Today's headlines
MRI reveals long-term effects of space travel on the brain
Brain MRI shows that long-duration microgravity exposure expands astronauts’ brain fluid volumes and can cause pituitary gland deformation
Defect spins slow diamond motion
New technique is comparable to laser cooling of trapped atoms and could have as many applications
Astronomers discover nearest black hole to Earth – so far
A triple system that can be observed with the naked eye is found to include an invisible black hole
Research updates
Experiment probes landmines’ effects on cells
Applying extremely high stresses to biological samples could help explain anomalous bone formation that affects blast survivors
Laser-cooled YbOH molecules could aid the hunt for new physics
Producing a cold beam of these complex polyatomic molecules may lead to more precise searches for an electron electric dipole moment, say researchers
Diamond nanothreads could beat batteries for energy storage, theoretical study suggests
Tiny bundles could also be used as artificial muscles
Deep learning improves cardiac images from SPECT-only scanners
A deep learning-based model estimates attenuation maps directly from emission data, enhancing myocardial perfusion imaging on SPECT-only scanners
Fluids only get so runny as physicists put a universal lower limit on viscosity
New calculation captures the quantum-mechanical nature of molecular interactions
Quantum computers vastly outperform supercomputers when it comes to energy efficiency
NISQs consume orders of magnitude less energy than conventional processors, researchers say
Physics in the pandemic: reports on how physicists are coping with the effects of the coronavirus
Read article: Physics in the pandemic: ‘A lack of childcare hugely reduces productivity’
Physics in the pandemic: ‘A lack of childcare hugely reduces productivity’
Being shut out of labs and research facilities isn't the only barrier to scientific productivity, as Rose Waugh discovered
Read article: Physics in the pandemic: ‘I’m looking forward to a more balanced blend when this is over’
Physics in the pandemic: ‘I’m looking forward to a more balanced blend when this is over’
For physicist and patent attorney Richard Bray, lockdown has prompted rapid, positive changes to working practices. Are similar changes possible elsewhere?
Read article: Physics in the pandemic: ‘In military terms, the logistical supply line is interrupted’
Physics in the pandemic: ‘In military terms, the logistical supply line is interrupted’
Stockholm-based defence researcher Steven Savage reflects on the pros, cons and unknowns of Sweden’s comparatively relaxed approach to the COVID-19 crisis
Read article: Physics in the pandemic: �?I hope the rest of the world can see hope from my experience’
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 World podcasts
Explore in depth
Learning from Black Swan events
Christopher Lavers says that when it comes to dealing with COVID-19, lessons should have been learned from previous crises
Physics World unwrapped
Susan Curtis examines alternatives to the polythene wrapping used to mail magazines – and reveals what Physics World will be switching to
Going with the flow
Early-career industry physicist Aidan White on working as a project engineer at TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory
Ask me anything: Chad Orzel
Condensed-matter physicist, blogger and author gives his advice to physics graduates
The diamond quantum revolution
Diamond has a variety of exciting properties that mean it is being increasingly used in quantum applications, as Matthew Markham and David Twitchen explain
Reinvention lights up optical experiments at low temperatures
Cryogenics specialist Quantum Design has designed a magneto-optical cryostat that for the first time brings its high magnetic field and cryogenics technology into a dedicated optic...
Duck, duck, goose?
Ian Randall reviews At the Edge of Time: Exploring the Mysteries of Our Universe’s First Seconds by Dan Hooper
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
Read article: Image quality analysis for MR in radiotherapy using the MagphanRT system
Image quality analysis for MR in radiotherapy using the MagphanRT system
Join the audience for a live webinar on 2 June 2020 sponsored by The Phantom Laboratory
Read article: Avoid, track, recycle: solutions to the problem of plastic waste
Avoid, track, recycle: solutions to the problem of plastic waste
Check out the May 2020 issue of Physics World, which is a special edition on plastic waste
Read article: NASA satellite missions track 16 years of Earth’s melting ice sheets
NASA satellite missions track 16 years of Earth’s melting ice sheets
Data from NASA’s ICESat and ICESat-2 missions reveal that ice sheet losses from Greenland and Antarctica have contributed 14 mm to sea level rise since 2003
Read article: Clinical experience on an automated QA platform in a busy multicentre department
Clinical experience on an automated QA platform in a busy multicentre department
Join the audience for a live webinar on 14 May 2020 sponsored by Sun Nuclear Corporation
Read article: Sun could be in midlife doldrums, survey of stellar activity reveals
Sun could be in midlife doldrums, survey of stellar activity reveals
Sun is far less active than other similar stars
Read article: Test your knowledge of Nobel-prize physics trivia with this quick quiz
Test your knowledge of Nobel-prize physics trivia with this quick quiz
How much do you know about the Nobel Prize for Physics? Find out with this Red Folder quiz
Read article: Capsule-deformation model predicts whether a water balloon will burst
Capsule-deformation model predicts whether a water balloon will burst
New findings could have practical implications in areas such as fire-fighting and riot control
Read article: IOP Publishing rewards more than 1600 top peer reviewers
IOP Publishing rewards more than 1600 top peer reviewers
Physics World speaks to the winners of IOP Publishing's Reviewer Awards for 2019 about peer review and how referee demand has been impacted by COVID-19
Read article: Storing gases with extreme efficiency in �?crystalline sponges’
Storing gases with extreme efficiency in �?crystalline sponges’
Discover why reticular chemistry can boost gas-powered vehicles and carbon capture
Read article: For concussions, the eyes are windows to the brain
For concussions, the eyes are windows to the brain
Measuring eye motion in real time could provide a way to diagnose traumatic brain injury due to sports-related head impacts
Read article: Akesis Galaxy® Rotating Gamma SRS: A Technical Review
Akesis Galaxy® Rotating Gamma SRS: A Technical Review
Register now: a webinar sponsored by Akesis, Inc
Read article: Light-emitting nanosensors track chemical signals in plants
Light-emitting nanosensors track chemical signals in plants
“Nanobionics” could provide important insights into how plants respond to disease
Read article: How has COVID-19 impacted the provision of radiation therapy?
How has COVID-19 impacted the provision of radiation therapy?
In a webinar hosted by the Radiosurgery Society, an expert panel examined how radiotherapy delivery has adapted to the challenges of the current pandemic
Read article: Scientists identify gene responsible for butterfly’s dazzling structural colours
Scientists identify gene responsible for butterfly’s dazzling structural colours
Advance will make it easier to study natural colour-determining nanostructures and could inspire more efficient ways of producing photonics devices
Read article: Some glaciers may be moving faster than previously thought, new �?slip law’ suggests
Some glaciers may be moving faster than previously thought, new �?slip law’ suggests
Lab experiments reveal how deformation of underlying terrain affects glacier's motion
Read article: Alanine dosimeters line up for MRI-guided radiotherapy
Alanine dosimeters line up for MRI-guided radiotherapy
A solid-state alanine detector can be used in strong magnetic fields, making it a suitable reference detector for MRI-guided radiotherapy
Read article: Kondo cloud seen at last
Kondo cloud seen at last
New observations could boost understanding of multiple-impurity systems such as Kondo lattices, spin glasses and high transition-temperature superconductors
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.
Copyright © 2020 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors
