Pick of the Week
Spectacular image of the Shark Nebula wins Royal Observatory Greenwich prize
The picture – The Quiet Predator– was taken by Kuwaiti photographer Ali Alobaidly
Quiz of the week: how long could a lunar city survive?
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Research updates
Fast 3D imaging reveals how seizures move through the brain
A high-speed, 3D light-sheet microscope allows researchers to record seizure dynamics in larval zebrafish
‘Vacuumtronics’ could help make better superconductors
Vacuum fluctuations could be a non-invasive way to tune superconductivity
Could quantum information theory explain universe evolution?
Gravity from entropy theory offer hints of why low-entropy regions persist in the universe
A hybrid energy system for heating, cooling and generating electricity
New concept exploits both the heat of the Sun and the coldness of outer space
Mercury may not need an ancient dynamo to explain its magnetic crust
New analyses of MESSENGER data find that present-day magnetic field can explain most of its crustal magnetism
Non-reciprocal interactions keep particles in collective motion
New finding could help create active matter with a structure that continuously reorganizes itself
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Honor Powrie: 10 things I wish I’d known (or done better) when I started my career
Honor Powrie offers advice for physicists at the start of their careers
Seven writers, four physicists, one room, lots of plushies
Robert P Crease attends a workshop bringing physicists and journalists together
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Uncertainty and the random universe: a slide puzzle
Can you reconstruct the astrophysics illustration in our interactive slide puzzle?
Read article: Uncertainty and the random universe: a slide puzzle
Belarusian sculptor unveils artwork honouring US physicist Jim Gates
The sculpture forms part of Pavel’s sculptural series devoted to figures in science and culture
Read article: Belarusian sculptor unveils artwork honouring US physicist Jim Gates
Establishing a research career in advanced X-ray Imaging: insights from Xiaochuan Pan and PMB award winner Ronan Smith
Join the audience for a live webinar on 6 October 2026 sponsored by IOP Publishing's journal, Physics in Medicine and Biology
Read article: Establishing a research career in advanced X-ray Imaging: insights from Xiaochuan Pan and PMB award winner Ronan Smith
Above-average correlative materials characterization
Bringing measurements across time, space and spectrum together is revealing the hidden dynamics of innovative optoelectronic devices and novel semiconductor materials
Read article: Above-average correlative materials characterization
Moon’s water reserves insufficient to sustain a lunar city, astronomers find
While energy usage could be met, water would cause some issues
Read article: Moon’s water reserves insufficient to sustain a lunar city, astronomers find
Ask me anything: Kiefer Vermeulen – ‘We had to figure everything out on a shoestring budget and on a really challenging timescale’
Kiefer Vermeulen is research team lead at Delft Circuits in the Netherlands
Read article: Ask me anything: Kiefer Vermeulen – ‘We had to figure everything out on a shoestring budget and on a really challenging timescale’
Quiz of the week: how far ahead can we predict the weather?
Have you been keeping up to date with physics news? Try our short quiz to find out
Read article: Quiz of the week: how far ahead can we predict the weather?
Doubts cast on ‘superradiant neutrino laser’ proposal
Debate spans atomic and particle physics
Read article: Doubts cast on ‘superradiant neutrino laser’ proposal
How far ahead can we predict the weather?
New work on predictability limits suggests that around 129 days is probably the maximum limit
Read article: How far ahead can we predict the weather?
Skyrmion topology makes long-distance optical communications more robust
New work will help advance the development of more reliable free-space networks
Read article: Skyrmion topology makes long-distance optical communications more robust
Bilayer approach ramps performance of all-perovskite triple-junction solar cells
A novel graphene oxide bilayer pushes triple-junction perovskite solar cells to a milestone 27.3% efficiency with unprecedented operational longevity
Read article: Bilayer approach ramps performance of all-perovskite triple-junction solar cells
Word flower puzzle no. 8
How many words can you find in this puzzle?
Read article: Word flower puzzle no. 8
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Changes in structure and ionic resistance of lithium-ion battery graphite electrodes
Join the audience for a live webinar at 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. EDT on 5 August 2026
For modellers and experimentalists: discover how SEI formation and graphite expansion define Li‑ion transport in electrodes
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