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New way of seeing round corners has picosecond temporal resolution
Nonlinear optics improves photon timing
Water transforms into gold-coloured metallic solution
New laboratory technique bypasses the need for astronomically high pressures
Research updates
X-ray flares spotted from behind a black hole
Observation could lead to further insights into black-hole coronas
Radioactive marker enables imaging of iron-hungry cancer cells
A new imaging agent can help determine how susceptible cancer cells are to iron-targeting treatments
Ultrathin glass films exhibit exotic liquid phase
New form of glass is extremely dense and highly stable
‘Stop-motion movie of atoms’ reveals short-lived state in nanoscale switch
First snapshots of ultrafast switching could lead to more energy-efficient computing
Towards Auger therapy with iodine-infused nanoparticles
Tumour masses containing iodine-infused nanoparticles shrank when hit with X-rays, hinting at potential for Auger therapy using high-Z elements
New semiconductor cools computer chips
High-thermal-conductivity boron arsenide is better at removing heat than the best thermal-management devices available today
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Top tips for super sandcastles: explore the weird world of sand
What do we really know about the science of sandcastles? Ian Randall grabs his bucket and spade to explore the weird world of sand science
Summer internships: Constantine Pelesis – ‘I built up my network and got an understanding of how a whole company works together’
Laura Hiscott speaks to Constantine Pelesis, an early-career physicist who did a summer internship at medical-physics company Adaptix
Medical physics and biophysics
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Latest articles
Read article: Twists, turns, thrills and spills: the physics of rollercoasters
Twists, turns, thrills and spills: the physics of rollercoasters
There is much more physics at play than simply gravity and speed when it comes to the thrill of rollercoasters, as Michael Allen discovers
Read article: Encountering infinity: the aspects of reality we cannot comprehend
Encountering infinity: the aspects of reality we cannot comprehend
David Appell reviews Probable Impossibilities: Musings on Beginnings and Endings by Alan Lightman
Read article: New non-COVID research projects plunge by a third since the start of the pandemic
New non-COVID research projects plunge by a third since the start of the pandemic
COVID-19 pandemic beginning to show long-lasting impact on scientific research, says US study
Read article: 20,000 channels of seismic data reveal Arctic climate change
20,000 channels of seismic data reveal Arctic climate change
Geophysicist Rob Abbott on using a novel instrument to study sea ice in the Arctic
Read article: New evidence supports dark-spot theory for Betelgeuse’s ‘Great Dimming’
New evidence supports dark-spot theory for Betelgeuse’s ‘Great Dimming’
But what caused that dark spot to form in the first place?
Read article: The unsung theory: why thermodynamics is as important as quantum mechanics and general relativity
The unsung theory: why thermodynamics is as important as quantum mechanics and general relativity
Philip Ball reviews Einstein’s Fridge: the Science of Fire, Ice and the Universe by Paul Sen
Read article: Neutron-science pioneer John Enderby dies aged 90
Neutron-science pioneer John Enderby dies aged 90
British physicist was a staunch advocate of scholarly publishing
Read article: Think before you ‘speak’: brain–computer interface restores speech in paralysed man
Think before you ‘speak’: brain–computer interface restores speech in paralysed man
Neuroscientists translate a paralysed patient’s brain signals into sentences, enabling a new communication avenue for those who have lost their ability to speak
Read article: Summer internships: Maria Violaris – ‘I developed general research skills, which are useful in both industry and academia’
Summer internships: Maria Violaris – ‘I developed general research skills, which are useful in both industry and academia’
Laura Hiscott speaks to Maria Violaris, an early-career physicist who did summer internships at Innovia Technology and Riverlane
Read article: New location technique shatters the diffraction limit
New location technique shatters the diffraction limit
Resolution of 1/76 of a wavelength achieved using an echo chamber
Read article: Introducing the non-radiating antenna
Introducing the non-radiating antenna
An antenna’s radiation can be turned off using a dielectric disc, creating a non-radiative “meta-atom”
Read article: Protons combine with photons to optimize cancer treatments
Protons combine with photons to optimize cancer treatments
Combining proton and photon treatments could increase the implementation of proton therapy or help optimize existing proton resources
Read article: Spending your summer wisely: internships special
Spending your summer wisely: internships special
Laura Hiscott speaks to some early-career physicists who did summer internships in different places, from start-ups to university departments
Read article: ‘Bogolons’ make graphene superconducting
‘Bogolons’ make graphene superconducting
2D form of carbon transforms into a high-temperature superconductor if placed near a Bose-Einstein condensate, say theorists
Read article: Novel PET tracer sheds light on plaque formation in Alzheimer’s disease
Novel PET tracer sheds light on plaque formation in Alzheimer’s disease
A new PET tracer identifies brain activity involved in the development of amyloid plaque in people with Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases
Read article: Metamaterial sculpts heart-shaped darkness from light
Metamaterial sculpts heart-shaped darkness from light
Sub-wavelength imaging could benefit from new technology
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Novel sources of tunable laser light
Live webinar on 12 August 2021 exploring the performance of continuous-wave optical parametric oscillators
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10th International Conference on Waste Management and the Environment 2020
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