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65b0e0b0dae50191bfe4d47137570d9e7ff32b4a5ca81a55190698f3ec1b6c25
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2026-01-29T09:16:31
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Measuring the quantum extent of a single molecule confined to a nanodroplet
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There is no measurement that can directly observe the wave function of a quantum mechanical system, but the wave function is still enormously useful as its (complex) square represents the probability density of the system or elements of the system. But for a confined system, the wave function can be inferred.
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https://phys.org/news/2026-01-quantum-extent-molecule-confined-nanodroplet.html
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Space & Physics
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5345912d25c96736a14af18992de227ddc83070b763a35296742f924d121fba5
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2026-01-29T08:44:52
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Atomic spins set quantum fluid in motion: Experimental realization of the Einstein–de Haas effect
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The Einstein–de Haas effect, which links the spin of electrons to macroscopic rotation, has now been demonstrated in a quantum fluid by researchers at Science Tokyo. The team observed this effect in a Bose–Einstein condensate of europium atoms, showing that a change in magnetization causes the coherent transfer of angular momentum from atomic spins to fluid motion, thereby experimentally demonstrating that angular momentum is conserved at the quantum level.
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https://phys.org/news/2026-01-atomic-quantum-fluid-motion-experimental.html
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Space & Physics
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6bdd0f55d40c1902ad169f4ca37f77a493906904c94208ef786643e1ace0316a
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2026-01-28T17:15:35
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Novel 'XFELO' laser system produces razor-sharp X-ray light
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A team of engineers and scientists has shown for the first time that a hard-X-ray cavity can provide net X-ray gain, with X-ray pulses being circulated between crystal mirrors and amplified in the process, much like happens with an optical laser. The result of the proof-of-concept at European XFEL is a particularly coherent, laser-like light of a quality that is unprecedented in the hard X-ray spectrum.
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https://phys.org/news/2026-01-xfelo-laser-razor-sharp-ray.html
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Space & Physics
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8339238193f467819ca95c8a045f7b044000b065b4a523188fd5f90db54b1175
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2026-01-28T15:18:20
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Establishing design principles for achieving ultralow thermal conductivity via controlled chemical disorder
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A major challenge in thermal-management and thermal-insulation technologies, across multiple industries, is the lack of materials that simultaneously offer low thermal conductivity, mechanical robustness, and scalable fabrication routes.
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https://phys.org/news/2026-01-principles-ultralow-thermal-chemical-disorder.html
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Space & Physics
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e882fc1a65e7189b26b9ed3725fd2663fdb33df877287115c16ef8a770133004
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2026-01-28T15:00:32
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Novel ferroelectric ultraviolet photodetector achieves near-10,000-fold speed increase
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Researchers from the Institute of Metal Research (IMR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a new ferroelectric ultraviolet photodetector material that overcomes the long-standing performance limitations of conventional photodetectors.
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https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ferroelectric-ultraviolet-photodetector.html
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Space & Physics
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3ef74690176f4007ddb38eba63bb49ea552efdb360c8bd59b3c1da713b42c65b
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2026-01-28T14:26:45
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Quantum batteries could quadruple qubit capacity while reducing energy infrastructure requirements
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Scientists have unveiled a new approach to powering quantum computers using quantum batteries—a breakthrough that could make future computers faster, more reliable, and more energy efficient.
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https://phys.org/news/2026-01-quantum-batteries-quadruple-qubit-capacity.html
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Space & Physics
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bb45f65b039125798eeec27b6c40051b83c5f3a3d60e4202ded5c14b84a7f142
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2026-01-28T12:46:29
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Superfluids are supposed to flow indefinitely. Physicists just watched one stop moving
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Ordinary matter, when cooled, transitions from a gas into a liquid. Cool it further still, and it freezes into a solid. Quantum matter, however, can behave very differently. In the early 20th century, researchers discovered that when helium is cooled, it transitions from a seemingly ordinary gas into a so-called superfluid. Superfluids flow without losing any energy, among other quantum quirks, like an ability to climb out of containers.
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https://phys.org/news/2026-01-superfluids-indefinitely-physicists.html
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Space & Physics
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125faa372fdb64580b13027f7062e8086b7c462b52eece56201825a38a51f717
|
2026-01-28T11:00:34
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New ABF crystal delivers high-performance vacuum ultraviolet nonlinear optical conversion
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Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV, 100–200 nm) light sources are indispensable for advanced spectroscopy, quantum research, and semiconductor lithography. Although second harmonic generation (SHG) using nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals is one of the simplest and most efficient methods for generating VUV light, the scarcity of suitable NLO crystals has long been a bottleneck.
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https://phys.org/news/2026-01-abf-crystal-high-vacuum-ultraviolet.html
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Space & Physics
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5e7ea5383f7d9e7750089d7c0eb5a27906dff36fd4c4afc4cb72df508fb0e914
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2026-01-28T11:00:29
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Chip-sized optical amplifier can intensify light 100-fold with minimal energy
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Light does a lot of work in the modern world, enabling all types of information technology, from TVs to satellites to fiber-optic cables that carry the internet across oceans. Stanford physicists recently found a way to make that light work even harder with an optical amplifier that requires low amounts of energy without any loss of bandwidth, all on a device the size of a fingertip.
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https://phys.org/news/2026-01-chip-sized-optical-amplifier-minimal.html
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Space & Physics
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7a710c14ae1f508548fbc5e209e0d5660714ad95596a4abfb094a37ccc23438a
|
2026-01-28T11:00:26
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Laser beam flips a ferromagnet's polarity without heating the material
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Researchers at the University of Basel and the ETH in Zurich have succeeded in changing the polarity of a special ferromagnet using a laser beam. In the future, this method could be used to create adaptable electronic circuits with light.
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https://phys.org/news/2026-01-laser-flips-ferromagnet-polarity-material.html
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Space & Physics
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2c255f16d665743935aa34e99cd7d2e9ceff4d930f76c3bb05ea0d7083274a19
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2026-01-28T11:00:18
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New light-based platform sets the stage for future quantum supercomputers
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A light has emerged at the end of the tunnel in the long pursuit of developing quantum computers, which are expected to radically reduce the time needed to perform some complex calculations from thousands of years down to a matter of hours.
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https://phys.org/news/2026-01-based-platform-stage-future-quantum.html
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Space & Physics
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f64a26d1d0b4b567d947781d9c6c163009d106f6b4c7fc71b313f3183a1bcb7c
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2026-01-28T10:10:06
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Ultrathin kagome metal hosts robust 3D flat electronic band state
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A team of researchers at Monash University has uncovered a powerful new way to engineer exotic quantum states, revealing a robust and tunable three-dimensional flat electronic band in an ultrathin kagome metal, an achievement long thought to be nearly impossible. The study, "3D Flat Band in Ultra-Thin Kagome Metal Mn₃Sn Film," by M. Zhao, J. Blyth, T. Yu and collaborators appears in Advanced Materials.
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https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ultrathin-kagome-metal-hosts-robust.html
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Space & Physics
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13a18c5ef87f04a37bf7dfbabb4149207b817a308fcc505bafd6c51eabdfdb30
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2026-01-28T09:40:58
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The infant universe's 'primordial soup' was actually soupy, study finds
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In its first moments, the infant universe was a trillion-degree-hot soup of quarks and gluons. These elementary particles zinged around at light speed, creating a "quark-gluon plasma" that lasted for only a few millionths of a second. The primordial goo then quickly cooled, and its individual quarks and gluons fused to form the protons, neutrons, and other fundamental particles that exist today.
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https://phys.org/news/2026-01-infant-universe-primordial-soup-soupy.html
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Space & Physics
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6f2914d13f0dda011b5b21dd28f434b9f0231dca2093c0dcc627151aa45ff8da
|
2026-02-02T00:01:14
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A tiny light trap could unlock million qubit quantum computers
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A new light-based breakthrough could help quantum computers finally scale up. Stanford researchers created miniature optical cavities that efficiently collect light from individual atoms, allowing many qubits to be read at once. The team has already demonstrated working arrays with dozens and even hundreds of cavities. The approach could eventually support massive quantum networks with millions of qubits.
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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260201223737.htm
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Space & Physics
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svg
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1e09a0371c71c456ece6381d17b1331ddc6caac852c7260eb19450977c043273
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2026-02-01T05:04:50
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Scientists discover hidden geometry that bends electrons like gravity
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Researchers have discovered a hidden quantum geometry inside materials that subtly steers electrons, echoing how gravity warps light in space. Once thought to exist only on paper, this effect has now been observed experimentally in a popular quantum material. The finding reveals a new way to understand and control how materials conduct electricity and interact with light. It could help power future ultra-fast electronics and quantum technologies.
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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084616.htm
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Space & Physics
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svg
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008cba944b37a1b67dd640f366a5ebbd5373c37b85bedbe464aac15b7a62bbc2
|
2026-01-31T10:06:22
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Weak magnetism causes big changes in a strange state of matter
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A strange, glowing form of matter called dusty plasma turns out to be incredibly sensitive to magnetic fields. Researchers found that even weak fields can change how tiny particles grow, simply by nudging electrons into new motions. In lab experiments, this caused nanoparticles to form faster and remain smaller. The discovery could influence everything from nanotechnology design to our understanding of space plasmas.
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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084125.htm
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Space & Physics
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svg
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670bab7a8666793861486414e5059685e384b532262df3d0123fa4b088f91dd3
|
2026-01-26T23:39:16
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A hidden magnetic order could unlock superconductivity
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Physicists have discovered that hidden magnetic order plays a key role in the pseudogap, a puzzling state of matter that appears just before certain materials become superconductors. Using an ultra-cold quantum simulator, the team found that even when magnetism seems disrupted, subtle and universal magnetic patterns persist beneath the surface. These patterns closely track the temperature at which the pseudogap forms, suggesting magnetism may help set the stage for superconductivity.
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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260126231849.htm
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Space & Physics
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svg
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d649e3b571f02daf9b31d98a6cd54a53ac27fd7a34897e88738eed20f20eb488
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2026-01-26T08:26:09
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Distant entangled atoms acting as one sensor deliver stunning precision
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Researchers have demonstrated that quantum entanglement can link atoms across space to improve measurement accuracy. By splitting an entangled group of atoms into separate clouds, they were able to measure electromagnetic fields more precisely than before. The technique takes advantage of quantum connections acting at a distance. It could enhance tools such as atomic clocks and gravity sensors.
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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260126075842.htm
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Space & Physics
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svg
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1c084dd5cda48954f561cc11bc8d0685fd16a6f6e2b55e0d1f45582a1ca78990
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2026-01-26T11:57:18
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The magnetic secret inside steel finally explained
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For years, scientists noticed that magnetic fields could improve steel, but no one knew exactly why. New simulations reveal that magnetism changes how iron atoms behave, making it harder for carbon atoms to slip through the metal. This slows diffusion at the atomic level and alters steel’s internal structure. The insight could lead to more efficient, lower-energy ways to make stronger steel.
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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260125083427.htm
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Space & Physics
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svg
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e5b23a86d5f2a67e8b3ec67c7ba68236c525f387ec4b13312ec5a16f76d129e6
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2026-01-26T10:11:17
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A strange in-between state of matter is finally observed
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When materials become just one atom thick, melting no longer follows the familiar rules. Instead of jumping straight from solid to liquid, an unusual in-between state emerges, where atomic positions loosen like a liquid but still keep some solid-like order. Scientists at the University of Vienna have now captured this elusive “hexatic” phase in real time by filming an ultra-thin silver iodide crystal as it melted inside a protective graphene sandwich.
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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260125083404.htm
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Space & Physics
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svg
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d9dec059c69691391a521f1516f632fa3de4c3ec60d16c0a9a0c6222efc34f9f
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2026-01-25T08:48:10
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Scientists twist tiny crystals to control electricity
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Researchers have developed a technique that allows them to carve complex three dimensional nanodevices directly from single crystals. To demonstrate its power, they sculpted microscopic helices from a magnetic material and found that the structures behave like switchable diodes. Electric current prefers one direction, but the effect can be flipped by changing the magnetization or the twist of the helix. The findings show that geometry itself can be used as a tool for electronic design.
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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260125081138.htm
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Space & Physics
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svg
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b871d350ebaeceefca2a3445e0f519ccc27ea0ef46aa48734f8bfe390c7ed31f
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2026-01-24T04:15:29
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New catalyst makes plastic upcycling 10x more efficient than platinum
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Scientists are finding new ways to replace expensive, scarce platinum catalysts with something far more abundant: tungsten carbide. By carefully controlling how tungsten carbide’s atoms are arranged at extremely high temperatures, researchers discovered a specific form that can rival platinum in key chemical reactions, including turning carbon dioxide into useful fuels and chemicals. Even more promising, the same material proved dramatically better at breaking down plastic waste, outperforming platinum by more than tenfold.
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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260124003806.htm
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Space & Physics
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svg
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194050dd5561f1da381ab66289b8f3a41f9aa465f2d98bcf90579ef87979a9a7
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2026-02-02T11:00:42+00:00
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The pros and cons of patenting
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For any company or business, it’s important to recognize and protect intellectual property (IP). In the case of novel inventions, which can include machines, processes and even medicines, a patent offers IP protection and lets firms control how those inventions are used. Patents, which in most countries can be granted for up to 20 years, give the owner exclusive rights so that others can’t directly copy the creation. A patent essentially prevents others from making, using or selling your invention. But there are more reasons for holding a patent than IP protection alone. In particular, patents go some way to protecting the investment that may have been necessary to generate the IP in the first place, such as the cost of R&D facilities, materials, labour and expertise. Those factors need to be considered when you’re deciding if patenting is the right approach or not. Patents are tangible assets that can be sold to other businesses or licensed for royalties to provide your compay with regular income. Patents are in effect a form of currency. Counting as tangible assets that add to the overall value of a company, they can be sold to other businesses or licensed for royalties to provide regular income. Some companies, in fact, build up or acquire significant patent portfolios, which can be used for bargaining with competitors, potentially leading to cross-licensing agreements where both parties agree to use each other’s technology. Patents also say something about the competitive edge of a company, by demonstrating technical expertise and market position through the control of a specific technology. Essentially, patents give credibility to a company’s claims of its technical know-how: a patent shows investors that a firm has a unique, protected asset, making the business more appealing and attractive to further investment. However, it’s not all one-way traffic and there are obligations on the part of the patentee. Firstly, a patent holder has to reveal to the world exactly how their invention works. Governments favour this kind of public disclosure as it encourages broader participation in innovation. The downside is that whilst your competitors cannot directly copy you, they can enhance and improve upon your invention, provided those changes aren’t covered by the original patent. It’s also worth bearing in mind that a patent holder is responsible for patent enforcement and any ensuing litigation; a patent office will not do this for you. So you’ll have to monitor what your competitors are up to and decide on what course of action to take if you suspect your patent’s been infringed. Trouble is, it can sometimes be hard to prove or disprove an infringement – and getting the lawyers in can be expensive, even if you win. Probably the biggest consideration of all is the cost and time involved in making a patent application. Filing a patent requires a rigorous understanding of “prior art” – the existing body of relevant knowledge on which novelty is judged. You’ll therefore need to do a lot of work finding out about relevant established patents, any published research and journal articles, along with products or processes publicly disclosed before the patent’s filing date. Before it can be filed with a patent office, a patent needs to be written as a legal description, which includes all the legwork like an abstract, background, detailed specifications, drawings and claims of the invention. Once filed, an expert in the relevant technical field will be assigned to assess the worth of the claim; this examiner must be satisfied that the application is both unique and “non-obvious” before it’s granted. Even when the invention is judged to be technically novel, in order to be non-obvious, it must also involve an “inventive step” that would not be obvious to a person with “ordinary skill” in that technical field at the time of filing. The assessment phase can result in significant to-ing and fro-ing between the examiner and the applicant to determine exactly what is patentable. If insufficient evidence is found, the patent application will be refused. Patents are only ever granted in a particular country or region, such as Europe, and the application process has to be repeated for each new place (although the information required is usually pretty similar). Translations may be required for some countries, there are fees for each application and, even if a patent is granted, you have to pay an additional annual bill to maintain the patent (which in the UK rises year on year). Patents can take years to process, which is why many companies pay specialized firms to support their applications. Patent applications, in other words, can be expensive and can take years to process. That’s why many companies pay specialized firms to support their patent applications. Those firms employ patent attorneys – legal experts with a technical background who help inventors and companies manage their IP rights by drafting patent applications, navigating patent office procedures and advising on IP strategy. Attorneys can also represent their clients in disputes or licensing deals, thereby acting as a crucial bridge between science/engineering and law. It’s impossible to write about patents without mentioning the impact that Thomas Edison had as an inventor. During the 20th century, he became the world’s most prolific inventor with a staggering 1093 US patents granted in his lifetime. This monumental achievement remained unsurpassed until 2003, when it was overtaken by the Japanese inventor Shunpei Yamazaki and, more recently, by the Australian “patent titan” Kia Silverbrook in 2008. Edison clearly saw there was a lot of value in patents, but how did he achieve so much? His approach was grounded in systematic problem solving, which he accomplished through his Menlo Park lab in New Jersey. Dedicated to technological development and invention, it was effectively the world’s first corporate R&D lab. And whilst Edison’s name appeared on all the patents, they were often primarily the work of his staff; he was effectively being credited for inventions made by his employees. I have a love-hate relationship with patents or at least the process of obtaining them. I will be honest; I have a love-hate relationship with patents or at least the process of obtaining them. As a scientist or engineer, it’s easy to think all the hard work is getting an invention over the line, slogging your guts out in the lab. But applying for a patent can be just as expensive and time-consuming, which is why you need to be clear on what and when to patent. Even Edison grew tired of being hailed a genius, stating that his success was “1% inspiration and 99% perspiration”. Still, without the sweat of patents, your success might be all but 99% aspiration. The post The pros and cons of patenting appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/the-pros-and-cons-of-patenting/
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Space & Physics
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svg
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c23977a2a748021e375dc119f91b21ecb2415831eeb6d3e234542545e228d893
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2026-02-02T08:41:31+00:00
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Practical impurity analysis for biogas producers
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Biogas is a renewable energy source formed when bacteria break down organic materials such as food waste, plant matter, and landfill waste in an oxygen‑free (anaerobic) process. It contains methane and carbon dioxide, along with trace amounts of impurities. Because of its high methane content, biogas can be used to generate electricity and heat, or to power vehicles. It can also be upgraded to almost pure methane, known as biomethane, which can directly replace natural fossil gas. Strict rules apply to the amount of impurities allowed in biogas and biomethane, as these contaminants can damage engines, turbines, and catalysts during upgrading or combustion. EN 16723 is the European standard that sets maximum allowable levels of siloxanes and sulfur‑containing compounds for biomethane injected into the natural gas grid or used as vehicle fuel. These limits are extremely low, meaning highly sensitive analytical techniques are required. However, most biogas plants do not have the advanced equipment needed to measure these impurities accurately. The researchers developed a new, simpler method to sample and analyse biogas using GC‑ICP‑MS. Gas chromatography (GC) separates chemical compounds in a gas mixture based on how quickly they travel through a column. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP‑MS) then detects the elements within those compounds at very low concentrations. Crucially, this combined method can measure both siloxanes and sulfur compounds simultaneously. It avoids matrix effects that can limit other detectors and cause biased or ambiguous results. It also achieves the very low detection limits required by EN 16723. The sampling approach and centralized measurement enables biogas plants to meet regulatory standards using an efficient, less complex, and more cost‑effective method with fewer errors. Overall, this research provides a practical, high‑accuracy tool that makes reliable biogas impurity monitoring accessible to plants of all sizes, strengthening biomethane quality, protecting infrastructure, and accelerating the transition to cleaner energy systems. Sampling to analysis: simultaneous quantification of siloxanes and sulfur compounds in biogas for cleaner energy Ayush Agarwal et al 2026 Prog. Energy 8 015001 Do you want to learn more about this topic? Household biogas technology in the cold climate of low-income countries: a review of sustainable technologies for accelerating biogas generation Sunil Prasad Lohani et al. (2024) The post Practical impurity analysis for biogas producers appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/practical-impurity-analysis-for-biogas-producers/
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Space & Physics
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svg
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7057abde84fdbbb5ecf27702a8f8dd07a91eef661909f7f3bd8d544f8923ac9d
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2026-01-31T15:00:06+00:00
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Cavity-based X-ray laser delivers high-quality pulses
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Physicists in Germany have created a new type of X-ray laser that uses a resonator cavity to improve the output of a conventional X-ray free electron laser (XFEL). Their proof-of-concept design delivers X-ray pulses that are more monochromatic and coherent than those from existing XFELs. In recent decades, XFELs have delivered pulses of monochromatic and coherent X-rays for a wide range of science including physics, chemistry, biology and materials science. Despite their name, XFELs do not work like conventional lasers. In particular, there is no gain medium or resonator cavity. Instead, XFELs rely on the fact that when a free electron is accelerated, it will emit electromagnetic radiation. In an XFEL, pulses of high-energy electrons are sent through an undulator, which deflects the electrons back and forth. These wiggling electrons radiate X-rays at a specific energy. As the X-rays and electrons travel along the undulator, they interact in such a way that the emitted X-ray pulse has a high degree of coherence. While these XFELs have proven very useful, they do not deliver radiation that is as monochromatic or as coherent as radiation from conventional lasers. One reason why conventional lasers perform better is that the radiation is reflected back and forth many times in a mirrored cavity that is tuned to resonate at a specific frequency – whereas XFEL radiation only makes one pass through an undulator. Practical X-ray cavities, however, are difficult to create. This is because X-rays penetrate deep into materials, where they are usually absorbed – making reflection with conventional mirrors impossible. Now, researchers working at the European XFEL at DESY in Germany have created a proof-of-concept hybrid system that places an undulator within a mirrored resonator cavity. X-ray pulses that are created in the undulator are directed at a downstream mirror and reflected back to a mirror upstream of the undulator. The X-ray pulses are then reflected back downstream through the undulator. Crucially, a returning X-ray pulse overlaps with a subsequent electron pulse in the undulator, amplifying the X-ray pulse. As a result, the X-ray pulses circulating within the cavity quickly become more monochromatic and more coherent than pulses created by an undulator alone. The team solved the mirror challenge by using diamond crystals that achieve the Bragg reflection of X-rays with a specific frequency. These are used at either end of the cavity in conjunction with Kirkpatrick–Baez mirrors, which help focus the reflected X-rays back into the cavity. Some of the X-ray radiation circulating in the cavity is allowed to escape downstream, providing a beam of monochromatic and coherent X-ray pulses. They have called their system X-ray Free-Electron Laser Oscillator (XFELO). The cavity is about 66 m long. DESY accelerator scientist Patrick Rauer explains, “With every round trip, the noise in the X-ray pulse gets less and the concentrated light more defined”. Rauer pioneered the design of the cavity in his PhD work and is now the DESY lead on its implementation. “It gets more stable and you start to see this single, clear frequency – this spike.” Indeed, the frequency width of XFELO X-ray pulses is about 1% that of pulses that are created by the undulators alone Ensuring the overlap of electron and X-pulses within the cavity was also a significant challenge. This required a high degree of stability within the accelerator that provides electron pulses to XFELO. “It took years to bring the accelerator to that state, which is now unique in the world of high-repetition-rate accelerators”, explains Rauer. Team member Harald Sinn says, “The successful demonstration shows that the resonator principle is practical to implement”. Sinn is head of European XFEL’s instrumentation department and he adds, “In comparison with methods used up to now, it delivers X-ray pulses with a very narrow wavelength as well as a much higher stability and coherence.” The team will now work towards improving the stability of XFELO so that in the future it can be used to do experiments by European XFEL’s research community. XFELO is described in Nature. The post Cavity-based X-ray laser delivers high-quality pulses appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/cavity-based-x-ray-laser-delivers-high-quality-pulses/
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Space & Physics
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svg
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9416d19db70c65b1a78092e74abeb4c2189ad2672505d2bef5db978e9b223314
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2026-01-30T14:07:26+00:00
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The physics of an unethical daycare model that uses illness to maximize profits
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When I had two kids going through daycare, or nursery as we call it in the UK, every day seemed like a constant fight with germs and illness. After all, at such a young age kids still have a developing immune system and are not exactly hot on personal hygiene. That same dilemma faced mathematician Lauren Smith from the University of Auckland. She has two children at a “wonderful daycare centre” who often fall ill. As many parents juggling work and parenting will understand, Smith is frequently faced with the issue of whether her kids are well enough to attend daycare. Smith then thought about how an unethical daycare centre might take advantage of this to maximize its profits – under the assumption that if there are not enough children attending (who still pay) then staff get sent home without pay, and also don’t get sick pay themselves. “It occurred to me that a sick kid attending daycare could actually be financially beneficial to the centre, while clearly being a detriment to the wellbeing of the other children as well as the staff and the broader community,” Smith told Physics World. For a hypothetical daycare centre that is solely focused on making as much money as possible, Smith realized that full attendance of sick children is not optimal financially as this requires maximal staffing at all times, whereas zero attendance of sick children does not give an opportunity for the disease to spread such that other children are then sent home. But in between these two extremes, Smith thought there should be an optimal attendance rate so that the disease is still able to spread and some children – and staff – are sent home. “As a mathematician I knew I had the tools to find it,” adds Smith. Using the so-called Susceptible-Infected-Recovered model for 100 children, a teacher to child ratio of 1:6 and a recovery rate from illness of 10 days, Smith found that the more infectious the disease, the lower the optimal attendance rate for sick children is, and so the more savings the unethical daycare centre can make. In other words, the more infectious a disease, fewer ill children are required to attend to spread it around, and so can keep more of them – and importantly staff – at home while still making sure it still spreads to non-infected kids. For a measles outbreak with a basic reproductive number of 12-18, for example, the model resulted in a potential staff saving of 90 working days, whereas for seasonal flu with a basic reproductive rate of 1.2 to 1.3, the potential staff savings is 4.4 days. Smith writes in the paper that the work is “not intended as a recipe for unethical daycare centre” but is rather to illustrate the financial incentive that exists for daycare centres to propagate diseases among children, which would lead to more infections of at-risk populations in the wider community. “I hope that as well as being an interesting topic, it can show that mathematics itself is interesting and is useful for describing the real world,” adds Smith. The post The physics of an unethical daycare model that uses illness to maximize profits appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/the-physics-of-an-unethical-daycare-model-that-uses-illness-to-maximise-profits/
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Space & Physics
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2026-01-30T13:00:46+00:00
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Saving the Titanic: the science of icebergs and unsinkable ships
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When the Titanic was built, her owners famously described her as “unsinkable”. A few days into her maiden voyage, an iceberg in the North Atlantic famously proved them wrong. But what if we could make ships that really are unsinkable? And what if we could predict exactly how long a hazardous iceberg will last before it melts? These are the premises of two separate papers published independently this week by Chunlei Guo and colleagues at the University of Rochester, and by Daisuke Noto and Hugo N Ulloa of the University of Pennsylvania, both in the US. The Rochester group’s paper, which appears in Advanced Functional Materials, describes how applying a superhydrophobic coating to an open-ended metallic tube can make it literally unsinkable – a claim supported by extensive tests in a water tank. Noto and Ulloa’s research, which they describe in Science Advances, likewise involved a water tank. Theirs, however, was equipped with cameras, lasers and thermochromic liquid crystals that enabled them to track a freely floating miniature iceberg as it melted. Each study is surprising in its own way. For the iceberg paper, arguably the biggest surprise is that no-one had ever done such experiments before. After all, water and ice are readily available. Fancy tanks, lasers, cameras and temperature-sensitive crystals are less so, yet surely someone, somewhere, must have stuck some ice in a tank and monitored what happened to it? Noto and Ulloa’s answer is, in effect, no. “Despite the relevance of melting of floating ice in calm and energetic environments…most experimental and numerical efforts to examine this process, even to date, have either fixed or tightly constrained the position and posture of ice,” they write. “Consequently, the relationships between ice dissolution rate and background fluid flow conditions inferred from these studies are meaningful only when a one-way interaction, from the liquid to the solid phase, dominates the melting dynamics.” The problem, they continue, is that eliminating these approximations “introduces a significant technical challenge for both laboratory experiments and numerical simulations” thanks to a slew of interactions that would otherwise get swept under the rug. These interactions, in turn, lead to complex dynamics such as drifting, spinning and even flipping that must be incorporated into the model. Consequently, they write, “fundamental questions persist: ‘How long does an ice body last?’” To answer this question, Noto and Ulloa used their water-tank observations (see video) to develop a model that incorporates the thermodynamics of ice melting and mass balance conservation. Based on this model, they correctly predict both the melting rate and the lifespan of freely floating ice under self-driven convective flows that arise from interactions between the ice and the calm, fresh water surrounding it. Though the behaviour of ice in tempestuous salty seas is, they write, “beyond our scope”, their model nevertheless provides a useful upper bound on iceberg longevity, with applications for climate modelling as well as (presumably) shipping forecasts for otherwise-doomed ocean liners. In the unsinkable tube study, the big surprise is that a metal tube, divided in the middle but open at both ends, can continue to float after being submerged, corroded with salt, tossed about on a turbulent sea and peppered with holes. How is that even possible? “The inside of the tube is superhydrophobic, so water can’t enter and wet the walls,” Guo explains. “As a result, air remains trapped inside, providing buoyancy.” Importantly, this buoyancy persists even if the tube is damaged. “When the tube is punctured, you can think of it as becoming two, three, or more smaller sections,” Guo tells Physics World. “Each section will work in the same way of preventing water from entering inside, so no matter how many holes you punch into it, the tube will remain afloat.” So, is there anything that could make these superhydrophobic structures sink? “I can’t think of any realistic real-world challenges more severe than what we have put them through experimentally,” he says. We aren’t in unsinkable ship territory yet: the largest structure in the Rochester study was a decidedly un-Titanic-like raft a few centimetres across. But Guo doesn’t discount the possibility. He points out that tubes are made from ordinary aluminium, with a simple fabrication process. “If suitable applications call for it, I believe [human-scale versions] could become a reality within a decade,” he concludes. The post Saving the <em>Titanic</em>: the science of icebergs and unsinkable ships appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/saving-the-titanic-the-science-of-icebergs-and-unsinkable-ships/
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Space & Physics
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2026-01-30T09:00:12+00:00
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Scientists quantify behaviour of micro- and nanoplastics in city environments
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Plastic has become a global pollutant concern over the last couple of decades: it is widespread in society, not often disposed of effectively, and generates both microplastics (1 µm to 5 mm in size) and nanoplastics (smaller than 1 µm) that have infiltrated many ecosystems – including being found inside humans and animals. Over time, bulk plastics break down into micro- and nanoplastics through fragmentation mechanisms that create much smaller particles with a range of shapes and sizes. Their small size has become a problem because they are increasingly finding their way into waterways that pollute the environment, into cities and other urban environments, and are now even being transported to remote polar and high-altitude regions. This poses potential health risks around the world. While the behaviour of micro- and nanoplastics in the atmosphere is poorly understood, it’s thought that they are transported by transcontinental and transoceanic winds, which causes the spread of plastic in the global carbon cycle. However, the lack of data on the emission, distribution and deposition of atmospheric micro- and nanoplastic particles makes it difficult to definitively say how they are transported around the world. It is also challenging to quantify their behaviour, because plastic particles can have a range of densities, sizes and shapes that undergo physical changes in clouds, all of which affect how they travel. A global team of researchers has developed a new semi-automated microanalytical method that can quantify atmospheric plastic particles present in air dustfall, rain, snow and dust resuspension. The research was performed across two Chinese megacities, Guangzhou and Xi’an. “As atmospheric scientists, we noticed that microplastics in the atmosphere have been the least reported among all environmental compartments in the Earth system due to limitations in detection methods, because atmospheric particles are smaller and more complex to analyse,” explains Yu Huang, from the Institute of Earth Environment of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IEECAS) and one of the paper’s lead authors. “We therefore set out to develop a reliable detection technique to determine whether microplastics are present in the atmosphere, and if so, in what quantities.” For this new approach, the researchers employed a computer-controlled scanning electron microscopy (CCSEM) system equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to reduce human bias in the measurements (which is an issue in manual inspections). They located and measured individual micro- and nanoplastic particles – enabling their concentration and physicochemical characteristics to be determined – in aerosols, dry and wet depositions, and resuspended road dust. “We believe the key contribution of this work lies in the development of a semi‑automated method that identifies the atmosphere as a significant reservoir of microplastics. By avoiding the human bias inherent in visual inspection, our approach provides robust quantitative data,” says Huang. “Importantly, we found that these microplastics often coexist with other atmospheric particles, such as mineral dust and soot – a mixing state that could enhance their potential impacts on climate and the environment.” The method could detect and quantify plastic particles as small as 200 nm, and revealed airborne concentrations of 1.8 × 105 microplastics/m3 and 4.2 × 104 nanoplastics/m3 in Guangzhou and 1.4 × 105 microplastics/m3 and 3.0 × 104 nanoplastics/m3 in Xi’an. This is two to six orders of magnitude higher for both microplastic and nanoplastic fluxes than reported previously via visual methods. The team also found that the deposition samples were more heterogeneously mixed with other particle types (such as dust and other pollution particles) than aerosols and resuspension samples, which showed that particles tend to aggregate in the atmosphere before being removed during atmospheric transport. The study revealed transport insights that could be beneficial for investigating the climate, ecosystem and human health impacts of plastic particles at all levels. The researchers are now advancing their method in two key directions. “First, we are refining sampling and CCSEM‑based analytical strategies to detect mixed states between microplastics and biological or water‑soluble components, which remain invisible with current techniques. Understanding these interactions is essential for accurately assessing microplastics’ climate and health effects,” Huang tells Physics World. “Second, we are integrating CCSEM with Raman analysis to not only quantify abundance but also identify polymer types. This dual approach will generate vital evidence to support environmental policy decisions.” The research was published in Science Advances. The post Scientists quantify behaviour of micro- and nanoplastics in city environments appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/scientists-quantify-behaviour-of-micro-and-nanoplastics-in-city-environments/
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Space & Physics
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2026-01-29T15:00:26+00:00
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Michele Dougherty steps aside as president of the Institute of Physics
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The space physicist Michele Dougherty has stepped aside as president of the Institute of Physics, which publishes Physics World. The move was taken to avoid any conflicts of interest given her position as executive chair of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) – one of the main funders of physics research in the UK. Dougherty, who is based at Imperial College London, spent two years as IOP president-elect from October 2023 before becoming president in October 2025. Dougherty was appointed executive chair of the STFC in January 2025 and in July that year was also announced as the next Astronomer Royal – the first woman to hold the position. The changes at the IOP come in the wake of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) stating last month that it will be adjusting how it allocates government funding for scientific research and infrastructure. Spending on curiosity-driven research will remain flat from 2026 to 2030, with UKRI prioritising funding in three key areas or “buckets”. The three buckets are: curiosity-driven research, which will be the largest; strategic government and societal priorities; and supporting innovative companies. There will also be a fourth “cross-cutting” bucket with funding for infrastructure, facilities and talent. In the four years to 2030, UKRI’s budget will be £38.6bn. While the detailed implications of the funding changes are still to be worked out, the IOP says its “top priority” is understanding and responding to them. With the STFC being one of nine research councils within UKRI, Dougherty is stepping aside as IOP president to ensure the IOP can play what it says is “a leadership role in advocating for physics without any conflict of interest”. In her role as STFC executive chair, Dougherty yesterday wrote to the UK’s particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics community, asking researchers to identify by March how their projects would respond to flat cash as well as reductions of 20%, 40% and 60% – and to “identify the funding point at which the project becomes non-viable”. The letter says that a “similar process” will happen for facilities and labs. In her letter, Dougherty says that the UK’s science minister Lord Vallance and UKRI chief executive Ian Chapman want to protect curiosity-driven research, which they say is vital, and grow it “as the economy allows”. However, she adds, “the STFC will need to focus our efforts on a more concentrated set of priorities, funded at a level that can be maintained over time”. Tom Grinyer, chief executive officer of the IOP, says that the IOP is “fully focused on ensuring physics is heard clearly as these serious decisions are shaped”. He says the IOP is “gathering insight from across the physics community and engaging closely with government, UKRI and the research councils so that we can represent the sector with authority and evidence”. Grinyer warns, however, that UKRI’s shift in funding priorities and the subsequent STFC funding cuts will have “severe consequences” for physics. “The promised investment in quantum, AI, semiconductors and green technologies is welcome but these strengths depend on a stable research ecosystem,” he says. “I want to thank Michele for her leadership, and we look forward to working constructively with her in her capacity at STFC as this important period for physics unfolds,” adds Grinyer. The nuclear physicist Paul Howarth, who has been IOP president-elect since September, will now take on Dougherty’s responsibilities – as prescribed by the IOP’s charter – with immediate effect, with the IOP Council discussing its next steps at its February 2026 meeting. With a PhD in nuclear physics, Howarth has had a long career in the nuclear sector working on the European Fusion Programme and at British Nuclear Fuels, as well as co-founding the Dalton Nuclear Institute at the University of Manchester. He was a non-executive board director of the National Physical Laboratory and until his retirement earlier this year was chief executive officer of the National Nuclear Laboratory. In response to the STFC letter, Howarth says that the projected cuts “are a devastating blow for the foundations of UK physics”. “Physics isn’t a luxury we can afford to throw away through confusion,” says Howarth. “We urge the government to rethink these cuts, listen to the physics community, and deliver to a 10-year strategy to secure physics for the future.” The post Michele Dougherty steps aside as president of the Institute of Physics appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/michele-dougherty-steps-aside-as-president-of-the-institute-of-physics/
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Space & Physics
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f7452b3b0a39cae6578c1701b2f9a973c2a6c564ae7d435a43de0a6af960e132
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2026-01-29T13:36:18+00:00
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AI-based tool improves the quality of radiation therapy plans for cancer treatment
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This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features Todd McNutt, who is a medical physicist at Johns Hopkins University and the founder of Oncospace. In a conversation with Physics World’s Tami Freeman, McNutt explains how an artificial intelligence-based tool called Plan AI can help improve the quality of radiation therapy plans for cancer treatments. As well as discussing the benefits that Plan AI brings to radiotherapy patients and cancer treatment centres, they examine its evolution from an idea developed by an academic collaboration to a clinical product offered today by Sun Nuclear, a US manufacturer of radiation equipment and software. This podcast is sponsored by Sun Nuclear. The post AI-based tool improves the quality of radiation therapy plans for cancer treatment appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/ai-based-tool-improves-the-quality-of-radiation-therapy-plans-for-cancer-treatment/
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Space & Physics
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2026-01-29T09:00:22+00:00
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The Future Circular Collider is unduly risky – CERN needs a ‘Plan B’
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Last November I visited the CERN particle-physics lab near Geneva to attend the 4th International Symposium on the History of Particle Physics, which focused on advances in particle physics during the 1980s and 1990s. As usual, it was a refreshing, intellectually invigorating visit. I’m always inspired by the great diversity of scientists at CERN – complemented this time by historians, philosophers and other scholars of science. As noted by historian John Krige in his opening keynote address, “CERN is a European laboratory with a global footprint. Yet for all its success it now faces a turning point.” During the period under examination at the symposium, CERN essentially achieved the “world laboratory” status that various leaders of particle physics had dreamt of for decades. By building the Large Electron Positron (LEP) collider and then the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the latter with contributions from Canada, China, India, Japan, Russia, the US and other non-European nations, CERN has attracted researchers from six continents. And as the Cold War ended in 1989–1991, two prescient CERN staff members developed the World Wide Web, helping knit this sprawling international scientific community together and enable extensive global collaboration. The LHC was funded and built during a unique period of growing globalization and democratization that emerged in the wake of the Cold War’s end. After the US terminated the Superconducting Super Collider in 1993, CERN was the only game in town if one wanted to pursue particle physics at the multi-TeV energy frontier. And many particle physicists wanted to be involved in the search for the Higgs boson, which by the mid-1990s looked as if it should show up at accessible LHC energies. Having discovered this long-sought particle at the LHC in 2012, CERN is now contemplating an ambitious construction project, the Future Circular Collider (FCC). Over three times larger than the LHC, it would study this all-important, mass-generating boson in greater detail using an electron–positron collider dubbed FCC-ee, estimated to cost $18bn and start operations by 2050. Later in the century, the FCC-hh, a proton–proton collider, would go in the same tunnel to see what, if anything, may lie at much higher energies. That collider, the cost of which is currently educated guesswork, would not come online until the mid 2070s. But the steadily worsening geopolitics of a fragmenting world order could make funding and building these colliders dicey affairs. After Russia’s expulsion from CERN, little in the way of its contributions can be expected. Chinese physicists had hoped to build an equivalent collider, but those plans seem to have been put on the backburner for now. And the “America First” political stance of the current US administration is hardly conducive to the multibillion-dollar contribution likely required from what is today the world’s richest (albeit debt-laden) nation. The ongoing collapse of the rules-based world order was recently put into stark relief by the US invasion of Venezuela and abduction of its president Nicolás Maduro, followed by Donald Trump’s menacing rhetoric over Greenland. While these shocking events have immediate significance for international relations, they also suggest how difficult it may become to fund gargantuan international scientific projects such as the FCC. Under such circumstances, it is very difficult to imagine non-European nations being able to contribute a hoped-for third of the FCC’s total costs. But the mounting European populist right-wing parties are no great friends of physics either, nor of international scientific endeavours. And Europeans face the not-insignificant costs of military rearmament in the face of Russian aggression and likely US withdrawal from Europe. So the other two thirds of the FCC’s many billions in costs cannot be taken for granted – especially not during the decades needed to construct its 91 km tunnel, 350 GeV electron–positron collider, the subsequent 100 TeV proton collider, and the massive detectors both machines require. According to former CERN director-general Chris Llewellyn Smith in his symposium lecture, “The political history of the LHC“, just under 12% of the material project costs of the LHC eventually came from non-member nations. It therefore warps the imagination to believe that a third of the much greater costs of the FCC can come from non-member nations in the current “Wild West” geopolitical climate. But particle physics desperately needs a Higgs factory. After the 1983 Z boson discovery at the CERN SPS Collider, it took just six years before we had not one but two Z factories – LEP and the Stanford Linear Collider – which proved very productive machines. It’s now been more than 13 years since the Higgs boson discovery. Must we wait another 20 years? CERN therefore needs a more modest, realistic, productive new scientific facility – a “Plan B” – to cope with the geopolitical uncertainties of an imperfect, unpredictable world. And I was encouraged to learn that several possible ideas are under consideration, according to outgoing CERN director-general Fabiola Gianotti in her symposium lecture, “CERN today and tomorrow“. Three of these ideas reflect the European Strategy for Particle Physics, which states that “an electron–positron Higgs factory is the highest-priority next CERN collider”. Two linear electron–positron colliders would require just 11–34 km of tunnelling and could begin construction in the mid-2030s, but would involve a fair amount of technical risk and cost roughly €10bn. The least costly and risky option, dubbed LEP3, involves installing superconducting radio-frequency cavities in the existing LHC tunnel once the high-luminosity proton run ends. Essentially an upgrade of the 200 GeV LEP2, this approach is based on well-understood technologies and would cost less than €5bn but can reach at most 240 GeV. The linear colliders could attain over twice that energy, enabling research on Higgs-boson decays into top quarks and the triple-Higgs self-interaction. Other proposed projects involving the LHC tunnel can produce large numbers of Higgs bosons with relatively minor backgrounds, but they can hardly be called “Higgs factories”. One of these, dubbed the LHeC, could only produce a few thousand Higgs bosons annually and would allow other important research on proton structure functions. Another idea is the proposed Gamma Factory, in which laser beams would be backscattered from LHC beams of partially stripped ions. If sufficient photon energies and intensity can be achieved, it will allow research on the γγ → H interaction. These alternatives would cost at most a few billion euros. As Krige stressed in his keynote address, CERN was meant to be more than a scientific laboratory at which European physicists could compete with their US and Soviet counterparts. As many of its founders intended, he said, it was “a cultural weapon against all forms of bigoted nationalism and anti-science populism that defied Enlightenment values of critical reasoning”. The same logic holds true today. In planning the next phase in CERN’s estimable history, it is crucial to preserve this cultural vitality, while of course providing unparalleled opportunities to do world-class science – lacking which, the best scientists will turn elsewhere. I therefore urge CERN planners to be daring but cognizant of financial and political reality in the fracturing world order. Don’t for a nanosecond assume that the future will be a smooth extrapolation from the past. Be fairly certain that whatever new facility you decide to build, there is a solid financial pathway to achieving it in a reasonable time frame. The future of CERN – and the bracing spirit of CERN – rests in your hands. The post The Future Circular Collider is unduly risky – CERN needs a ‘Plan B’ appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/the-future-circular-collider-is-unduly-risky-cern-needs-a-plan-b/
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Space & Physics
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2026-01-28T15:07:43+00:00
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Ion-clock transition could benefit quantum computing and nuclear physics
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An atomic transition in ytterbium-173 could be used to create an optical multi-ion clock that is both precise and stable. That is the conclusion of researchers in Germany and Thailand who have characterized a clock transition that is enhanced by the non-spherical shape of the ytterbium-173 nucleus. As well as applications in timekeeping, the transition could be used in quantum computing. Furthermore, the interplay between atomic and nuclear effects in the transition could provide insights into the physics of deformed nuclei. The ticking of an atomic clock is defined by the frequency of the electromagnetic radiation that is absorbed and emitted by a specific transition between atomic energy levels. These clocks play crucial roles in technologies that require precision timing – such as global navigation satellite systems and communications networks. Currently, the international definition of the second is given by the frequency of caesium-based clocks, which deliver microwave time signals. Today’s best clocks, however, work at higher optical frequencies and are therefore much more precise than microwave clocks. Indeed, at some point in the future metrologists will redefine the second in terms of an optical transition – but the international metrology community has yet to decide which transition will be used. Broadly speaking, there are two types of optical clock. One uses an ensemble of atoms that are trapped and cooled to ultralow temperatures using lasers; the other involves a single atomic ion (or a few ions) held in an electromagnetic trap. Clocks that use one ion are extremely precise, but lack stability; whereas clocks that use many atoms are very stable, but sacrifice precision. As a result, some physicists are developing clocks that use multiple ions with the aim of creating a clock that optimizes precision and stability. Now, researchers at PTB and NIMT (the national metrology institutes of Germany and Thailand respectively) have characterized a clock transition in ions of ytterbium-173, and have shown that the transition could be used to create a multi-ion clock. “This isotope has a particularly interesting transition,” explains PTB’s Tanja Mehlstäubler – who is a pioneer in the development of multi-ion clocks. The ytterbium-173 nucleus is highly deformed with a shape that resembles a rugby ball. This deformation affects the electronic properties of the ion, which should make it much easier to use a laser to excite a specific transition that would be very useful for creating a multi-ion clock. This clock transition can also be excited in ytterbium-171 and has already been used to create a single-ion clock. However, excitation in a ytterbium-171 clock requires an intense laser pulse, which creates a strong electric field that shifts the clock frequency (called the AC Stark effect). This is a particular problem for multi-ion clocks because the intensity of the laser (and hence the clock frequency) can vary across the region in which the ions are trapped. To show that a much lower laser intensity can be used to excite the clock transition in ytterbium-173, the team studied a “Coulomb crystal” in which three ions were trapped in a line and separated by about 10 micron. They illuminated the ions with laser light that was not uniform in intensity across the crystal. They were able to excite the transition at a relatively low laser intensity, which resulted in very small AC Stark shifts between the frequencies of the three ions. According to the team, this means that as many as 100 trapped ytterbium-173 ions could be used to create a clock that could be used as a time standard; to redefine the second; and also to make very precise measurements of the Earth’s gravitational field. As well as being useful for creating an optical ion clock, this multi-ion capability could also be exploited to create quantum-computing architectures based on multiple trapped ions. And because the observed effect is a result of the shape of the ytterbium-173 nucleus, further studies could provide insights into nuclear physics. The research is described in Physical Review Letters. The post Ion-clock transition could benefit quantum computing and nuclear physics appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/ion-clock-transition-could-benefit-quantum-computing-and-nuclear-physics/
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Space & Physics
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acf7ec0b58a4455ae1422afa204e226ab7505ea73d4acaf1ad4a2fffb9038ca6
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2026-01-28T11:00:30+00:00
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The power of a poster
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Most researchers know the disappointment of submitting an abstract to give a conference lecture, only to find that it has been accepted as a poster presentation instead. If this has been your experience, I’m here to tell you that you need to rethink the value of a good poster. For years, I pestered my university to erect a notice board outside my office so that I could showcase my group’s recent research posters. Each time, for reasons of cost, my request was unsuccessful. At the same time, I would see similar boards placed outside the offices of more senior and better-funded researchers in my university. I voiced my frustrations to a mentor whose advice was, “It’s better to seek forgiveness than permission.” So, since I couldn’t afford to buy a notice board, I simply used drawing pins to mount some unauthorized posters on the wall beside my office door. Some weeks later, I rounded the corner to my office corridor to find the head porter standing with a group of visitors gathered around my posters. He was telling them all about my research using solar energy to disinfect contaminated drinking water in disadvantaged communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Unintentionally, my illegal posters had been subsumed into the head porter’s official tour that he frequently gave to visitors. The group moved on but one man stayed behind, examining the poster very closely. I asked him if he had any questions. “No, thanks,” he said, “I’m not actually with the tour, I’m just waiting to visit someone further up the corridor and they’re not ready for me yet. Your research in Africa is very interesting.” We chatted for a while about the challenges of working in resource-poor environments. He seemed quite knowledgeable on the topic but soon left for his meeting. A few days later while clearing my e-mail junk folder I spotted an e-mail from an Asian “philanthropist” offering me €20,000 towards my research. To collect the money, all I had to do was send him my bank account details. I paused for a moment to admire the novelty and elegance of this new e-mail scam before deleting it. Two days later I received a second e-mail from the same source asking why I hadn’t responded to their first generous offer. While admiring their persistence, I resisted the urge to respond by asking them to stop wasting their time and mine, and instead just deleted it. So, you can imagine my surprise when the following Monday morning I received a phone call from the university deputy vice-chancellor inviting me to pop up for a quick chat. On arrival, he wasted no time before asking why I had been so foolish as to ignore repeated offers of research funding from one of the college’s most generous benefactors. And that is how I learned that those e-mails from the Asian philanthropist weren’t bogus. The gentleman that I’d chatted with outside my office was indeed a wealthy philanthropic funder who had been visiting our university. Having retrieved the e-mails from my deleted items folder, I re-engaged with him and subsequently received €20,000 to install 10,000-litre harvested-rainwater tanks in as many primary schools in rural Uganda as the money would stretch to. About six months later, I presented the benefactor with a full report accounting for the funding expenditure, replete with photos of harvested-rainwater tanks installed in 10 primary schools, with their very happy new owners standing in the foreground. Since you miss 100% of the chances you don’t take, I decided I should push my luck and added a “wish list” of other research items that the philanthropist might consider funding. The list started small and grew steadily ambitious. I asked for funds for more tanks in other schools, a travel bursary, PhD registration fees, student stipends and so on. All told, the list came to a total of several hundred thousand euros, but I emphasized that they had been very generous so I would be delighted to receive funding for any one of the listed items and, even if nothing was funded, I was still very grateful for everything he had already done. The following week my generous patron deposited a six-figure-euro sum into my university research account with instructions that it be used as I saw fit for my research purposes, “under the supervision of your university finance office”. In my career I have co-ordinated several large-budget, multi-partner, interdisciplinary, international research projects. In each case, that money was hard-earned, needing at least six months and many sleepless nights to prepare the grant submission. It still amuses me that I garnered such a large sum on the back of one research poster, one 10-minute chat and fewer than six e-mails. So, if you have learned nothing else from this story, please don’t underestimate the power of a strategically placed and impactful poster describing your research. You never know with whom it may resonate and down which road it might lead you. The post The power of a poster appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/the-power-of-a-poster/
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Space & Physics
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809ee804f9a4a6ef7fb4f33463c63ad2aaf101fcbd76e70ff0b7bc1a86ab0110
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2026-01-28T09:04:03+00:00
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ATLAS narrows the hunt for dark matter
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Researchers at the ATLAS collaboration have been searching for signs of new particles in the dark sector of the universe, a hidden realm that could help explain dark matter. In some theories, this sector contains dark quarks (fundamental particles) that undergo a shower and hadronization process, forming long-lived dark mesons (dark quarks and antiquarks bound by a new dark strong force), which eventually decay into ordinary particles. These decays would appear in the detector as unusual “emerging jets”: bursts of particles originating from displaced vertices relative to the primary collision point. Using 51.8 fb⁻¹ of proton–proton collision data at 13.6 TeV collected in 2022–2023, the ATLAS team looked for events containing two such emerging jets. They explored two possible production mechanisms, which are a vector mediator (Z′) produced in the s‑channel and a scalar mediator (Φ) exchanged in the t‑channel. The analysis combined two complementary strategies. A cut-based strategy relying on high-level jet observables, including track-, vertex-, and jet-substructure-based selections, enables a straightforward reinterpretation for alternative theoretical models. A machine learning approach employs a per-jet tagger using a transformer architecture trained on low-level tracking variables to discriminate emerging from Standard Model jets, maximizing sensitivity for the specific models studied. No emerging‑jet signal excess was found, but the search set the first direct limits on emerging‑jet production via a Z′ mediator and the first constraints on t‑channel Φ production. Depending on the model assumptions, Z′ masses up to around 2.5 TeV and Φ masses up to about 1.35 TeV are excluded. These results significantly narrow the space in which dark sector particles could exist and form part of a broader ATLAS programme to probe dark quantum chromodynamics. The work sharpens future searches for dark matter and advances our understanding of how a dark sector might behave. Search for emerging jets in pp collisions at √s = 13.6 TeV with the ATLAS experiment The ATLAS Collaboration 2025 Rep. Prog. Phys. 88 097801 Do you want to learn more about this topic? Dark matter and dark energy interactions: theoretical challenges, cosmological implications and observational signatures by B Wang, E Abdalla, F Atrio-Barandela and D Pavón (2016) The post ATLAS narrows the hunt for dark matter appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/atlas-narrows-the-hunt-for-dark-matter/
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Space & Physics
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3bf8fee688edd4f13a3df9ea953ed9a874c254a660ad10241fdec17b51dae7df
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2026-01-28T09:02:07+00:00
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How do bacteria produce entropy?
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Active matter is matter composed of large numbers of active constituents, each of which consumes chemical energy in order to move or to exert mechanical forces. This type of matter is commonly found in biology: swimming bacteria or migrating cells are both classic examples. In addition, a wide range of synthetic systems, such as active colloids or robotic swarms, can also fall into this umbrella. Active matter has therefore been the focus of much research over the past decade, unveiling many surprising theoretical features and a suggesting a plethora of applications. Perhaps most importantly, these systems’ ability to perform work leads to sustained non-equilibrium behaviour. This is distinctly different from that of relaxing equilibrium thermodynamic systems, commonly found in other areas of physics. The concept of entropy production is often used to quantify this difference and to calculate how much useful work can be performed. If we want to harvest and utilise this work however, we need to understand the small-scale dynamics of the system. And it turns out this is rather complicated. One way to calculate entropy production is through field theory, the workhorse of statistical mechanics. Traditional field theories simplify the system by smoothing out details, which works well for predicting densities and correlations. However, these approximations often ignore the individual particle nature, leading to incorrect results for entropy production. The new paper details a substantial improvement on this method. By making use of Doi-Peliti field theory, they’re able to keep track of microscopic particle dynamics, including reactions and interactions. The approach starts from the Fokker-Planck equation and provides a systematic way to calculate entropy production from first principles. It can be extended to include interactions between particles and produces general, compact formulas that work for a wide range of systems. These formulas are practical because they can be applied to both simulations and experiments. The authors demonstrated their method with numerous examples, including systems of Active Brownian Particles, showing its broad usefulness. The big challenge going forward though is to extend their framework to non-Markovian systems, ones where future states depend on the present as well as past states. Field theories of active particle systems and their entropy production – IOPscience G. Pruessner and R. Garcia-Millan, 2025 Rep. Prog. Phys. 88 097601 The post How do bacteria produce entropy? appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/how-do-bacteria-produce-entropy/
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e0ad9d5b35ed22c8f507b62527dddaf09705cc1761e16326d0413ba6e44ae2d3
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2026-01-28T09:00:52+00:00
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Einstein’s recoiling slit experiment realized at the quantum limit
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Quantum mechanics famously limits how much information about a system can be accessed at once in a single experiment. The more precisely a particle’s path can be determined, the less visible its interference pattern becomes. This trade-off, known as Bohr’s complementarity principle, has shaped our understanding of quantum physics for nearly a century. Now, researchers in China have brought one of the most famous thought experiments surrounding this principle to the quantum limit, using a single atom as a movable slit. The thought experiment dates back to the 1927 Solvay Conference, where Albert Einstein proposed a modification of the double-slit experiment in which one of the slits could recoil. He argued that if a photon caused the slit to recoil as it passed through, then measuring that recoil might reveal which path the photon had taken without destroying the interference pattern. Conversely, Niels Bohr argued that any such recoil would entangle the photon with the slit, washing out the interference fringes. For decades, this debate remained largely philosophical. The challenge was not about adding a detector or a label to track a photon’s path. Instead, the question was whether the “which-path” information could be stored in the motion of the slit itself. Until now, however, no physical slit was sensitive enough to register the momentum kick from a single photon. To detect the recoil from a single photon, the slit’s momentum uncertainty must be comparable to the photon’s momentum. For any ordinary macroscopic slit, its quantum fluctuations are significantly larger than the recoil, washing out the which-path information. To give a sense of scale, the authors note that even a 1 g object modelled as a 100 kHz oscillator (for example, a mirror on a spring) would have a ground-state momentum uncertainty of about 10-16 kg m s-1, roughly 11 orders of magnitude larger than the momentum of an optical photon (approximately 10-27 kg m s-1). In their study, published in Physical Review Letters, Yu-Chen Zhang and colleagues from the University of Science and Technology of China overcame this obstacle by replacing the movable slit with a single rubidium atom held in an optical tweezer and cooled to its three-dimensional motional ground state. In this regime, the atom’s momentum uncertainty reaches the quantum limit, making the recoil from a single photon directly measurable. Rather than using a conventional double-slit geometry, the researchers built an optical interferometer in which photons scattered off the trapped atom. By tuning the depth of this optical trap, the researchers were able to precisely control the atom’s intrinsic momentum uncertainty, effectively adjusting how “movable” the slit was. As the researchers decreased the atom’s momentum uncertainty, they observed a loss of interference in the scattered photons. Increasing the atom’s momentum uncertainty caused the interference to reappear. This behaviour directly revealed the trade-off between interference and which-path information at the heart of the Einstein–Bohr debate. The researchers note that the loss of interference arose not from classical noise, but from entanglement between the photon and the atom’s motion. “The main challenge was matching the slit’s momentum uncertainty to that of a single photon,” says corresponding author Jian-Wei Pan. “For macroscopic objects, momentum fluctuations are far too large – they completely hide the recoil. Using a single atom cooled to its motional ground state allows us to reach the fundamental quantum limit.” Maintaining interferometric phase stability was equally demanding. The team used active phase stabilization with a reference laser to keep the optical path length stable to within a few nanometres (roughly 3 nm) for over 10 h. Beyond settling a historical argument, the experiment offers a clean demonstration of how entanglement plays a key role in Bohr’s complementarity principle. As Pan explains, the results suggest that “entanglement in the momentum degree-of-freedom is the deeper reason behind the loss of interference when which-path information becomes available”. This experiment opens the door to exploring quantum measurement in a new regime. By treating the slit itself as a quantum object, future studies could probe how entanglement emerges between light and matter. Additionally, the same set-up could be used to gradually increase the mass of the slit, providing a new way to study the transition from quantum to classical behaviour. The post Einstein’s recoiling slit experiment realized at the quantum limit appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/einsteins-recoiling-slit-experiment-realized-at-the-quantum-limit/
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Space & Physics
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7f194711133cd292827e46e0b037a4a7ea50b845d91d054e9556f656086985b0
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2026-01-27T18:26:07+00:00
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European Space Agency unveils first images from Earth-observation ‘sounder’ satellite
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The European Space Agency has released the first images from the Meteosat Third Generation-Sounder (MTG-S) satellite. They show variations in temperature and humidity over Europe and northern Africa in unprecedented detail with further data from the mission set to improve weather-forecasting models and improve measurements of air quality over Europe. Launched on 1 July 2025 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, MTG-S operates from a geostationary orbit, about 36 000 km above Earth’s surface and is able to provide coverage of Europe and part of northern Africa on a 15-minute repeat cycle. The satellite carries a hyperspectral sounding instrument that uses interferometry to capture data on temperature and humidity as well as being able to measure wind and trace gases in the atmosphere. It can scan nearly 2,000 thermal infrared wavelengths every 30 minutes. The data will eventually be used to generate 3D maps of the atmosphere and help improve the accuracy of weather forecasting, especially for rapidly evolving storms. The “temperature” image, above, was taken in November 2025 and shows heat (red) from the African continent, while a dark blue weather front covers Spain and Portugal. The “humidity” image, below, was captured using the sounder’s medium-wave infrared channel. Blue colours represent regions in the atmosphere with higher humidity, while red colours correspond to lower humidity. “Seeing the first infrared sounder images from MTG-S really brings this mission and its potential to life,” notes Simonetta Cheli, ESA’s director of Earth observation programmes. “We expect data from this mission to change the way we forecast severe storms over Europe – and this is very exciting for communities and citizens, as well as for meteorologists and climatologists.” ESA is expected to launch a second Meteosat Third Generation-Imaging satellite later this year following the launch of the first one – MTG-I1 – in December 2022. The post European Space Agency unveils first images from Earth-observation ‘sounder’ satellite appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/european-space-agency-unveils-first-images-from-earth-observation-sounder-satellite/
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Space & Physics
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00f351ed2d8614f454ba6516eb050b6b31c4cc1bd43ec5bed7c09094e15ed6bb
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2026-01-27T13:00:47+00:00
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Uranus and Neptune may be more rocky than icy, say astrophysicists
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Our usual picture of Uranus and Neptune as “ice giant” planets may not be entirely correct. According to new work by scientists at the University of Zürich (UZH), Switzerland, the outermost planets in our solar system may in fact be rock-rich worlds with complex internal structures – something that could have major implications for our understanding of how these planets formed and evolved. Within our solar system, planets fall into three categories based on their internal composition. Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are deemed terrestrial rocky planets; Jupiter and Saturn are gas giants; and Uranus and Neptune are ice giants. The new work, which was led by PhD student Luca Morf in UZH’s astrophysics department, challenges this last categorization by numerically simulating the two planets’ interiors as a mixture of rock, water, hydrogen and helium. Morf explains that this modelling framework is initially “agnostic” – meaning unbiased – about what the density profiles of the planets’ interiors should be. “We then calculate the gravitational fields of the planets so that they match with observational measurements to infer a possible composition,” he says. This process, Morf continues, is then repeated and refined to ensure that each model satisfies several criteria. The first criteria is that the planet should be in hydrostatic equilibrium, meaning that its internal pressure is enough to counteract its gravity and keep it stable. The second is that the planet should have the gravitational moments observed in spacecraft data. These moments describe the gravitational field of a planet, which is complex because planets are not perfect spheres. The final criteria is that the modelled planets need to be thermodynamically and compositionally consistent with known physics. “For example, a simulation of the planets’ interiors must obey equations of state, which dictate how materials behave under given pressure and temperature conditions,” Morf explains. After each iteration, the researchers adjust the density profile of each planet and test it to ensure that the model continues to adhere to the three criteria. “We wanted to bridge the gap between existing physics-based models that are overly constrained and empirical approaches that are too simplified,” Morf explains. Avoiding strict initial assumptions about composition, he says, “lets the physics and data guide the solution [and] allows us to probe a larger parameter space.” Based on their models, the UZH astrophysicists concluded that the interiors of Uranus and Neptune could have a wide range of possible structures, encompassing both water-rich and rock-rich configurations. More specifically, their calculations yield rock-to-water ratios of between 0.04-3.92 for Uranus and 0.20-1.78 for Neptune. The models, which are detailed in Astronomy and Astrophysics, also contain convective regions with ionic water pockets. The presence of such pockets could explain the fact that Uranus and Neptune, unlike Earth, have more than two magnetic poles, as the pockets would generate their own local magnetic dynamos. Overall, the new findings suggest that the traditional “ice giant” label may oversimplify the true nature of Uranus of Neptune, Morf tells Physics World. Instead, these planets could have complex internal structures with compositional gradients and different heat transport mechanisms. Though much uncertainty remains, Morf stresses that Uranus and Neptune – and, by extension, similar intermediate-class planets that may exist in other solar systems – are so poorly understood that any new information about their internal structure is valuable. A dedicated space mission to these outer planets would yield more accurate measurements of the planets’ gravitational and magnetic fields, enabling scientists to refine the limited existing observational data. In the meantime, the UZH researchers are looking for more solutions for the possible interiors of Uranus and Neptune and improving their models to account for additional constraints, such as atmospheric conditions. “Our work will also guide laboratory and theoretical studies on the way materials behave in general at high temperatures and pressures,” Morf says. The post Uranus and Neptune may be more rocky than icy, say astrophysicists appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/uranus-and-neptune-may-be-more-rocky-than-icy-say-astrophysicists/
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Space & Physics
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2026-01-27T09:35:45+00:00
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String-theory concept boosts understanding of biological networks
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Many biological networks – including blood vessels and plant roots – are not organized to minimize total length, as long assumed. Instead, their geometry follows a principle of surface minimization, following a rule that is also prevalent in string theory. That is the conclusion of physicists in the US, who have created a unifying framework that explains structural features long seen in real networks but poorly captured by traditional mathematical models. Biological transport and communication networks have fascinated scientists for decades. Neurons branch to form synapses, blood vessels split to supply tissues, and plant roots spread through soil. Since the mid-20th century, many researchers believed that evolution favours networks that minimize total length or volume. “There is a longstanding hypothesis, going back to Cecil Murray from the 1940s, that many biological networks are optimized for their length and volume,” Albert-László Barabási of Northeastern University explains. “That is, biological networks, like the brain and the vascular systems, are built to achieve their goals with the minimal material needs.” Until recently, however, it had been difficult to characterize the complicated nature of biological networks. Now, advances in imaging have given Barabási and colleagues a detailed 3D picture of real physical networks, from individual neurons to entire vascular systems. With these new data in hand, the researchers found that previous theories are unable to describe real networks in quantitative terms. To remedy this, the team defined the problem in terms of physical networks, systems whose nodes and links have finite thickness and occupy space. Rather than treating them as abstract graphs made of idealized edges, the team models them as geometrical objects embedded in 3D space. To do this, the researchers turned to an unexpected mathematical tool. “Our work relies on the framework of covariant closed string field theory, developed by Barton Zwiebach and others in the 1980s,” says team member Xiangyi Meng at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. This framework provides a correspondence between network-like graphs and smooth surfaces. Unlike string theory, their approach is entirely classical. “These surfaces, obtained in the absence of quantum fluctuations, are precisely the minimal surfaces we seek,” Meng says. No quantum mechanics, supersymmetry, or exotic string-theory ingredients are required. “Those aspects were introduced mainly to make string theory quantum and thus do not apply to our current context.” Using this framework, the team analysed a wide range of biological systems. “We studied human and fruit fly neurons, blood vessels, trees, corals, and plants like Arabidopsis,” says Meng. Across all these cases, a consistent pattern emerged: the geometry of the networks is better predicted by minimizing surface area rather than total length. One of the most striking outcomes of the surface-minimization framework is its ability to explain structural features that previous models cannot. Traditional length-based theories typically predict simple Y-shaped bifurcations, where one branch splits into two. Real networks, however, often display far richer geometries. “While traditional models are limited to simple bifurcations, our framework predicts the existence of higher-order junctions and ‘orthogonal sprouts’,” explains Meng. These include three- or four-way splits and perpendicular, dead-end offshoots. Under a surface-based principle, such features arise naturally and allow neurons to form synapses using less membrane material overall and enable plant roots to probe their environment more effectively. Ginestra Bianconi of the UK’s Queen Mary University of London says that the key result of the new study is the demonstration that “physical networks such as the brain or vascular networks are not wired according to a principle of minimization of edge length, but rather that their geometry follows a principle of surface minimization.” Bianconi, who was not involved in the study, also highlights the interdisciplinary leap of invoking ideas from string theory, “This is a beautiful demonstration of how basic research works”. The team emphasizes that their work is not immediately technological. “This is fundamental research, but we know that such research may one day lead to practical applications,” Barabási says. In the near term, he expects the strongest impact in neuroscience and vascular biology, where understanding wiring and morphology is essential. Bianconi agrees that important questions remain. “The next step would be to understand whether this new principle can help us understand brain function or have an impact on our understanding of brain diseases,” she says. Surface optimization could, for example, offer new ways to interpret structural changes observed in neurological disorders. Looking further ahead, the framework may influence the design of engineered systems. “Physical networks are also relevant for new materials systems, like metamaterials, who are also aiming to achieve functions at minimal cost,” Barabási notes. Meng points to network materials as a particularly promising area, where surface-based optimization could inspire new architectures with tailored mechanical or transport properties. The research is described in Nature. The post String-theory concept boosts understanding of biological networks appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/string-theory-concept-boosts-understanding-of-biological-networks/
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f664cb8430c962c1839be92107508886daaec76d143b7e8e66bedb34ebe237eb
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2026-01-26T16:31:27+00:00
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The secret life of TiO₂ in foams
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Porous carbon foams are an exciting area of research because they are lightweight, electrically conductive, and have extremely high surface areas. Coating these foams with TiO₂ makes them chemically active, enabling their use in energy storage devices, fuel cells, hydrogen production, CO₂‑reduction catalysts, photocatalysis, and thermal management systems. While many studies have examined the outer surfaces of coated foams, much less is known about how TiO₂ coatings behave deep inside the foam structure. In this study, researchers deposited TiO₂ thin films onto carbon foams using magnetron sputtering and applied different bias voltages to control ion energy, which in turn affects coating density, crystal structure, thickness, and adhesion. They analysed both the outer surface and the interior of the foam using microscopy, particle‑transport simulations, and X‑ray techniques. They found that the TiO₂ coating on the outer surface is dense, correctly composed, and crystalline (mainly anatase with a small amount of rutile) ideal for catalytic and energy applications. They also discovered that although fewer particles reach deep inside the foam, those do retain the same energy, meaning particle quantity decreases with depth but particle energy does not. Because devices like batteries and supercapacitors rely on uniform coatings, variations in thickness or structure inside the foam can lead to poorer performance and faster degradation. Overall, this research provides a much clearer understanding of how TiO₂ coatings grow inside complex 3D foams, showing how thickness, density, and crystal structure evolve with depth and how bias voltage can be used to tune these properties. By revealing how plasma particles move through the foam and validating models that predict coating behaviour, it enables the design of more reliable, higher‑performing foam‑based devices for energy and catalytic applications. A comprehensive multi-scale study on the growth mechanisms of magnetron sputtered coatings on open-cell 3D foams Loris Chavée et al 2026 Prog. Energy 8 015002 Do you want to learn more about this topic? Advances in thermal conductivity for energy applications: a review Qiye Zheng et al. (2021) The post The secret life of TiO₂ in foams appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/the-secret-life-of-tio%e2%82%82-in-foams/
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c4dd0cf126156a4af0a606199605c7cc8c30206ab21d7bca7f32f2aea3069715
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2026-01-26T16:30:22+00:00
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Laser processed thin NiO powder coating for durable anode-free batteries
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Traditional lithium‑ion batteries use a thick graphite anode, where lithium ions move in and out of the graphite during charging and discharging. In an anode‑free lithium metal battery, there is no anode material at the start, only a copper foil. During the first charge, lithium leaves the cathode and deposits onto the copper as pure lithium metal, effectively forming the anode. Removing the anode increases energy density dramatically by reducing weight, and it also simplifies and lowers the cost of manufacturing. Because of this, anode‑free batteries are considered to have major potential for next‑generation energy storage. However, a key challenge is that lithium deposits unevenly on bare copper, forming long needle‑like dendrites that can pierce the separator and cause short circuits. This uneven growth also leads to rapid capacity loss, so anode‑free batteries typically fail after only a few hundred cycles. In this research, the scientists coated the copper foil with NiO powder and used a CO₂ laser (l = 10.6 mm) to rapidly heat the same in a rapid scanning mode to transform it. The laser‑treated NiO becomes porous and strongly adherent to the copper, helping lithium spread out more evenly. The process is fast, energy‑efficient, and can be done in air. As a result, lithium ions diffuse or move more easily across the surface, reducing dendrite formation. The exchange current density also doubled compared to bare copper, indicating better charge‑transfer behaviour. Overall, battery performance improved dramatically. The modified cells lasted 400 cycles at room temperature and 700 cycles at 40°C, compared with only 150 cycles for uncoated copper. This simple, rapid, and scalable technique offers a powerful way to improve anode‑free lithium metal batteries, one of the most promising next‑generation battery technologies. Microgradient patterned NiO coating on copper current collector for anode-free lithium metal battery Supriya Kadam et al 2025 Prog. Energy 7 045003 Do you want to learn more about this topic? Lithium aluminum alloy anodes in Li-ion rechargeable batteries: past developments, recent progress, and future prospects by Tianye Zheng and Steven T Boles (2023) The post Laser processed thin NiO powder coating for durable anode-free batteries appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/laser-processed-thin-nio-powder-coating-for-durable-anode-free-batteries/
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Space & Physics
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2026-01-26T16:28:44+00:00
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Planning a sustainable water future in the United States
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Within 45 years, water demand in the United States is predicted to double, while climate change is expected to worsen freshwater supplies, with 44% of the country already experiencing some form of drought. One way to expand water resources is desalination, where salt is removed from seawater or brackish groundwater to make clean, usable water. Brackish groundwater contains far less salt than seawater, making it much easier and cheaper to treat, and the United States has vast reserves of it in deep aquifers. The challenge is that desalination traditionally requires a lot of energy and produces a concentrated brine waste stream that is difficult and costly to dispose of. As a result, desalination currently provides only about 1% of the nation’s water supply, even though it is a major source of drinking water in regions such as the Middle East and North Africa. In this work, the researchers show how desalination of brackish groundwater can be made genuinely sustainable and economically viable for addressing the United States’ looming water shortages. A key part of the solution is zero‑liquid‑discharge, which avoids brine disposal by extracting more freshwater and recovering salts such as sodium, calcium, and magnesium for reuse. Crucially, the study demonstrates that when desalination is powered by low‑cost solar and wind energy, the overall process becomes far more affordable. By 2040, solar photovoltaics paired with optimised battery storage are projected to produce electricity at lower cost than the grid in the states facing the largest water deficits, making renewable‑powered desalination a competitive option. The researchers also show that advanced technologies, such as high‑recovery reverse osmosis and crystallisation, can achieve zero‑liquid‑discharge without increasing costs, because the extra water and salt recovery offsets the expense of brine management. Their modelling indicates that a full renewable‑powered zero‑liquid‑discharge pathway can produce freshwater at an affordable cost, while reducing environmental impacts and avoiding brine disposal altogether. Taken together, this work outlines a realistic, sustainable pathway for large‑scale desalination in the United States, offering a credible strategy for securing future water supplies in increasingly water‑stressed regions. Water production by renewable energy powered desalination for meeting climate change induced water supply-demand deficits in the United States Zhuoran Zhang et al 2025 Prog. Energy 7 045002 Do you want to learn more about this topic? Review of solar-enabled desalination and implications for zero-liquid-discharge applications by Vasilis Fthenakis et al. (2024) The post Planning a sustainable water future in the United States appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/planning-a-sustainable-water-future-in-the-united-states/
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Space & Physics
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da18d79c936f611c87da4711f48fc7a74ded2ff6a78f8b8b987c58f0f274fa80
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2026-01-26T16:00:06+00:00
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Could silicon become the bedrock of quantum computers?
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Silicon, in the form of semiconductors, integrated chips and transistors, is the bedrock of modern classical computers – so much so that it lends its name to technological hubs around the world, beginning with Silicon Valley in the US . For quantum computers, the bedrock is still unknown, but a new platform developed by researchers in Australia suggests that silicon could play a role here, too. Dubbed the 14|15 platform due to its elemental constituents, it combines a crystalline silicon substrate with qubits made from phosphorus atoms . By relying on only two types of atoms, team co-leader Michelle Simmons says the device “avoids the interfaces and complexities that plague so many multi-material platforms” while enabling “high-quality qubits with lower noise, simplicity of design and device stability”. Quantum computers take registers of qubits, which store quantum information, and apply basic operations to them sequentially to execute algorithms. One of the primary challenges they face is scalability – that is, sustaining reliable, or high-fidelity, operations on an increasing number of qubits. Many of today’s platforms use only a small number of qubits, for which operations can be individually tuned for optimal performance. However, as the amount of hardware, complexity and noise increases, this hands-on approach becomes debilitating. Silicon quantum processors may offer a solution. Writing in Nature, Simmons, Ludwik Kranz, and their team at Silicon Quantum Computing (a spinout from the University of New South Wales in Sydney) describe a system that uses the nuclei of phosphorus atoms as its primary qubit. Each nucleus behaves a little like a bar magnet with an orientation (north/south or up/down) that represents a 0 or 1. These so-called spin qubits are particularly desirable because they exhibit relatively long coherence times, meaning information can be preserved for long enough to apply the numerous operations of an algorithm. Using monolithic, high-purity silicon as the substrate further benefits coherence since it reduces undesirable charge and magnetic noise arising from impurities and interfaces. To make their quantum processor, the team deposited phosphorus atoms in small registers a few nanometres across. Within each register, the phosphorus nuclei do not interact enough to generate the entangled states required for a quantum computation. The team remedy this by loading each cluster of phosphorous atoms with a electron that is shared between the atoms. The result is that so-called hyperfine interactions, wherein each nuclear spin interacts with the electron like an interacting bar magnet, arise and provide the interaction necessary to entangle nuclear spins within each register. By combining these interactions with control of individual nuclear spins, the researchers showed that they can generate Bell states (maximally entangled two-qubit states) between pairs of nuclei within a register with error rates as low as 0.5% – the lowest to date for semiconductor platforms. The team’s next step was to connect multiple processors – a step that exponentially increases their combined capacity. To understand how, consider two quantum processors, one with n qubits and the other m qubits. Isolated from one another, they can collectively represent at most 2n + 2m states. Once they are entangled, however, they can represent 2n + m states. Simmons says that silicon quantum processors offer an inherent advantage in scaling, too. Generating numerous registers on a single chip and using “naturally occurring” qubits, she notes, reduces their need for extraneous confinement gates and electronics as they scale. The researchers showcased these scaling capabilities by entangling a register of four phosphorus atoms with a register of five, separated by 13 nm. The entanglement of these registers is mediated by the electron-exchange interaction, a phenomenon arising from the combination of Pauli’s exclusion principle and Coulomb repulsion when electrons are confined in a small region. By leveraging this and all other interactions and control in their toolkit, the researchers generate entanglement of eight data qubits across the two registers. Retaining such high-quality qubits and individual control of them despite their high density demonstrates the scaling potential of the platform. Future avenues of exploration include increasing the size of 2D arrays of registers to increase the number of qubits, but Simmons says the rest is “top secret”, adding “the world will know soon enough”. The post Could silicon become the bedrock of quantum computers? appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/could-silicon-become-the-bedrock-of-quantum-computers/
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Space & Physics
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e512480b46683222066b3121fa246cc5ab3c1c878417c6976ee6fce2596a811d
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2026-01-26T11:00:38+00:00
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Is our embrace of AI naïve and could it lead to an environmental disaster?
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According to today’s leading experts in artificial intelligence (AI), this new technology is a danger to civilization. A statement on AI risk published in 2023 by the US non-profit Center for AI Safety warned that mitigating the risk of extinction from AI must now be “a global priority”, comparing it to other societal-scale dangers such as pandemics and nuclear war. It was signed by more than 600 people, including the winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize for Physics and so-called “Godfather of AI” Geoffrey Hinton. In a speech at the Nobel banquet after being awarded the prize, Hinton noted that AI may be used “to create terrible new viruses and horrendous lethal weapons that decide by themselves who to kill or maim”. Despite signing the letter, Sam Altman of OpenAI, the firm behind ChatGPT, has stated that the company’s explicit ambition is to create artificial general intelligence (AGI) within the next few years, to “win the AI-race”. AGI is predicted to surpass human cognitive capabilities for almost all tasks, but the real danger is if or when AGI is used to generate more powerful versions of itself. Sometimes called “superintelligence”, this would be impossible to control. Companies do not want any regulation of AI and their business model is for AGI to replace most employees at all levels. This is how firms are expected to benefit from AI, since wages are most companies’ biggest expense. AI, to me, is not about saving the world, but about a handful of people wanting to make enormous amounts of money from it. No-one knows what internal mechanism makes even today’s AI work – just as one cannot find out what you think from how the neurons in your brain are firing. If we don’t even understand today’s AI models, how are we going to understand – and control – the more powerful models that already exist or are planned in the near future? AI has some practical benefits but too often is put to mostly meaningless, sometimes downright harmful, uses such as cheating your way through school or creating disinformation and fake videos online. What’s more, an online search with the help of AI requires at least 10 times as much energy as a search without AI. It already uses 5% of all electricity in the US and by 2028 this figure is expected to be 15%, which will be over a quarter of all US households’ electricity consumption. AI data servers are more than 50% as carbon intensive as the rest of the US’s electricity supply. To solve the climate crisis, there is definitely no need for AI. All the solutions have already been known for decades: phasing out fossil fuels, reversing deforestation, reducing energy and resource consumption, regulating global trade, reforming the economic system away from its dependence on growth. The problem is that the solutions are not implemented because of short-term selfish profiteering, which AI only exacerbates. AI, like all other technologies, is not a magic wand and, as Hinton says, potentially has many negative consequences. It is not, as the enthusiasts seem to think, a magical free resource that provides output without input (and waste). I believe we must rethink our naïve, uncritical, overly fast, total embrace of AI. Universities are known for wise reflection, but worryingly they seem to be hurrying to jump on the AI bandwagon. The problem is that the bandwagon may be going in the wrong direction or crash and burn entirely. Why then should universities and organizations send their precious money to greedy, reckless and almost totalitarian tech billionaires? If we are going to use AI, shouldn’t we create our own AI tools that we can hopefully control better? Today, more money and power is transferred to a few AI companies that transcend national borders, which is also a threat to democracy. Democracy only works if citizens are well educated, committed, knowledgeable and have influence. AI is like using a hammer to crack a nut. Sometimes a hammer may be needed but most of the time it is not and is instead downright harmful. Happy-go-lucky people at universities, companies and throughout society are playing with fire without knowing about the true consequences now, let alone in 10 years’ time. Our mapped-out path towards AGI is like a zebra on the savannah creating an artificial lion that begins to self-replicate, becoming bigger, stronger, more dangerous and more unpredictable with each generation. Wise reflection today on our relationship with AI is more important than ever. The post Is our embrace of AI naïve and could it lead to an environmental disaster? appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/is-our-embrace-of-ai-naive-and-could-it-lead-to-an-environmental-disaster/
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Space & Physics
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8956c0b0a226ff335bc14fa9caf3379932ee5a4fc1a7362f49453270e44ed27b
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2026-01-26T09:00:06+00:00
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New sensor uses topological material to detect helium leaks
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A new sensor detects helium leaks by monitoring how sound waves propagate through a topological material – no chemical reactions required. Developed by acoustic scientists at Nanjing University, China, the innovative, physics-based device is compact, stable, accurate and capable of operating at very low temperatures. Helium is employed in a wide range of fields, including aerospace, semiconductor manufacturing and medical applications as well as physics research. Because it is odourless, colourless, and inert, it is essentially invisible to traditional leak-detection equipment such as adsorption-based sensors. Specialist helium detectors are available, but they are bulky, expensive and highly sensitive to operating conditions. The new device created by Li Fan and colleagues at Nanjing consists of nine cylinders arranged in three sub-triangles with tubes in between the cylinders. The corners of the sub-triangles touch and the tubes allow air to enter the device. The resulting two-dimensional system has a so-called “kagome” structure and is an example of a topological material – that is, one that contains special, topologically protected, states that remain stable even if the bulk structure contains minor imperfections or defects. In this system, the protected states are the corners. To test their setup, the researchers placed speakers under the corners that send sound waves into the structure and make the gas within it vibrate at a certain frequency (the resonance frequency). When they replaced the air in the device with helium, the sound waves travelled faster, changing the vibration frequency. Measuring this shift in frequency enabled the researchers to calculate the concentration of helium in the device. Fan explains that the device works because the interface/corner states are impacted by the properties of the gas within it. This mechanism has many advantages over traditional gas sensors. First, it does not rely on chemical reactions, making it ideal for detecting inert gases like helium. Second, the sensor is not affected by external conditions and can therefore work at extremely low temperatures – something that is challenging for conventional sensors that contain sensitive materials. Third, its sensitivity to the presence of helium does not change, meaning it does not need to be recalibrated during operation. Finally, it detects frequency changes quickly and rapidly returns to its baseline once helium levels decrease. As well as detecting helium, Fan says the device can also pinpoint the direction a gas leak is coming from. This is because when helium begins to fill the device, the corner closest to the source of the gas is impacted first. Each corner thus acts as an independent sensing point, giving the device a spatial sensing capability that most traditional detectors lack. Detecting helium leaks is important in fields such as semiconductor manufacturing, where the gas is used for cooling, and in medical imaging systems that operate at liquid helium temperatures. “We think our work opens an avenue for inert gas detection using a simple device and is an example of a practical application for two-dimensional acoustic topological materials,” says Fan. While the new sensor was fabricated to detect helium, the same mechanism could also be employed to detect other gases such as hydrogen, he adds. Spurred on by these promising preliminary results, which they report in Applied Physics Letters, the researchers plan to extend their fabrication technique to create three-dimensional acoustic topological structures. “These could be used to orientate the corner points so that helium can be detected in 3D space,” says Fan. “Ultimately, we are trying to integrate our system into a portable structure that can be deployed in real-world environments without complex supporting equipment.,” he tells Physics World. The post New sensor uses topological material to detect helium leaks appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/new-sensor-uses-topological-material-to-detect-helium-leaks/
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Space & Physics
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22f5013c52bf30a23d9bff87295b21dc532141533cabb081b762a392017301de
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2026-01-24T15:09:46+00:00
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Encrypted qubits can be cloned and stored in multiple locations
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The post Encrypted qubits can be cloned and stored in multiple locations appeared first on Physics World.
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https://physicsworld.com/a/encrypted-qubits-can-be-cloned-and-stored-in-multiple-locations/
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Space & Physics
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d33e7c1ac97681e1aa237e351e454507456647e00ce433fd18a525140ca40423
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2026-02-02T11:00:00+00:00
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James Webb Space Telescope watches distant galaxies form farthest cluster ever seen in the ancient universe (image)
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"JADES-ID1 is giving us new evidence that the universe was in a huge hurry to grow up."
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https://www.space.com/astronomy/james-webb-space-telescope/james-webb-space-telescope-watches-distant-galaxies-form-farthest-cluster-ever-seen-in-the-ancient-universe-image
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Space & Physics
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6f40c98ff2f5eb9fe014c87dcc4bbfcbb09789e67d888c2bc68950d40e578075
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2026-02-02T09:00:00+00:00
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Watch NASA fuel up its Artemis 2 moon rocket today in critical prelaunch test
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NASA will conduct a crucial fueling test with its Artemis 2 moon rocket today (Feb. 2), and you can watch the action live.
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https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/watch-nasa-fuel-up-its-artemis-2-moon-rocket-today-in-critical-prelaunch-test
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Space & Physics
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f45becb7266e52d85917c18eddc2079292e6a7d4eed4c169c068a3b51057d021
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2026-02-01T16:00:00+00:00
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'Back to the Moon': Time magazine salutes Artemis 2 astronauts in special commemorative cover issue
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While the world awaits the first crewed moon mission in more than 50 years, Time magazine is celebrating the momentous event with a special Artemis 2 cover issue that hit newsstands on Jan. 30.
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https://www.space.com/entertainment/back-to-the-moon-time-magazine-salutes-artemis-2-astronauts-in-special-commemorative-cover-issue
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Space & Physics
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7d94bf6a35962d2fbb718752f752ce58bba7bfd963a37dec14d6ed918667b433
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2026-02-01T15:00:00+00:00
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A 'cosmic clock' in tiny crystals has revealed the rise and fall of Australia's ancient landscapes
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We show how this "cosmic clock" uncovers the evolution of rivers, coasts and habitats.
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https://www.space.com/astronomy/a-cosmic-clock-in-tiny-crystals-has-revealed-the-rise-and-fall-of-australias-ancient-landscapes
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Space & Physics
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3df7b52990c72dfe6645fa30b0a48f962a644b28c400d0173d203c6a77c6acc8
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2026-02-01T14:17:49+00:00
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Artemis 2 SLS wet dress rehearsal latest news: NASA begins countdown for critical fueling test
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Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026: Follow NASA's last major test of SLS before the launch of Artemis 2 and a crew of astronauts around the moon.
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https://www.space.com/news/live/artemis-2-moon-rocket-nasa-fueling-test-feb-1-2026
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Space & Physics
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26df95706b1e4cf1cc048cb65f4bacc490b4e58ea5367e31cae2f96d89fa0f5d
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2026-02-01T14:00:00+00:00
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The Pelican Nebula shines near the Las Vegas Strip in gorgeous deep space photo
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The Pelican Nebula is located in the constellation Cygnus, the swan.
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https://www.space.com/stargazing/astrophotography/the-pelican-nebula-shines-near-the-las-vegas-strip-in-gorgeous-deep-space-photo
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Space & Physics
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12260b69338daf530d034925a608adba26e4c717d7ebca191204fa8c76bf9bf2
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2026-02-01T13:00:00+00:00
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Gladys West, GPS pioneer and one of NASA's famed 'Hidden Figures,' dies at 95
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West's work on modeling the Earth's shape assisted with the development of GPS, today used by an estimated 4 billion people.
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https://www.space.com/space-exploration/gladys-west-gps-pioneer-and-one-of-nasas-famed-hidden-figures-dies-at-95
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Space & Physics
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dc58eb60614cc7f34f00a250a222e3cba45842e9efc3b713f1cdf8d8e8b74aa0
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2026-02-01T11:00:00+00:00
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See the full 'Snow Moon' chill in the eastern sky at sunset tonight
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The 'Snow Moon' is named for the inclement weather that is common in January.
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https://www.space.com/stargazing/see-the-full-snow-moon-chill-in-the-eastern-sky-at-sunset-tonight
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Space & Physics
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2ae76185a3f827ca648ac8642f90569bd0c5051bf7c8cc9edbf6586e3f119b0b
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2026-01-31T16:00:00+00:00
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Chinese space tourism startup eyes 2028 for 1st crewed mission, signs celebrity for future flight
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InterstellOr is already taking bookings for its planned suborbital flights and says it has attracted its first celebrity passenger, highlighting China's growing commercial space ambitions.
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https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/chinese-space-tourism-startup-eyes-2028-for-1st-crewed-mission-signs-celebrity-for-future-flight
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Space & Physics
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7169f8cca4362060dc966e1e00545fefa42d2db0fe5d65e36db84314c289dbf7
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2026-01-31T15:31:26+00:00
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This Week In Space podcast: Episode 195 — Remembering Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia
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On Episode 195 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik talk with Gerry Griffin, former Apollo Flight Director and Director of the Johnson Space Center, about NASA's spaceflight tragedies.
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https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/this-week-in-space-podcast-episode-195-remembering-apollo-1-challenger-and-columbia
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Space & Physics
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feab725d99f98a76020cddeb693275ecb76ac3c9b737f576d7d730a9cae4a991
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2026-01-31T15:00:00+00:00
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Space.com headlines crossword quiz for week of Jan. 26, 2026: Which planet may have a July meteor shower?
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Test your space smarts with our weekly crossword challenge, crafted from Space.com's biggest headlines.
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https://www.space.com/astronomy/space-com-headlines-crossword-quiz-for-week-of-jan-26-2026-which-planet-may-have-a-july-meteor-shower
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Space & Physics
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1b8672d7c3627542d4771f7af63806d3ce8ee042d4a2a4ba0545edca3b6b4999
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2026-01-31T14:00:00+00:00
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From a new flagship space telescope to lunar exploration, global cooperation – and competition – will make 2026 an exciting year for space
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Coming from one of the world's largest astrophysical research institutes, I can tell you, the anticipation across the global space science community is electric.
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https://www.space.com/space-exploration/from-a-new-flagship-space-telescope-to-lunar-exploration-global-cooperation-and-competition-will-make-2026-an-exciting-year-for-space
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Space & Physics
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a9ac9718b7e31eba360d3fe5a02fe45e6313d9ff3398fb6b6b67a52581b849f4
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2026-01-31T13:00:00+00:00
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From 'Asteroids' to 'Star Citizen': A brief history of space dogfighting games
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How space dogfighting games evolved from vector lines to virtual cockpits.
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https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-games/from-asteroids-to-star-citizen-a-brief-history-of-space-dogfighting-games
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Space & Physics
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033dbf28f95c88405ccb4d25cbcb771f86572dffcc291ea4934cb3c8b3716525
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2026-01-31T11:00:00+00:00
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Peak Design 25L Outdoor Backpack review
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The Peak Design 25L Outdoor Backpack provides versatility and quality for a variety of outdoor uses.
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https://www.space.com/stargazing/skywatching-kit/peak-design-25l-outdoor-backpack-review
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Space & Physics
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c06191f7feb76857c6907828b8f0326fce3521ea7ac1add2af229034e0cd732d
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2026-01-31T11:00:00+00:00
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What actually happens to a spacecraft during its fiery last moments? Here's why ESA wants to find out
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What actually happens to a spacecraft during its fiery last moments? That's the key question for the European Space Agency's Draco mission, planned for 2027.
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https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/what-actually-happens-to-a-spacecraft-during-its-fiery-last-moments-heres-why-esa-wants-to-find-out
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Space & Physics
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897d53213b706d094cc289defa5e9501a4ec954c3d8f21d815694ed04f82a6ef
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2026-01-30T23:25:50+00:00
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NASA's Artemis 2 mission to the moon puts Crew-12 SpaceX launch in delicate dance
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SpaceX launch date of Crew-12 astronauts to the International Space Station will depend on the outcome of the Artemis 2 wet dress rehearsal and launch attempts.
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https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/nasas-artemis-2-mission-to-the-moon-puts-crew-12-spacex-launch-in-delicate-dance
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Space & Physics
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4cce6ceef9f69924092473502e42b63d16a2c3a5dd73e77fe18354914dea3dbc
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2026-01-30T21:37:37+00:00
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Blue Origin pausing space tourism flights for at least 2 years to focus on moon plans
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Blue Origin will ground its New Shepard suborbital vehicle for at least two years, in order to devote more resources to the company's crewed moon plans.
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https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/blue-origin-pausing-space-tourism-flights-for-at-least-2-years-to-focus-on-moon-plans
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Space & Physics
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34a61fdc85441a5befb80746637fa6d6832b08b770d4441aa20bfeb388563786
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2026-01-30T21:00:00+00:00
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Russian 'inspector' satellite appears to break apart in orbit, raising debris concerns
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Ground-based observations suggest the former geostationary inspector satellite suffered a fragmentation event months after retirement, raising new concerns about debris in high Earth orbit.
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https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/russian-inspector-satellite-appears-to-break-apart-in-orbit-raising-debris-concerns
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Space & Physics
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9bcf478fa9a7934185db8dbb64436b4b3e0aebf511141946d8a0831ee5b4180f
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2026-01-30T20:00:00+00:00
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Large Hadron Collider reveals 'primordial soup' of the early universe was surprisingly soupy
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Using the world's most powerful particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider, scientists have found that the quark-gluon plasma that filled the universe just after the Big Bang really was a primordial "soup."
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https://www.space.com/science/particle-physics/large-hadron-collider-reveals-primordial-soup-of-the-early-universe-was-surprisingly-soupy
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Space & Physics
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f0880cff22646b287858e3b9fedb4d11291c75fbbb5b6a0d3c4c0fbce243b448
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2026-01-30T18:00:00+00:00
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1.1 million mph cosmic winds race through 'magnetic superhighway' in colliding galaxies
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Astronomers have discovered powerful magnetic fields steering gas, dust, and star formation in a dramatic galaxy merger.
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https://www.space.com/astronomy/galaxies/1-1-million-mph-cosmic-winds-race-through-magnetic-superhighway-in-colliding-galaxies
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Space & Physics
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569d98472711bbfb43b973711052ae71b9bb876e8080742c6c26041034264fcf
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2026-01-30T17:00:00+00:00
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Living spaceships, plague planets, and a quote from Josef Mengele: 'The Sixth Nik' is NYT bestselling author Daniel Kraus' 1st sci-fi novel, and it's really weird
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Read an excerpt of this deep-space mystery from the prolific writer of 'Whalefall' and 'Angel Down.'
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https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-books/living-spaceships-plague-planets-and-a-quote-from-josef-mengele-the-sixth-nik-is-nyt-bestselling-author-daniel-kraus-1st-sci-fi-novel-and-its-really-weird
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Space & Physics
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6052f4c41a2eef623d7fa3ea5cd058377ab9745c793d18f9887bf43f57b1fa92
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2026-01-30T15:52:13+00:00
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NASA delays critical Artemis 2 rocket fueling test due to below-freezing temperatures, launch no earlier than Feb. 8
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NASA has been forced to delay a critical fueling test for its Artemis 2 moon rocket due to unusually cold weather forecasted to hit the Space Coast this weekend.
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https://www.space.com/space-exploration/artemis/nasa-delays-critical-artemis-2-rocket-fueling-test-due-to-below-freezing-temperatures-launch-no-earlier-than-feb-8
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Space & Physics
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93b9dd6d196b39aa6668d1db355ddc7479f99a41a4cc656ca6cb9fb7a2f1e21a
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2026-01-30T15:00:00+00:00
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Is a MacBook or Windows laptop better for astrophotography?
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Both Windows and MacBooks have advantages for astrophotography, but the choice will depend on your power level and budget.
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https://www.space.com/stargazing/skywatching-kit/is-a-macbook-or-windows-laptop-better-for-astrophotography
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Space & Physics
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f8f723caccc15837267aa6afab98dc459cf157ba4b7277a2d1674e8e6a77aea6
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2026-01-30T15:00:00+00:00
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See the moon glow next to mighty Jupiter in the winter sky tonight
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The moon greets Jupiter two days ahead of its full moon phase on Feb. 1.
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https://www.space.com/stargazing/see-the-moon-glow-next-to-mighty-jupiter-in-the-winter-sky-jan-30-2026
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Space & Physics
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9b6197c2e3031f2d531d31b6cabbab10c6ee95f198f651e6dd297b37727becab
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2026-01-30T14:00:00+00:00
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Artemis 2 moon suits ready to make history | Space photo of the day for Jan. 30, 2026
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Time to suit up!
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https://www.space.com/space-exploration/artemis/artemis-2-moon-suits-ready-to-make-history-space-photo-of-the-day-for-jan-30-2026
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Space & Physics
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a67df34d580cd2426421c759e4476fe3900c91d1b3a9f291585a9565f3b6742d
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2026-01-30T13:00:00+00:00
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Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) crumbles apart in stunning new telescope images
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The comet broke into pieces after making a close approach around the sun in October 2025.
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https://www.space.com/astronomy/comets/comet-c-2025-k1-atlas-crumbles-apart-in-stunning-new-telescope-images
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Space & Physics
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f69d4658bc4bf0a9116680eb7179e9f0c2f1981f0635f152ce03b51258da52b7
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2026-01-30T11:00:00+00:00
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From space to the seabed, critical infrastructure is becoming more vulnerable, experts warn: 'People don't realize how dependent we are'
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"We are on Day 1. A lot more needs to be done."
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https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/from-space-to-the-seabed-critical-infrastructure-is-becoming-more-vulnerable-experts-warn-people-dont-realize-how-dependent-we-are
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Space & Physics
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d1eb404d037ea2561d2a4aca74e5d33c15f7a76f01a79e799e6257a95d37ed92
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2026-01-30T08:50:00+00:00
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SpaceX launches Starlink satellites from two coasts in two days
|
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 25 Starlink satellites lifted off from California on Jan. 29, 2026. The company repeated the feat the next day with 29 satellites from Florida.
|
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starlink-satellite-launch-b1082-group-17-19-ocisly-b1095-group-6-101-jrti
|
Space & Physics
| |
1466e229af84ccfd37e8fa97e2c1b5e5e94faef3bfe9d596b38b2f42688d69b3
|
2026-01-29T22:00:00+00:00
|
Astronomers watch 1st black hole ever imaged launch a 3,000‑light‑year‑long cosmic jet from its glowing 'shadow'
|
"It is amazing to see that we are gradually moving towards combining these breakthrough observations across multiple frequencies and completing the picture of the jet launching region."
|
https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/astronomers-watch-1st-black-hole-ever-imaged-launch-a-3-000-light-year-long-cosmic-jet-from-its-glowing-shadow
|
Space & Physics
| |
1459129a3cc66eb6e90ecbc0d2afb4bb894a23878104e034cb199cc1fda1037e
|
2026-01-29T21:00:00+00:00
|
Rocket Lab launches Korean disaster-monitoring satellite after long delay
|
Rocket Lab launched a South Korean disaster-monitoring satellite from New Zealand on Thursday (Jan. 29), about six weeks later than originally planned.
|
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/rocket-lab-launch-korean-disaster-monitoring-satellite-after-delay
|
Space & Physics
| |
6507afcd753a3ddaea0e20a8ded9d65d3088c6449d65f2f1e11299c560a86615
|
2026-01-29T20:00:00+00:00
|
New 'Starfleet Academy' episode 'Vox in Excelso' shows that Klingons are the most versatile species in 'Star Trek'
|
Think Klingons are just loudmouthed louts with terrible table manners? Think again…
|
https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/new-starfleet-academy-episode-vox-in-excelso-shows-that-klingons-are-the-most-versatile-species-in-star-trek
|
Space & Physics
| |
295fca79c9f2806ca25acde508b1c9d2fc10d5c2204a48f3f88e94b7097c61f5
|
2026-01-29T19:40:28+00:00
|
US government declassifies Cold War-era 'JUMPSEAT' spy satellites
|
The National Reconnaissance Office just revealed the existence of its "JUMPSEAT" line of spy satellites, eight of which launched to Earth orbit between 1971 and 1987.
|
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/nro-declassifies-cold-war-era-jumpseat-spy-satellite
|
Space & Physics
| |
4c04cb4f726e3cacf58ffe3fbe71f5d3076fd15243bfa7a6ecd41db54b930c09
|
2026-01-29T19:00:00+00:00
|
NASA's Juno spacecraft spots the largest volcanic eruption ever seen on Jupiter's moon Io
|
"What makes the event even more extraordinary is that it did not involve a single volcano, but multiple active sources."
|
https://www.space.com/astronomy/jupiter/nasas-juno-spacecraft-spots-the-largest-volcanic-eruption-ever-seen-on-jupiters-moon-io
|
Space & Physics
| |
03366a72dc8ba7d4e28daa4a2b53fbb7a7db58bfb8b35fdf01fcb2d389ad7aab
|
2026-01-29T18:00:00+00:00
|
NASA's Artemis 2 crewed mission to the moon shows how US space strategy has changed since Apollo – and contrasts with China's closed program
|
The United States is no longer competing against a single rival in a largely symbolic race.
|
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/artemis/nasas-artemis-2-crewed-mission-to-the-moon-shows-how-us-space-strategy-has-changed-since-apollo-and-contrasts-with-chinas-closed-program
|
Space & Physics
| |
60d081dccd636121331f721b129bbc14aa621b40ce62b6ec35a12aacc17bcf0e
|
2026-01-29T17:00:00+00:00
|
This trio of 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' cadets weren't Trekkies before the show, but they are now (interview)
|
"It's like when you watch 'The Lord of the Rings.' It feels like it's drawing from such a deep well of history."
|
https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/this-trio-of-star-trek-starfleet-academy-cadets-werent-trekkies-before-the-show-but-they-are-now-interview
|
Space & Physics
| |
a51fbfcd388f8078b0eab29c232930ac1025ac266f272eb1533f86568177bbff
|
2026-01-29T16:00:00+00:00
|
Jupiter's moon Europa has an ice shell about 18 miles thick — and that could be bad news for alien life
|
Using data gathered by NASA's Juno Jupiter orbiter, scientists estimate that Europa's ice shell is about 18 miles thick — which could make it hard for nutrients to get down to its buried ocean.
|
https://www.space.com/astronomy/jupiter/jupiters-moon-europa-has-an-ice-shell-about-18-miles-thick-and-that-could-be-bad-news-for-alien-life
|
Space & Physics
| |
cfea6b442e90f2b0ec10ee44d49f07f0fdc8110c237fc1aa6c217e52a27fd45b
|
2026-01-29T15:15:41+00:00
|
Best Lego NASA sets 2026: Build NASA's finest from the Apollo 11 Rover to Artemis 2
|
We've rounded up the best Lego NASA sets to suit a range of budgets and ages.
|
https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-toys-lego/best-lego-nasa-sets-2026-build-nasas-finest-from-the-apollo-11-rover-to-artemis-2
|
Space & Physics
| |
cbb6b0530abdbafe34a07376837244d4e4af123e0df6811eb5eb0698c658f730
|
2026-01-29T15:00:00+00:00
|
The 10 best sci-fi TV Shows of the 1990s
|
From "The X-Files" to "Farscape," drift back three decades with us as we reminisce over the last great run of science fiction on the small screen.
|
https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/the-10-best-sci-fi-tv-shows-of-the-1990s
|
Space & Physics
| |
8e7c711b8b4fe782fee946c79023378f37def20e160b0045afb8181d3667af99
|
2026-01-29T14:00:00+00:00
|
Satellite sees river flow across the globe | Space photo of the day for Jan. 29, 2025
|
Along with this stunning image is the first-ever global estimate of river water discharge and overall sediment suspension.
|
https://www.space.com/astronomy/earth/satellite-sees-river-flow-across-the-globe-space-photo-of-the-day-for-jan-29-2025
|
Space & Physics
| |
8f1a2c7be0a701d0ad4a28a4b756465abb2a287e666cba45a953aaad35acfdaa
|
2026-01-29T13:00:00+00:00
|
Goodbye Goldilocks: Scientists may have to look beyond habitable zones to find alien life
|
Scientists may need to broaden their horizons in their search for alien life.
|
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/search-for-life/goodbye-goldilocks-scientists-may-have-to-look-beyond-habitable-zones-to-find-alien-life
|
Space & Physics
| |
5ed772700d3f2ef0f0df964048cb38f5e0cc4c8cc92a594326e238c54b41835a
|
2026-01-29T11:00:00+00:00
|
James Webb Space Telescope reveals new origin story for the universe's 1st supermassive black holes
|
Recent James Webb Space Telescope data confirms a decade-old theory that the universe's earliest supermassive black holes formed without stars.
|
https://www.space.com/astronomy/james-webb-space-telescope/james-webb-space-telescope-data-backs-new-origin-story-for-the-universes-1st-supermassive-black-holes
|
Space & Physics
| |
a431c3d3b1968f2a03d528b21aadf18f096f089b4a98446b20c244dffa316422
|
2026-01-28T23:00:00+00:00
|
NASA and SpaceX move up launch of Crew-12 astronauts to Feb. 11 as relief crew after ISS medical evacuation
|
NASA and SpaceX are proceeding ahead of schedule with their next astronaut launch to the International Space Station, which is currently operating with a skeleton crew.
|
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/nasa-and-spacex-move-up-launch-of-crew-12-astronauts-to-feb-11-as-relief-crew-after-iss-medical-evacuation
|
Space & Physics
| |
62644fcb6db9cc4e3f2415d5b8c13aea7ecb20921a9cd065d875eaa609ae8605
|
2026-01-28T22:00:00+00:00
|
NASA exoplanet probe tracks interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS to gauge its spin
|
The interstellar visitor may still have a few things to tell us before it leaves our solar system.
|
https://www.space.com/astronomy/comets/nasa-exoplanet-probe-tracks-interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-to-gauge-its-spin
|
Space & Physics
| |
abd490d7b7cb1d18ce59ba35ed6496f664ca55854d2cc9f4b00db776f1f1a102
|
2026-01-28T21:00:00+00:00
|
How Earth's atmosphere and climate come together to create a polar vortex
|
To understand what Americans are experiencing with this winter blast, we need to look more than 20 miles above the surface of Earth, to the stratospheric polar vortex.
|
https://www.space.com/astronomy/earth/how-earths-atmosphere-and-climate-come-together-to-create-a-polar-vortex
|
Space & Physics
| |
dd24eb067daf1be66cfc6251d811a837400446b36540697e60f4ae8710192c80
|
2026-01-28T20:00:00+00:00
|
See the Milky Way glow with the stars of the Summer Triangle above Egypt's Black Desert
|
Deneb, Vega and Altair are among the brightest stars in the night sky.
|
https://www.space.com/stargazing/astrophotography/see-the-milky-way-glow-with-the-stars-of-the-summer-triangle-above-egypts-black-desert
|
Space & Physics
| |
e4300294b9722ade5e199c14baf9f646775b344bb4fe086c83eef82d80700558
|
2026-01-28T19:00:00+00:00
|
SpaceX targeting mid-March for 1st flight of bigger, more powerful Starship 'Version 3,' Elon Musk says
|
SpaceX plans to launch the 12th test flight of its Starship megarocket in six weeks, according to Elon Musk. It will be the first mission of the bigger, more powerful Starship "V3."
|
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-targeting-mid-march-for-1st-flight-of-bigger-more-powerful-starship-version-3-elon-musk-says
|
Space & Physics
| |
41ee8f946b909f7f0f5bb8bc4acbef74bca202b0d40fa35435d2a67b951f8e30
|
2026-01-28T18:12:58+00:00
|
Proteins before planets: How space ice may have created the 1st building blocks of life
|
"We used to think that only very simple molecules could be created in these clouds. But we have shown that this is clearly not the case."
|
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/search-for-life/proteins-before-planets-how-space-ice-may-have-created-the-1st-building-blocks-of-life
|
Space & Physics
| |
f47cd560903577ac7415a2d63b1359ec9cafe2700fd607ddd86638bafbc6810f
|
2026-01-28T17:00:00+00:00
|
Rocket Lab's 'Hungry Hippo' Neutron fairing arrives at spaceport in Virginia
|
The "hungry hippo" fairing for Rocket Lab's new Neutron launch vehicle has arrived for integration at the company's Virginia Spaceport facilities.
|
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/rocket-labs-hungry-hippo-neutron-fairing-arrives-at-spaceport-in-virginia
|
Space & Physics
| |
3f7537957646f65eb9c27104a5b28c9f3ddb20b7d1302d2c9cc833f7d2bf22b5
|
2026-01-28T16:00:00+00:00
|
'Star Wars Outlaws' scores a new prequel novel starring antagonist Jaylen Vrax and his ND-5 assassin droid
|
Author Mike Chen returns fans to the galaxy's grimy underworld in this thrilling crime caper book
|
https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-books/star-wars-outlaws-scores-a-new-prequel-novel-starring-antagonist-jaylen-vrax-and-his-nd-5-assassin-droid
|
Space & Physics
| |
a7698696f4bacfe4b07e4399a55156fada46f84e07fc5246107b12ae27636b01
|
2026-01-28T15:53:57+00:00
|
Inside Lego's Artemis 2 range: Which set delivers the best build, detail and value?
|
Space fans looking for a Lego Artemis set to build now have an interesting conundrum, as there are two Lego NASA Space Launch System Artemis 2 sets to choose from.
|
https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-toys-lego/inside-legos-artemis-ii-range-which-set-delivers-the-best-build-detail-and-value
|
Space & Physics
| |
74727811ae300ed7d53d4e074336bbdd0d0ec04225c8c668e7ce954e5a0f1266
|
2026-01-31T00:12:41+00:00
|
For the First Time, Scientists Detect Molecule Critical to Life in Interstellar Space
|
For the first time, a complex, ring-shaped molecule containing 13 atoms—including sulfur—has been detected in interstellar space, based on laboratory measurements. The discovery closes a critical gap by linking simple chemistry in space with the complex organic building blocks found in comets and meteorites. This represents a major step toward explaining the cosmic origins of the chemistry of life.
|
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/for-the-first-time-scientists-detect-molecule-critical-to-life-in-interstellar-space
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
ebbc3c224a55437861bc6a5da50ee1cc7d51921abd962c7518e364f62e466414
|
2026-01-31T00:07:08+00:00
|
Cracks on Europa Sport Traces of Ammonia
|
The search for life-supporting worlds in the Solar System includes the Jovian moon Europa. Yes, it's an iceberg of a world, but underneath its frozen exterior lies a deep, salty ocean and a nickel-iron core. It's heated by tidal flexing, and that puts pressure on the interior ocean, sending water and salts to the surface. As things turn out, there's also evidence of ammonia-bearing compounds on the surface. All these things combine to provide a fascinating look at Europa's geology and potential as a haven for life.
|
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/cracks-on-europa-sport-traces-of-ammonia
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
f8a68399c3f34003c59d3d729115a1fc3e5b5eec9e53d598c0aa8e8d6b7a9cef
|
2026-01-30T22:27:54+00:00
|
"Red Geyser" Galaxies Have Plenty of Star-Forming Gas But Don't Form Stars
|
Red Geysers are an unusual class of galaxy that contain only old stars. Despite having plenty of star-forming gas, Red Geysers are quenched. Astronomers have mapped the flow of gas in these galaxies and figure out why they're dormant.
|
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/red-geyser-galaxies-have-plenty-of-star-forming-gas-but-dont-form-stars
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
c8d8576b617cbff494f7fcae9139a2fa224c8fed9e9d451202a895b3a04afbbf
|
2026-01-30T17:00:43+00:00
|
New Measurements of Europa's Ice Shell Taint the Icy Moon's Potential Habitability
|
Jupiter's icy moon Europa is a tantalizing target in the search for habitability in our Solar System. Its thick, global ice sheet overlies a warm, salty, chemically-rich ocean. But for life to exist in that ocean, nutrients need to find their way from the surface to the ocean. New research says that may be very difficult.
|
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasas-juno-measures-thickness-of-europas-ice-shell
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
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