In depth: Statistical, mathematical & computational physics

Of gluons, atoms and strings

Sep 1, 2009 Feature

An unusual alliance between physicists who study ultrahot plasmas and ultracold atoms is yielding intriguing results – and may even lead to an experimental test for string theory, as Barbara Jacak reveals

The power of robotics

Jun 2, 2009 2 comments Opinion

Robotics competitions supply a vital missing link in science and engineering education, says Robert P Crease

Web life: Hyperphysics

May 1, 2009 1 comment Review

Doing science in the open

May 1, 2009 12 comments Feature

Online networking tools are pervasive, but why have scientists been so slow to adopt many of them? Michael Nielsen explains how we can build a better culture of online collaboration

Beautifully strange

Apr 1, 2009 2 comments Review

John Enderby describes the life of the "strangest man": Paul Dirac

In search of the black swans

Apr 1, 2009 14 comments Feature

The publish-or-perish ethic too often favours a narrow and conservative approach to scientific innovation. Mark Buchanan asks whether we are pushing revolutionary ideas to the margins

Journeys to greatness

Feb 2, 2009 4 comments Opinion

To practising physicists, the great equations of physics might seem obvious, logical and trivial. But to their discoverers, Robert P Crease argues, that was far from true

Reasons to be cheerful

Jan 5, 2009 3 comments Opinion

The economy may be in a nosedive but there is plenty to look forward to in science this year

Shifty constants

Dec 1, 2008 3 comments Opinion

Do some constants need fixing? Robert P Crease relays your suggestions, though he finds that concerns over SI units arouse still more passion

The large hadron computer

Oct 31, 2008 Feature

Plans for dealing with the torrent of data from the Large Hadron Collider’s detectors have made the CERN particle-physics lab, yet again, a pioneer in computing as well as physics. Andreas Hirstius describes the challenges of processing and storing data in the age of petabyte science

Two decades and counting...

Oct 1, 2008 Feature

Opening this special issue marking the 20th anniversary of the launch of Physics World, Matin Durrani says that the magazine still has a vital role to play in the electronic age

...And now for the next 20 years

Oct 1, 2008 3 comments Feature

Six leading physicists peek into the future

The global-village pioneers

Oct 1, 2008 1 comment Feature

Paul Ginsparg, who founded the arXiv e-print archive, recounts the early days of the Web and looks at how it has changed scientific communication

A quantum renaissance

Jul 1, 2008 4 comments Feature

Markus Aspelmeyer and Anton Zeilinger on how technological advances let us readdress fundamental quantum puzzles