Pick of the week
A rubbish challenge: how do we dump space junk?
Katherine Courtney and Alice Gorman talk about the danger of space debris and what we need to do about it
Quantum physicists Charles Bennett and Gilles Brassard win $1m Turing Award
Duo bag award often described as the “Nobel Prize in Computing”
Dispatches from the APS Global Physics Summit
Is ‘vibe physics’ the future?
Scientists discuss whether AI could surpass human contributions to physics by 2035
Wanted: an electrical grid that runs on 100% renewable energy
Global conflicts are making renewable energy more attractive, but an all-renewable grid will require solving physics problems as well as political and economic ones
Research updates
Fluid flow: how heat can move from cooler to warmer regions
New work could help design electronic devices in which heat can be guided in certain directions, minimizing heat loss
Surface contamination holds the key to a static electricity mystery
Carbon-rich “schmutz” determines how charge moves between objects made from identical insulating oxides
Superfluid plasmon appears in a two-dimensional superconductor
New finding could advance our understanding of high-temperature superconductors
At low exciton density, a superfluid suddenly stops flowing
Physicists say they may have observed a supersolid phase in a superfluid
Single metasurface could generate record numbers of trapped neutral atoms
Technique boosts prospects for building quantum computers with more than 100,000 qubits
Physicists demonstrate long-predicted exotic magnetic phases in 2D material
Observations of how magnetism behaves in atomically thin materials could pave the way for new generations of ultracompact magnetic technologies
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The latest opinion and reviews
The humanity of machines: the relationship between technology and our bodies
Anita Chandran reviews The Body Digital: a Brief History of Humans and Machines from Cuckoo Clocks to ChatGPT by Vanessa Chang
Nuclear-powered transport – how far can it take us?
Honor Powrie looks at the perils and plus-sides of nuclear-powered transport
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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.
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International scientists head into the fast-lane of Denmark’s burgeoning quantum ecosystem
Ambition and international talent converge as Denmark scales up in quantum science
Read article: International scientists head into the fast-lane of Denmark’s burgeoning quantum ecosystem
Ask me anything: Giannis Zacharakis – ‘The ability to pursue questions that genuinely interest you is a privilege’
Giannis Zacharakis is a biophotonics and biomedical imaging researcher and CEO of the precision photonics spin-off Kymatonics
Read article: Ask me anything: Giannis Zacharakis – ‘The ability to pursue questions that genuinely interest you is a privilege’
Inside the world’s particle‑physics labs: Global Physics Photowalk 2025 winners revealed
This is the fifth international photowalk following events held in 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2018
Read article: Inside the world’s particle‑physics labs: Global Physics Photowalk 2025 winners revealed
Stripes of Enceladus: a jigsaw puzzle
Can you reconstruct the astrophysics image we’ve pulled apart?
Read article: Stripes of Enceladus: a jigsaw puzzle
Self-healing materials could make automobile parts last over 100 years
Scientists have created a material with the ability to repeatedly and autonomously repair cracks
Read article: Self-healing materials could make automobile parts last over 100 years
A bursting bubble can make a puddle jump
In a breakthrough in droplet physics, researchers find a way to get centimetre-scale water droplets to jump into the air
Read article: A bursting bubble can make a puddle jump
Word flower puzzle no. 1
How many words can you find in this new interactive puzzle?
Read article: Word flower puzzle no. 1
The American Physical Society’s 2026 Global Physics Summit opens in Denver
The "shared future" theme of the world's biggest physics meeting this year is opportune
Read article: The American Physical Society’s 2026 Global Physics Summit opens in Denver
Interplaying hazards: can you solve our crossword on geophysical processes?
Try out our quick crossword all about climate and geophysics
Read article: Interplaying hazards: can you solve our crossword on geophysical processes?
Lunar magnetic field mystery may finally have an explanation
Physicists weren’t sure why Moon rocks brought back during the Apollo missions are more strongly magnetized than models predict
Read article: Lunar magnetic field mystery may finally have an explanation
Licensing puts the power into nuclear fusion
A consultancy firm with expertise in radiation safety can help companies developing a new generation of commercial fusion reactors to navigate the regulatory framework
Read article: Licensing puts the power into nuclear fusion
Celebrating 100 years of physics at Tsinghua University
Wenhui Duan outlines how Tsinghua aims to continue its rich history in physics
Read article: Celebrating 100 years of physics at Tsinghua University
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
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
Sponsored by Elekta
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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