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Building a better laser on the Moon

Multiplexed MRI expands the power of conventional brain imaging

New MRI technique simultaneously maps multiple structural, physiological and molecular biomarkers to characterize brain tumours and multiple sclerosis lesions

Multiple biomarkers in a whole-brain MRx scan

Particle size affects contact electrification

Researchers in Chile shed more light on the little-understood phenomenon of static electricity

Research updates

Electron beams rearrange atoms in a 3D crystal

Illustration of how an electron beam is used to modify a crystal

Physicists confirm proton radius is smaller than we thought

Photo of the experimental equipment used to measure the proton charge radius. There's a vacuum system at the centre of the photo, but it's almost completely hidden under cables, wires, monitors and other instruments.

Switchable skyrmions light up terahertz communications

A chip-sized device that can switch between two topologically protected light structures opens up a route to wireless communications that cannot be scrambled by the environment

Earth’s magnetic field could be ‘ringing’ with dark matter

Existing magnetometer measurements constrain dark-matter properties

Gravitational waves could leave traces in light from cold atoms

New theoretical work suggests that the pattern of light emitted by atoms could be used to detect gravitational waves at frequencies outside the range of traditional detectors

Altermagnetic insulator shows giant magneto-optical Kerr effect

Surprising result could accelerate the development of altermagnetic spintronics with potential applications in advanced memories and logic

Physicists spot signs of an atom-like system bound by the strong force alone

Observations of a nucleus paired with a neutral meson could provide new insights into the theory of quantum chromodynamics

‘Einstein’s flying mirror’ technique opens a path towards extreme light intensities

New strategy could allow physicists to conduct previously impossible experiments in which light interacts directly with the quantum vacuum

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Latest news

Nottingham physics redundancies ‘an act of academic sabotage’, warn scientists

Officials hail ‘major milestone’ for US Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment

Report highlights challenges and opportunities for UK medical physics

Medical physicists examine MRI brain scan

The latest opinion and reviews

Radio gaga: surfing the long wavelengths of the universe

Several large telescopes on a snowy mountain plateau with a person walking past in the foreground

‘Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers’: how Alfred Tennyson drew science into his poetry

Robert P Crease reviews The Boundless Deep: Young Tennyson, Science and the Crisis of Belief by Richard Holmes

Woodcut drawing of Tennyson sat at a desk surrounded by books, papers, globes and his dog

The strange metaphor of Euglena’s tail

Robert P Crease and Gino Elia unpick the strange “QBism” interpretation of quantum mechanics

Physics World podcasts

Thermodynamic computing: noise as a resource, not an enemy

Paul Howarth: IOP president highlights the need to raise the profile of physics in society

Near-oxymoronic requirements: the materials challenges of fusion energy

Explore our two regular podcast series! Physics World Weekly looks at the latest events and headlines in physics, as well as featuring short interviews with scientists and our team of journalists. Physics World Stories takes a more in-depth look at a topic.

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Word wave puzzle no.4

Can you work out the word in this puzzle?

Thyracont’s vacuum measurement instruments enable innovation across industries

From semiconductor fabrication to pharmaceuticals, quantum technologies, and materials research, Thyracont’s vacuum instruments are at the heart of some of the world’s most adv...

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Quantum science in the heart of Dublin

Trinity College Dublin is at the centre of a burgeoning quantum ecosystem in Ireland, and students on Trinity’s MSc Quantum Science and Technology are right in the middle of it a...

Quiz of the week: what technique may be able to create super-high laser intensities?

Have you been keeping up to date with physics news? Try our short quiz to find out

Photo of several researchers in a laboratory. They're all wearing identical dark blue shirts and have laser safety goggles on their heads

Is LMFP the next big thing for EV batteries?

Join the audience for a live webinar at 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. EDT on 24 June 2026

Can LMFP outpace LFP and NMC for EVs? – Maybe, if we can build better batteries!

Striking mathematical pattern uncovered in Chinese money plant leaves

The team says it is the first demonstration of 'Voronoi patterns' in plants

two images of a chinese money plant leaf

Thumbs up to Artemis II: a jigsaw puzzle

Can you reconstruct the space image we’ve pulled apart?

Four astronauts floating in a space capsule holding thumbs up and smiling

Final look inside the Cavendish lab’s 50-year home before demolition

Mićo Tatalović vists the former site of Cambridge University’s physics department before it is demolished

Ultrasound-activated nanoparticles shine a light deep within living tissues

Non-invasive technique could lead to new forms of light-based therapy for cancer and genetic conditions

Diagram showing the locations of the ultrasound applied to the mouse

Non-invasive MRI test could enable early detection of heart failure

A high-resolution, motion-resolved MRI method provides rapid and reliable measurement of heart oxygen consumption

Quiz of the week: what device have physicists used to print ‘structural colours’?

Have you been keeping up to date with physics news? Try our short quiz to find out

Images printed with structural colour ink

New W boson mass measurement agrees with Standard Model predictions

Result described as a "huge relief" after previous measurements suggested a large discrepancy

Photo of the CMS detector, which resembles a multicoloured wheel held up by green steel beams. A yellow lift vehicle is visible underneath it.

Featured employer

Physics World Jobs offers a range of opportunities for jobseekers with a background in physics or engineering. At all stages of your career, we can help find the job for you

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

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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Featured webinar

Tune into online presentations that allow expert speakers to explain novel tools and applications

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

Sponsored by Elekta

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Featured event

Stay up to date with the latest international conferences, symposia and exhibitions for interdisciplinary scientists working across academic research and industry

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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