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Earthquake sensors reveal vital information about how hurricanes move and grow

Protons and neutrons are more than just groups of three quarks

Comparison between theoretical models and experimental data favours alternative “baryon junctions” picture

Set of two diagrams. The first shows a particle containing three different-coloured quarks connected by a y-shaped link flying through space and colliding with something. The second diagram shows the three quarks continuing to fly through space while the proton and its y-shaped link is stopped.

No quantum advantage (yet) in the world of tensor networks

Classical computation is more accurate that quantum annealer for some Ising spin glasses

Research updates

Colliding molecules reveal their ‘cone of reaction’

A diagram showing lots of blue arrows coming together from different directions towards a glowing red irregularly-shaped central object

‘Little red dots’ could herald the birth of supermassive black holes

Upconverting colloidal quantum dots bring ‘colour vision’ to the infrared

The nanostructures can be incorporated into wearable eyeglasses

Fast radio bursts reveal that the universe’s ‘missing matter’ is found far from galaxies

Counterintuitive finding could help us better understand how highly energetic galactic activities impact the formation of cosmological structures

Semiconducting nanorods help laser-powered drones keep cool

Researchers incorporate a heat blocking technology into the solar cells onboard remote uncrewed aerial vehicles

Shortcut for simulating logical magic states could accelerate the design of fault-tolerant quantum computers

New classical simulation technique makes it practical to benchmark large-scale logical magic-state preparation protocols under realistic noise conditions

Has vacuum birefringence been seen at long last?

Polarized X-rays from magnetar could be first direct observation of quantum effect

Frame-dragging measurement around the Earth sets new precision record

Laser-ranging technique proves Einstein right again

Jobs hub

Access the latest physics careers advice

Latest news

Researchers propose ‘economic Q’ metric for judging fusion power plant viability

Critics deride US administration’s ‘golden age of science’ report

Future of UK physics threatened by ‘ruinous’ funding cuts, says Institute of Physics

The latest opinion and reviews

Honor Powrie: 10 things I wish I’d known (or done better) when I started my career

Seven writers, four physicists, one room, lots of plushies

Robert P Crease attends a workshop bringing physicists and journalists together

Knowing through uncertainty: probability and the evolution of our cosmos

Chrysi Malouchou Kanellopoulou reviews The Random Universe: How Models and Probability Help us Make Sense of the Cosmos by Andrew H Jaffe

Physics World podcasts

The Quantum Kid: childhood curiosity makes physics more accessible

Photo of Katia Moskvitch and her son Kai

Motivation is key to the public’s trust in science, study reveals

Building bridges between quantum and classical computing

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

Quiz of the week: where does new research say the universe’s ‘missing’ baryonic matter is?

Have you been keeping up to date with physics news? Try our short quiz to find out

Materials
Webinar
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Advances in molecularly imprinted polymers for electrochemical sensing

Discover how molecular imprinting enables selective electrochemical sensors for next-generation chemical detection

Physics research in India: a slide puzzle

Can you reconstruct the quantum computing image in our interactive slide puzzle?

Careers
Analysis
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Careers at the frontier of space technology

The European Space Agency recruits from all over Europe (and beyond) to further its mission of peacefully exploring and using space for the benefit of everyone

Quiz of the week: what are engineers using to control the growth of artificial blood vessels?

Have you been keeping up to date with physics news? Try our short quiz to find out

Seismic waves reflected from Earth’s core moved parts of Japan 5 mm east

Shift followed the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake and represents a new type of seismic hazard

A map of Japan. Three stars off its eastern coast show the locations of the epicentres.

New image captures glowing shock waves in the Helix Nebula

Data were taken with the MOTHRA telescope, which is still under construction

‘Kinetic electronics’ make self-connecting circuits

Eventual goal is electronic devices that can reconfigure and even repair themselves

Word flower puzzle no. 7

How many words can you find in this puzzle?

Crystal symmetry controls hydrogen’s quantum tunnelling

Discovery could support the development of safer and more efficient hydrogen storage media

Diagram showing classical and quantum ways that hydrogen can move to different lattice sites within a vanadium crystal

Physicists extend Hawking’s black hole laws to dynamical objects

Thermodynamics can describe the mechanics of black holes that change over time

Artist's image of a black hole growing in response to an influx of energy. This influx is represented by orange lines and particles streaming in towards the black hole's event horizon, which is represented by an orange boundary

Artificial blood vessels grow with the help of mechanical forces

New technique could allow for the scalable production of vascular tissue networks for regenerative medicine

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

Changes in structure and ionic resistance of lithium-ion battery graphite electrodes

Join the audience for a live webinar at 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. EDT on 5 August 2026

For modellers and experimentalists: discover how SEI formation and graphite expansion define Li‑ion transport in electrodes

Sponsored by The Electrochemical Society, BioLogic, Hiden Analytical

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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

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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