Editor's choice
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab announces further staff layoffs
About 325 people, representing 5% of the lab’s employees, will be affected
Nuclear shapes revealed in high-energy collisions
New technique sits on the border of nuclear and particle physics
Nanoflake-based breath sensor delivers ultrasensitive lung cancer screening
Gas sensor made from nanoflakes of indium oxide-based materials successfully identifies individuals with lung cancer
Research updates
Four-wave mixing could boost optical communications in space
Nonlinear effect amplifies weak signals
Lightning sets off bursts of high-energy electrons in Earth’s inner radiation belt
Unexpected finding could help determine the safest times to launch spacecraft
First human retinal image brings sight-saving portable OCT a step closer
Siloton’s handheld OCT system could soon be used for home-based monitoring of retinal disease, and may one day find its way onto future space missions
‘Buddy star’ could explain Betelgeuse’s varying brightness
As-yet-undetected stellar companion would displace light-blocking dust
Black hole in rare triple system sheds light on natal kicks
V404 Cygni includes near and distant companion stars
Physicists propose new solution to the neutron lifetime puzzle
Different neutron states could explain why different experiments produce different figures for how long neutrons survive before decaying
Progress in Energy
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Sceptical space settlers, Einstein in England, trials of the JWST, tackling quantum fundamentals: micro reviews of the best recent books
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Space-based solar power: ‘We have nothing to lose and everything to gain’
Martin Soltau explains why beaming sunlight to Earth as microwaves could help solve our energy needs
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VolkVac Instruments uses Atlas Technologies’ bi-metal expertise to create lightweight UHV suitcases
Atlas Technologies is helping VolkVac develop the next generation of its UHV suitcases
New modular synchronous source measure system from Lake Shore Cryotronics
Lake Shore Cryotronics showcases the new M81-SSM
Quantum showcase sets out next decade of UK quantum
The UK National Quantum Technologies Showcase set out a bold ambition for the sector. Katherine Skipper asks whether the science is ready to deliver
How Albert Einstein and John Bell inspired Artur Ekert’s breakthrough in quantum cryptography
The quantum physicist gives the Royal Society Milner Prize Lecture
Physicists in cancer radiotherapy
Introducing a new master’s in cancer research from the University of Manchester
EU must double its science budget to remain competitive, warns report
A committee of 15 experts from research and industry call for Framework Programme 10 to have a budget of at least €220bn
Venkat Srinivasan: ‘Batteries are largely bipartisan’
Energy storage expert Venkat Srinivasan discusses the pros and cons of different battery technologies and the motivations people have for adopting them
UK plans £22bn splurge on carbon capture and storage
Despite the move, questions remain over the technology's feasibility
The Arecibo Observatory’s ‘powerful radiation environment’ led to its collapse, claims report
The disaster in December 2020 was caused by the failure of zinc in the observatory’s cable sockets
Top-cited author Vaidehi Paliya discusses the importance of citations and awards
Paliya explains why it is essential for researchers to know about prizes such as the IOP highly cited paper award
UK particle physicist Mark Thomson selected as next CERN boss
Thomson will become the 17th director-general of the CERN particle-physics laboratory when he takes up the position in 2026
Timber! Japan launches world’s first wooden satellite into space
LignoSat will test the possibilities of building wooden human habitats in space
Women and physics: navigating history, careers, and the path forward
Join the audience for a live webinar on 27 November 2024 sponsored by IOP Publishing's ebooks
Why AI is a force for good in science communication
Claire Malone looks at the ups and downs of using AI to communicate science
Axion clouds around neutron stars could reveal dark matter origins
Interactions between these as-yet hypothetical particles and neutron stars' strong magnetic field would produce photons that radio telescopes can detect
Universe’s lifespan too short for monkeys to type out Shakespeare’s works, finds study
About 200,000 monkeys could type out “I chimp, therefore I am” before the universe ends, however
Nanocrystal shape affects molecular binding
Flatter nanocrystals are unexpectedly good at getting ligands to attach to them, which could have applications in electronics and biomedical science
Mysterious brown dwarf is two objects, not one
Binary nature of Gliese 229 B explains its lacklustre brightness
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Vacuum for physics research
8 October 2024
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ESSRI 2024
25—27 September 2024 | Madrid, Spain
Bringing together international experts on sustainability, stakeholders and representatives from research facilities and future research infrastructure projects worldwide, with the purpose of identifying the challenges, best practices, and policies to develop and implement sustainable solutions at research infrastructures.