect offers a new route to refrigeration
Transfer learning could help muon tomography identify illicit nuclear materials
Hidden coated materials could be detected using new technique
Read article: Transfer learning could help muon tomography identify illicit nuclear materials
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
Read article: Ask me anything: Katie Perry – ‘I’d tell my younger self to network like crazy’
Black hole is born with an infrared whimper
Observation sheds new light on how some massive stars fade away
Read article: Black hole is born with an infrared whimper
Fluid gears make their debut
New work could promote the development of next-generation machines without mechanical interlocking teeth
Read article: Fluid gears make their debut
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
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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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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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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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