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Joined-up thinking in quantum metrology: why collaboration is the secret of success
NPL has joined forces with other leading National Metrology Institutes to shape the international standards effort in quantum technologies
Research updates
New cosmic map will put dark-matter theories to the test
COSMOS-Web uses JWST’s enhanced imaging capabilities
Multi-ion cancer therapy tackles the LET trilemma
Particle therapy using a mix of carbon-, oxygen- and neon-ion beams helps tune the fine balance between range robustness, uniform dose and high linear energy transfer
New project takes aim at theory-experiment gap in materials data
MaterialsGalaxy platform will reduce unhelpful “silos” within the field, say scientists
Cavity-based X-ray laser delivers high-quality pulses
Electron undulator amplifies X-ray beam
Scientists quantify behaviour of micro- and nanoplastics in city environments
New insight into the behaviour of atmospheric plastics could be beneficial for investigating their effects on climate, ecosystems and human health
Ion-clock transition could benefit quantum computing and nuclear physics
Deformed nucleus makes multi-ion design easier
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Is our embrace of AI naïve and could it lead to an environmental disaster?
Johan Hansson says it is dangerous to treat artificial intelligence as a magic wand
The obscure physics theory that helped Chinese science emerge from the shadows
Robert P Crease reveals the curious twist in the development of Chinese physics in the 1960s
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Top-cited authors from India and North America share their tips for early-career researchers
Pointers on how to boost the impact of your work
Read article: Top-cited authors from India and North America share their tips for early-career researchers
Twenty-three nominations, yet no Nobel prize: how Chien-Shiung Wu missed out on the top award in physics
Mats Larsson and Ramon Wyss reveal why Chien-Shiung Wu never won a Nobel prize
Read article: Twenty-three nominations, yet no Nobel prize: how Chien-Shiung Wu missed out on the top award in physics
The physics of an unethical daycare model that uses illness to maximize profits
The arXiv paper is "not intended as a recipe for unethical daycare centre"
Read article: The physics of an unethical daycare model that uses illness to maximize profits
Saving the Titanic: the science of icebergs and unsinkable ships
Two studies published this week have an unexpected (if tenuous) link to the 20th century’s most famous maritime disaster
Read article: Saving the Titanic: the science of icebergs and unsinkable ships
The power of a poster
Kevin McGuigan highlights what a good poster can do for your research
Read article: The power of a poster
Einstein’s recoiling slit experiment realized at the quantum limit
A century-old thought experiment on wave–particle duality is brought into the laboratory using a single trapped atom
Read article: Einstein’s recoiling slit experiment realized at the quantum limit
Uranus and Neptune may be more rocky than icy, say astrophysicists
Novel modelling approach suggests that the traditionally ice-rich image of these planets may be skewed
Read article: Uranus and Neptune may be more rocky than icy, say astrophysicists
String-theory concept boosts understanding of biological networks
Better imaging data point to surface minimization
Read article: String-theory concept boosts understanding of biological networks
Could silicon become the bedrock of quantum computers?
Australian spin-out Silicon Quantum Computing makes the case with a modality-leading 11-qubit processor
Read article: Could silicon become the bedrock of quantum computers?
New sensor uses topological material to detect helium leaks
Device works by monitoring frequency of sound waves propagating through a kagome material
Read article: New sensor uses topological material to detect helium leaks
Encrypted qubits can be cloned and stored in multiple locations
“Elegant” result has implications for a quantum internet
Read article: Encrypted qubits can be cloned and stored in multiple locations
Hot ancient galaxy cluster challenges current cosmological models
Observations of the thermal energy in a baby galaxy cluster 12.4 billion light-years away suggest much more energetic early cluster growth than current theories assume
Read article: Hot ancient galaxy cluster challenges current cosmological models
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Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
For more than 60 years, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has applied science and technology to make the world a safer place. Its defining responsibility is ensuring the safety, security and reliability of the nation’s nuclear deterrent
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Reversible degradation phenomenon in PEMWE cells
Join the audience for a live webinar at 6 p.m. GMT/1 p.m. EST on 4 February 2026
Sponsored by The Electrochemical Society, Hiden Analytical, Scribner Associates, Gamry Instruments
Investigate how voltage dips below 1.5 V trigger reversible PEMWE performance gains, driven by iridium oxidation dynamics and reaction kinetics
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Food Physics 2026
4—5 February 2026 | Leeds, UK
Physics plays a crucial role in the design of delicious, healthy, and nutritious food and beverages. This annual conference, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2026, brings together academics and industry professionals to share the latest developments and explore opportunities for physicists to tackle multidisciplinary challenges. These challenges range from sustainability to food manufacturing and the design of multiphase microstructures.
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