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Pick of the Week

The physics of novel computation: beyond bits and chips to spikes and spins

‘Little red dots’ could herald the birth of supermassive black holes

Did cocoons of dense gas shine brightly in the early universe?

The Quantum Kid: childhood curiosity makes physics more accessible

Our podcast guest makes science videos for young people

Seven writers, four physicists, one room, lots of plushies

Quiz of the week: where does new research say the universe’s ‘missing’ baryonic matter is?

Has vacuum birefringence been seen at long last?

Research updates

No quantum advantage (yet) in the world of tensor networks

Colliding molecules reveal their ‘cone of reaction’

A diagram showing lots of blue arrows coming together from different directions towards a glowing red irregularly-shaped central object

Upconverting colloidal quantum dots bring ‘colour vision’ to the infrared

The nanostructures can be incorporated into wearable eyeglasses

Fast radio bursts reveal that the universe’s ‘missing matter’ is found far from galaxies

Counterintuitive finding could help us better understand how highly energetic galactic activities impact the formation of cosmological structures

Semiconducting nanorods help laser-powered drones keep cool

Researchers incorporate a heat blocking technology into the solar cells onboard remote uncrewed aerial vehicles

Shortcut for simulating logical magic states could accelerate the design of fault-tolerant quantum computers

New classical simulation technique makes it practical to benchmark large-scale logical magic-state preparation protocols under realistic noise conditions

Frame-dragging measurement around the Earth sets new precision record

Laser-ranging technique proves Einstein right again

Seismic waves reflected from Earth’s core moved parts of Japan 5 mm east

Shift followed the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake and represents a new type of seismic hazard

Jobs hub

Access the latest physics careers advice

Latest news

Researchers propose ‘economic Q’ metric for judging fusion power plant viability

Critics deride US administration’s ‘golden age of science’ report

Future of UK physics threatened by ‘ruinous’ funding cuts, says Institute of Physics

The latest opinion and reviews

Knowing through uncertainty: probability and the evolution of our cosmos

Why physics should move beyond prestige in PhD admissions

Fairer criteria must be used when recruiting doctoral students

The Bayeux Tapestry: how optical techniques have let this artwork come home

Honor Powrie celebrates the optical techniques that have digitized, restored and protected the Bayeux Tapestry

Physics World podcasts

Motivation is key to the public’s trust in science, study reveals

Building bridges between quantum and classical computing

From pit stop to plant food: how Grand Prix crowd’s urine becomes fertilizer

Racing cars on track with crowds in background illustration

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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Materials
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Advances in molecularly imprinted polymers for electrochemical sensing

Discover how molecular imprinting enables selective electrochemical sensors for next-generation chemical detection

Physics research in India: a slide puzzle

Can you reconstruct the quantum computing image in our interactive slide puzzle?

Careers
Analysis
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Careers at the frontier of space technology

The European Space Agency recruits from all over Europe (and beyond) to further its mission of peacefully exploring and using space for the benefit of everyone

Quiz of the week: what are engineers using to control the growth of artificial blood vessels?

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

New image captures glowing shock waves in the Helix Nebula

Data were taken with the MOTHRA telescope, which is still under construction

‘Kinetic electronics’ make self-connecting circuits

Eventual goal is electronic devices that can reconfigure and even repair themselves

Word flower puzzle no. 7

How many words can you find in this puzzle?

Crystal symmetry controls hydrogen’s quantum tunnelling

Discovery could support the development of safer and more efficient hydrogen storage media

Diagram showing classical and quantum ways that hydrogen can move to different lattice sites within a vanadium crystal

Physicists extend Hawking’s black hole laws to dynamical objects

Thermodynamics can describe the mechanics of black holes that change over time

Artist's image of a black hole growing in response to an influx of energy. This influx is represented by orange lines and particles streaming in towards the black hole's event horizon, which is represented by an orange boundary

Artificial blood vessels grow with the help of mechanical forces

New technique could allow for the scalable production of vascular tissue networks for regenerative medicine

Transit-based exoplanet survey finds its first microlensing exoplanet

Additional planetary signals may be hidden in TESS data, say astronomers

Artist's impression of a planet orbiting a distant star. The planet is in the foreground and has orange and yellow stripes reminiscent of Jupiter's. The star is pale yellow and distant.

Thermal imaging technique helps overcome a major problem for gravitational-wave astronomy

Correcting heat-induced distortions in interferometer mirrors will dramatically increase the sensitivity of gravitational-wave detectors

Researchers test a novel adaptive optics device

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

Changes in structure and ionic resistance of lithium-ion battery graphite electrodes

Join the audience for a live webinar at 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. EDT on 5 August 2026

For modellers and experimentalists: discover how SEI formation and graphite expansion define Li‑ion transport in electrodes

Sponsored by The Electrochemical Society, BioLogic, Hiden Analytical

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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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