Editor's choice
Soviet institutes, Martian neighbours, Whovian science, stellar patterns and dystopian predictions: micro reviews of recent books
Condensed natter: Physics World editors give their compressed verdicts on top new books
Venus flytraps snap shut by rapid cell-wall softening
Previous theory of water transport is ruled out
Research updates
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
Nuclear shells govern close proton–neutron partnerships
Electron scattering experiment gives a surprising result
Solar-thermal desalination process operates at near 100% efficiency
New desalination technology produces drinking water from ocean water while capturing valuable salts and minerals
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
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The wonderful world of microfluidics
Nicole Sharp reviews How the World Flows: Microfluidics from Raindrops to COVID Tests by Albert Folch
What a modern-day US Declaration of Independence should say
Robert P Crease imagines a modern-day US Declaration of Independence
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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?
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
Interface between air and water gets a new twist
Vibrational spectroscopy technique reshapes our understanding of how water molecules behave at the boundary
Read article: Interface between air and water gets a new twist
Quiz of the week: new SKA boss Jessica Dempsey did what before becoming an astronomer?
Have you been keeping up to date with physics news? Try our short quiz to find out
Read article: Quiz of the week: new SKA boss Jessica Dempsey did what before becoming an astronomer?
Pigeons’ immune system can sense Earth’s magnetic field, study suggests
Molecules become magnetic by accumulating iron
Read article: Pigeons’ immune system can sense Earth’s magnetic field, study suggests
Physics-based models still beat AI for predicting extreme weather events
Artificial intelligence struggles to forecast events with no precedent in training data
Read article: Physics-based models still beat AI for predicting extreme weather events
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From bunkers to bright spaces: the future of smart shielded radiosurgery treatment rooms
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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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