Pick of the Week
How AI is transforming human robots
Honor Powrie considers whether AI can make robots more human
Quiz of the week: the last major galactic merger of the Milky Way created what feature?
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Research updates
Solar-thermal desalination process operates at near 100% efficiency
New desalination technology produces drinking water from ocean water while capturing valuable salts and minerals
Abnormal snoring sounds help diagnose common sleep disorder
A snoring-based framework shows potential as a low-cost, non-contact screening tool for obstructive sleep apnoea
Interface between air and water gets a new twist
Vibrational spectroscopy technique reshapes our understanding of how water molecules behave at the boundary
Pigeons’ immune system can sense Earth’s magnetic field, study suggests
Molecules become magnetic by accumulating iron
Physics-based models still beat AI for predicting extreme weather events
Artificial intelligence struggles to forecast events with no precedent in training data
Photonic glasses deliver angle-independent structural colour, including reds
Gold nanoparticles absorb blue light
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What a modern-day US Declaration of Independence should say
Robert P Crease imagines a modern-day US Declaration of Independence
Why interdisciplinary science is needed more than ever
Solving today’s complex problems requires teams of scientists from a range of disciplines
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Stunning Moon sculpture unveiled at Royal Observatory Greenwich
'Mirror Moon' has been created by the British artist Luke Jerram
Read article: Stunning Moon sculpture unveiled at Royal Observatory Greenwich
The discovery of mesoporous carbon support with characteristic porosity and the art of mastering its use
Join the audience for a live webinar at 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. EDT on 15 July 2026
High durability and oxygen diffusivity of mesoporous carbon support of CNovel® MH-18 used for PEF...
Read article: The discovery of mesoporous carbon support with characteristic porosity and the art of mastering its use
Fractal maths helps distinguish genuine artworks from forgeries
The new technique offers a new way to tackle art fraud
Read article: Fractal maths helps distinguish genuine artworks from forgeries
Research on magnetic plasma confinement wins Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion Outstanding Paper Prize
The work is an important step to understanding the physics of “negative triangularity”
Read article: Research on magnetic plasma confinement wins Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion Outstanding Paper Prize
Quiz of the week: new SKA boss Jessica Dempsey did what before becoming an astronomer?
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Read article: Quiz of the week: new SKA boss Jessica Dempsey did what before becoming an astronomer?
Word flower puzzle no. 5
How many words can you find in this puzzle?
Read article: Word flower puzzle no. 5
Experiment that may or may not disprove Bohmian mechanics continues to spark debate
Is the controversy settled? Only when pigs – and pilot waves – fly, writes Tim Wogan
Read article: Experiment that may or may not disprove Bohmian mechanics continues to spark debate
Quantum influencers gather to celebrate London’s role in quantum tech
Matin Durrani reports from a meeting of the London Quantum Cluster
Read article: Quantum influencers gather to celebrate London’s role in quantum tech
Jessica Dempsey takes up post as head of the Square Kilometre Array Observatory
SKAO is set to become the world’s largest and most sensitive radio telescope
Read article: Jessica Dempsey takes up post as head of the Square Kilometre Array Observatory
What physicists can do to support the green economy
Matin Durrani summarizes a debate at the Institute of Physics on the future of green energy
Read article: What physicists can do to support the green economy
Physicists create mechanical memory device from slap-bracelet-like structures
Placing the structures on a variably spinning turntable creates a scalable way of addressing single bits of memory
Read article: Physicists create mechanical memory device from slap-bracelet-like structures
From equations to nuclear medicine: Keamogetswe Ramonaheng on building medical physics in Africa
Keamogetswe Ramonaheng discusses her life in medical physics
Read article: From equations to nuclear medicine: Keamogetswe Ramonaheng on building medical physics in Africa
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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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From bunkers to bright spaces: the future of smart shielded radiosurgery treatment rooms
Join the audience for a live webinar at 4 p.m. GMT/5 p.m. CET on 31 March 2026
Discover how smart shielding enables bright, modern radiosurgery rooms beyond traditional bunker designs
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Innovations in Applied Mechanics 2026
23—26 September 2026 | London, UK
Innovations in Applied Mechanics brings together two previous, highly successful conferences MPSVA – Modern Practice in Stress and Vibration Analysis and DAMAS – International Conference on Damage Assessment in Structures to present research findings in stress analysis, vibration dynamics and structural damage assessment with the intention of providing directed focus on the state-of-the-art in theoretical and experimental methodology.
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