Today's headlines
Machines sense and see in nanoseconds
Novel sensor array captures and computes optical signals at the same time, lowering delay caused by intermediate processing
Protective equipment against COVID-19 needs to go further, scientists say
Biophysics data on clouds of gas exhaled during coughs and sneezes could shape healthcare responses to the coronavirus pandemic
How to transform bosons into fermions
Dynamical fermionization involves velocity, as well as position
Physics in the pandemic: reports on how physicists are coping with the effects of the coronavirus
Physics in the pandemic: ‘I hope the rest of the world can see hope from my experience’
As Wuhan emerges from lockdown, experimental physicist Tao Wang reflects on what “normal” life will look like in the future
Physics in the pandemic: ‘I miss my group’s vibrant office discussions that propelled my research’
Shi En Kim is planning future experiments so she can hit the ground running when her lab reopens
Physics in the pandemic: ‘It was like waiting for a tsunami that is sure to strike’
Mike Follows explains why his life as a physics teacher in Birmingham, UK, has become "pretty surreal"
Physics in the pandemic: ‘My workplace probably looks more like a war zone now’
Sam Vennin is impressed by the collaborations developing between research groups and predicts that research will emerge from the current situation deeply transformed
Physics in the pandemic: ‘My job is not amenable to working from home’
Atomic physicist Hannah Williams would normally be fixing lasers and machinery in her lab outside Paris. With France on lockdown, she’s searching for alternatives
Physics in the pandemic: ‘Watching a phenomenon of staggering scope unfold in real time, dictated by simple mathematics’
As a scientist, Charles Curry believes he should help the public understand evidence-based policies for controlling COVID-19
Research updates
Titanic stellar explosion scrambles magnetic fields
Observations of a highly energetic gamma-ray burst prompt a re-think of how magnetic fields behave during these cosmic cataclysms
Spiral patterns in living cells could be used to create biological computers
Vortices in starfish eggs resemble those found in quantum fluids
Europe seeks to harness power of AI in COVID-19 crisis
A multicentre European project is developing a deep learning-based model to enhance CT diagnosis of COVID-19
Nanoscale structures give some butterflies ‘ultra-black’ wings
Dark wings could enhance colour patches used in courtship displays
Solar wind and extreme heat creates ice on Mercury, say researchers
Water migrates from blazing hot surfaces to chilly crater shadows
Diamond defects could boost the range of quantum cryptography
Device allows Charlie to help Alice and Bob make a secure connection
- Most read
Physics World podcasts
Explore in depth
Life in a carbon-neutral world
Cities and countries around the world are aiming to become net carbon neutral within the next few decades. Kate Ravilious asks, what will day-to-day life look like in such a world?
Physicists doing stupid things
The Physics World team celebrates April Fool’s Day with genuine tales of idiocy from our archives
How plasmas can improve food and agriculture
Dave Graves talks about applications from food safety to better fertilizers
COVID-19: how physics is helping the fight against the pandemic
With the world in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jon Cartwright investigates how physics-based techniques are helping scientists study viruses, including this latest no...
Freeman Dyson: unorthodox to the end
Mathematical physicist was “the midwife to the birth of quantum electrodynamics”
A stance against forced retirement
Paul Ewart says there is little evidence that forcing active physicists to retire “frees up” positions
Views from the top: career questions answered by leading physicists
10 top physicists from across academia and industry give career tips and advice for the future
Medical physics and biophysics
Find the information you need from IOP Publishing’s world-leading medical physics and biophysics journals and books, dedicated to supporting and improving research across the field, from fundamental science through to novel applications and facilities.
Video showcase
Latest articles
Half a life
Jess Wade reviews the film Radioactive, directed by Marjane Satrapi
Online Demo: Reliable and accurate measurement with new WLI mode
Register now: a webinar sponsored by Bruker
Atomic Force Microscopy for Life Science Research
Register now: a webinar sponsored by Bruker
Backpack computers for small animals, decade of LHC physics in numbers, post-manuscript-submission press conference
Excerpts from the Red Folder
Online Demo: 10 years of PeakForce Tapping – Imaging in Liquid
Register now: a webinar sponsored by Bruker
Chemical characterization of heterogenous polymeric materials on the nanoscale using photothermal AFM-IR
Register now: a webinar sponsored by Bruker
Nanoindentation of Metallic Samples
Register now: a webinar sponsored by Bruker
Critical research hit as COVID-19 forces physics labs to close
Major labs have shut their doors in response to the worldwide lockdown, but a few remain open and in some cases are carrying out critical work related to the COVID-19 pandemic
A Decade of Discovery Enabled by PeakForce Tapping
Register now: a webinar sponsored by Bruker
ProKnow; Distribute tasks, centralize knowledge, and harness the power of big data.
Register now: a webinar sponsored by Elekta
Beating COVID-19: the April 2020 issue of Physics World is now out
Understanding the virus behind COVID-19, studying diamond electronics and living in a zero-carbon world
Carbon nanotubes forecast when vegetables spoil and buds bloom
Sensor detects the ethylene emissions of plants at concentrations as low as 15 parts per billion, helping dealers predict when flowers will bloom and fruit and veg ripen
Physics in the pandemic: ‘Scientists don’t live in a vacuum’
PhD student Lucy Rowlands is creating an ever-expanding list of experiments to do when she can return to the lab
Phase-contrast imaging could improve breast cancer diagnosis
Propagation-based phase-contrast CT generates higher quality diagnostic breast images than absorption-based CT, at a comparable dose to conventional mammography
Condensed-matter physics pioneer Philip Anderson dies aged 96
Nobel laureate made many contributions to physics from high-temperature superconductivity to particle physics
Physics in the pandemic: ‘I learned that my students miss the structure and support that the university provides’
Bill Atkinson reflects on how closing Trent University has affected his students
Black hole ‘subrings’ could be seen by putting a telescope on the Moon
Focused light could tell us more about supermassive black holes
How physics is helping in the war against COVID-19
Physics and physics-based technologies have a role to play in the global response
Quantum horizons
A new crop of quantum technologies is set to make waves in the commercial world. Get up to speed on what they are and what impact they will have in the future.
brightrecruits 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
University of Oxford
Oxford has a distinctive collegiate structure. Students and academics benefit from belonging both to the University, a large, internationally-renowned institution, and to a college or hall, a small, interdisciplinary academic community.
Tune into online presentations that allow expert speakers to explain novel tools and applications
What’s new in ultra-high vacuum technology?
In this webinar, which includes a panel discussion of audience questions, we will look at recent innovations that are helping physicists work at the frontiers of current science. The webinar will begin with a presentation of the challenges of ultra-high vacuum and how to achieve it.
Stay up to date with the latest international conferences, symposia and exhibitions for interdisciplinary scientists working across academic research and industry
NANO Boston Conference (NWC Boston)
NWC Boston aims to provide the highest coverage in order to achieve the scope to help and overcome the problems, too frequently underestimated and growing from energy to environment and natural disasters, from cancer to hardware and space.

