Physics World Weekender
Want to slash your energy bill? Try these record-breaking solar cells
James McKenzie examines the potential of new “tandem” solar cells
Combining solar power with thermal storage to avoid wasting energy
Australian company RayGen hopes to solve the limits of solar power by combining its systems with thermal storage, as Richard Stevenson reports
Research updates
‘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
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
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
New Machine Learning series
Discover IOPP’s new Machine Learning series™ the world’s first open access journal series dedicated to the application and development of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) for the sciences.
Physics World podcasts
The latest opinion and reviews
A PhD in cups of espresso: how logging my coffee consumption helped me write my thesis
Vittorio Aita explains an unusual side project that kept him on track during the last months of his PhD
Reanimating the ‘living Earth’ concept for a more cynical world
James Dacey reviews Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life by Ferris Jabr
Medical physics and biophysics
Find the information you need from IOP Publishing’s world-leading medical physics and biophysics journals and books, dedicated to supporting and improving research across the field, from fundamental science through to novel applications and facilities.
Read more of our latest articles
Read article: The Arecibo Observatory’s ‘powerful radiation environment’ led to its collapse, claims report
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
Read article: Top-cited author Vaidehi Paliya discusses the importance of citations and awards
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
Read article: UK particle physicist Mark Thomson selected as next CERN boss
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
Read article: Timber! Japan launches world’s first wooden satellite into space
Timber! Japan launches world’s first wooden satellite into space
LignoSat will test the possibilities of building wooden human habitats in space
Read article: Women and physics: navigating history, careers, and the path forward
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
Read article: Why AI is a force for good in science communication
Why AI is a force for good in science communication
Claire Malone looks at the ups and downs of using AI to communicate science
Read article: Universe’s lifespan too short for monkeys to type out Shakespeare’s works, finds study
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
Read article: Bursts of embers play outsized role in wildfire spread, say physicists
Bursts of embers play outsized role in wildfire spread, say physicists
Experiments on tracking firebrands could improve predictions of spot-fire risks
Read article: IHEP-SDU in search of ‘quantum advantage’ to open new frontiers in high-energy physics
IHEP-SDU in search of ‘quantum advantage’ to open new frontiers in high-energy physics
Opportunities in quantum science and technology a high priority for China’s high-energy physicists
Read article: Chip-based optical tweezers manipulate microparticles and cells from a distance
Chip-based optical tweezers manipulate microparticles and cells from a distance
Integrated optical phased array uses a tightly focused beam of light to trap and manipulate biological particles
Read article: AI enters the fold with the 2024 Nobel Prize for Physics:
AI enters the fold with the 2024 Nobel Prize for Physics:
Matin Durrani is pleased that the 2024 Nobel Prize for Physics brings AI under physicists' wing
Read article: Two distinct descriptions of nuclei unified for the first time
Two distinct descriptions of nuclei unified for the first time
Hybrid approach focuses on short-range-correlated nucleon pairs
Read article: Superconductivity theorist Leon Cooper dies aged 94
Superconductivity theorist Leon Cooper dies aged 94
Cooper carried out research into superconductivity and neuroscience
Read article: From buckyballs to biological membranes: ISIS celebrates 40 years of neutron science
From buckyballs to biological membranes: ISIS celebrates 40 years of neutron science
As ISIS – the UK’s muon and neutron source – turns 40, Rosie de Laune and colleagues from ISIS explore the past, present and future of neutron scattering
Read article: Optical technique measures intramolecular distances with angstrom precision
Optical technique measures intramolecular distances with angstrom precision
Modified MINFLUX approach could be used to study biological processes inside cells
Read article: Daily adaptive proton therapy employed in the clinic for the first time
Daily adaptive proton therapy employed in the clinic for the first time
Researchers in Switzerland have integrated online daily adaptation into the clinical proton therapy workflow
Read article: Imaging method could detect Parkinson’s disease up to 20 years before symptoms appear
Imaging method could detect Parkinson’s disease up to 20 years before symptoms appear
A technique that combines super-resolution microscopy with advanced computational analysis could identify early signs of Parkinson’s disease
Read article: Ask me anything: Raghavendra Srinivas – ‘Experimental physics is never boring’
Ask me anything: Raghavendra Srinivas – ‘Experimental physics is never boring’
Quantum scientist Raghavendra Srinivas thinks young researchers shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions
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