In depth: Culture, history & society
Elspeth Drayson: life in the fast lane
Nov 11, 2009 1 comment Opinion
Elspeth Drayson, co-owner of motor-racing team Drayson Racing, talks about her route from physics to the pit-lane
Vitaly Ginzburg: a life in physics
Nov 3, 2009 9 comments Opinion
Vitaly Ginzburg – one of the most prominent Russian theoretical physicists of the 20th century – talks exclusively about his achievements in physics, his distrust of the church's growing role in Russian society and how the hydrogen bomb saved his life.
How to publish a scientific comment
Nov 2, 2009 4 comments Opinion
Rick Trebino relives the time he tried – and failed – to have a comment published in a scientific journal
A very good Englishman
Nov 2, 2009 Review
Graham Farmelo examines the letters of nuclear theorist Rudolf Peierls
The lure of synchrotrons
Nov 2, 2009 1 comment Opinion
Robert P Crease asks how sound are the arguments that the next generation of synchrotron sources are an essential tool for meeting the energy challenge?
Sustainability made simple
Oct 1, 2009 Review
Niall MacKay and Roger Edgar assess what the UK government's new climate adviser has to say on energy
Wrong but useful
Oct 1, 2009 12 comments Feature
Gavin Schmidt explains how climate models are becoming an essential tool for politicians and policymakers
Publicize or perish
Oct 1, 2009 16 comments Opinion
Joseph Romm urges scientists to do much more to warn the public of the dangers of climate change
Web life: Clim'City
Oct 1, 2009 2 comments Review
Try the game that lets you stave off climate change
Challenges in tackling climate change
Oct 1, 2009 5 comments Opinion
In order to limit global warming by reducing carbon emissions, Lord Browne argues that the biggest barriers to a low-carbon economy in the UK are not scientific or technological but political
Dreams of a quantum pioneer
Sep 2, 2009 Review
Gino Segrè looks at the relationship between Pauli and Jung
Your best unit
Sep 2, 2009 10 comments Opinion
Robert P Crease discusses the origin of some units of measurement, and asks for your favourites
Illuminating physics for students
Sep 2, 2009 2 comments Opinion
David Griffiths says that the role of a physics teacher should be to illuminate the subject's intrinsic interest, beauty and power – and warns that attempts to make it more marketable using gimmicks, false advertising or dilution are bound to be counterproductive
Plan B for climate change
Sep 2, 2009 8 comments Opinion
Techniques to manipulate the Earth's climate are now rightly entering mainstream debate