Today's headlines
How to measure a single quantum spin in a rapidly rotating diamond
Lasers and microwaves used to study crystal spinning at 200,000 rpm
Timing tests promise performance boost for positron emission tomography
State-of-the-art materials and photodetectors produce faster response times, which could improve image quality
Raman imaging plus AI classifies brain cancers during surgery
Stimulated Raman histology combined with artificial intelligence could provide near real-time brain tumour diagnosis during surgery
Research updates
Fungal ‘shrapnel’ bursts into the atmosphere
Airborne fragments of fungal cells just 30 nm across have been found at concentrations far higher than expected
Artificial intelligence reveals how light flows around nanoparticles
New technique could be used to design a wide range of optical devices
Metasurfaces help shape laser beams
New approach allows vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) to produce beams with made-to-order wavefront shapes
Forbidden nuclear transition sheds light on how some stars die
Laboratory experiment suggests that intermediate-mass stars expire via thermonuclear explosions
Invisible dye embeds vaccination records on skin
A microneedle patch containing fluorescent quantum dots invisibly encodes vaccination history in the skin
Ultrasensitive PET enables sub-second total-body imaging
Combining the uEXPLORER total-body PET/CT scanner with advanced image reconstruction enables real-time capture of blood flow and heart function
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Reimagining the future of food
Joe McEntee reports from an annual gathering of food physicists in Leeds, UK
Joined-up thinking targets multiple-lesion dosimetry
The ClearView 3D Dosimeter is the centrepiece of an integrated dosimetry system developed specifically for QA of stereotactic radiosurgery treatments
The secret of the synchronized pendulums
Christiaan Huygens was the first to notice that pairs of linked pendulums can swing in synchrony. But as Jonatan Pena Ramirez and Henk Nijmeijer explain, mystery sti...
Agustina Ruiz Dupont: the greatest physicist you’ve never heard of
James Dacey reviews El Enigma Agustina, directed by Emilio J García and Manuel González
Searching for new worlds
Nobel laureate Didier Queloz on winning the award and the next step for exoplanet research
Bad business models
James McKenzie examines the reasons why the WiFi-connected Juicero Press failed
The physics of public opinion
Ever wonder how the public mood can change suddenly? Rachel Brazil investigates how physicists try to predict shifting opinions using physical laws
Medical physics and biophysics
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Latest articles
Innovation lights up photonics
This year's Photonics West and BIOS events will bring together scientists, entrepreneurs and big business to discuss the trends that will drive the future of the optics industry
Graphene for physicists, materials scientists, and engineers
Further thoughts about graphene headphones, plus a rule for distinguishing between different types of single(ish)-layer carbon
The mathematics of a good espresso, a mummy speaks after 3000 years, volcano turns human brain to glass
Excerpts from the Red Folder
Chinese researchers returning home in greater numbers
About 80% of Chinese scientists who have gone abroad to study or work in the previous decade have returned home
African American physics students need more support, says report
Sweeping changes to US university-level teaching in physics and astronomy are required to address the long-running and systemic exclusion of African Americans
Photon frequency doubler is controlled by light
New technique could lead to all-optical computers
Can a simple sweat sensor replace blood tests?
A new sweat sensor can remove the need for blood draws to monitor levels of metabolites
Could faster breast cancer radiotherapy replace longer treatments?
A shorter course of higher-dose radiation to part of the breast shows promise for women with localized breast cancer
Nanomaterial-coated fabric destroys chemical warfare agents
Composite metal-organic frameworks might be used in protective suits and face masks for soldiers
The Euler spiral of rat whiskers, a colourful Inca statue, a “quantum bottleneck” in hiring
Excerpts from the Red Folder
Ultra-flat graphene goes wrinkle free
Proton-assisted growth smooths out the carbon sheet
Ancient rings surrounding the Sun could have divided the solar system
Clear distinction between rocky planet and gas giants explained by new study
Progress in physical chemistry may enhance light-based therapies
Non-toxic silicon nanocrystals enable more effective phototherapies by converting low-energy photons to higher energies
Helicopter infrasound shakes historic rock formations
How do the vibrations from helicopter rotor blades affect ancient rock arches and other natural rock formations?
Lithium-6 enriched semiconductor is efficient detector of thermal neutrons
Compact detectors based on 2D material could find a range of applications
Careers for physicists in a dynamic world
PhD students at a careers event in Edinburgh, UK picked up tips from physicists in data science, hi-tech manufacturing, medical AI and more
Deep traps add memory to mechanoluminescent materials
Materials that "remember" when and where they experienced mechanical stresses divulge their history under a laser spotlight
FLASH radiotherapy with protons protects normal tissue while killing cancer
High-dose rate FLASH radiotherapy using protons decreases damage to normal tissue without reducing anti-tumour activity
Quantum horizons
A new crop of quantum technologies is set to make waves in the commercial world. Get up to speed on what they are and what impact they will have in the future.
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