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Pick of the Week

AI’s black box problem: discovering physics we don’t understand

Cartoon illustration of a man trying to understand an AI robot's output

In the age of AI, we must double down on the skills that make us experts

Nicole Sharp says that our scientific judgement has never been more important

Quiz of the week: what makes strange metals so strange?

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

Large physics models boost the performance of passenger cars

Visualization of car aerodynamics using the PhysicsX platform interface

Tell us what science you need to know to be ‘cultured’

Two photos: an earthenware dish of porridge topped with butter; and Austrian vineyards with a bottle and glasses of wine in the foreground

Astronomers express outrage after regulators approve ‘space mirror’ permit

Research updates

Experiments provide new insights into the reverse sprinkler problem

Flows of water coming into a reverse sprinkler

Quantum entanglement explains why strange metals are so strange

Illustration showing a cubic lattice of electrons glowing with an eerie green light

Super-loud gravitational waves offer a new way to study black hole event horizons

Artist's impression of the region of space around a black hole's event horizon. A doughnut-shaped region of space warps and blurs the starry black background

First medical X-ray images taken in space achieve diagnostic quality

Diagnostic X-ray images recorded during an orbital spaceflight exhibited similar contrast and spatial resolution to those taken preflight on Earth

Metasurface grating gives solar telescopes a boost

New optical device could fly on future space missions that study solar magnetic fields and space weather

Satellite-based sensor system designed to detect nuclear weapons in space

Proposed inspector satellite could one day provide a means for verifying the Outer Space Treaty

Metamaterial boosts heat transfer on the nanoscale

New finding could help improve technologies such as on-chip cooling and thermophotovoltaic systems

Powerful cosmic winds may have destroyed galaxies in the early universe

Astronomers discover a huge plume of gas streaming out of a galaxy during rapid star formation

Frost spreads across surfaces via suspended ‘ice bridges’

Previously unknown pathway involving superhydrophobic surfaces could influence the development of new anti-icing techniques

Jobs hub

Access the latest physics careers advice

Latest news

Private investment in fusion firms jumps by $4.5bn

National Science Foundation’s X-Labs initiative draws fire as ‘terrible idea’

Vera C Rubin Observatory kicks off 10-year quest to map the cosmos

The latest opinion and reviews

Evidence in action: how science helps us make better decisions

Two medical wearing scrubs either side of an incubator with two premature babies inside

Want to spot a winning technology? Here’s the key skill you need

Ian Taylor looks at the value of estimation in the business world

A pair of male hands surrounding a crystal ball

Meet the demons: four mythical creatures that inhabit science

Scientists can learn a lot from diabolical creatures, Robert P Crease reveals

Physics World podcasts

Static electricity: mysteries lurk within this everyday phenomenon

Beyond the data: art meets climate at the edge of the world

Artist Tom Bailey trekking in the Arctic with reindeer antlers

Independent linac commissioning matters for radiotherapy

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.

Explore more of our recent articles

Word flower puzzle no. 6

How many words can you find in this puzzle?

Redefining radiotherapy QA: meeting the needs of modern treatment workflows

Radiotherapy QA must adapt to a new era of adaptive treatments, AI and automation

**The 2026 Physics World Instrumentation & Vacuum Briefing is out now**

SI units, quantum sensors, compact particle acceleration and improved radiotherapy all feature in a new free-to-read briefing

Pulsing blue laser sine waves cross, forming a scientific-inspired, illuminated installation with depth. 3D render illustration.

Quiz of the week: what techniques can be combined to predict the frequency of extreme weather events?

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

History
Blog

Study reveals the energy cost of Hannibal’s Alpine crossing

The Col du Clapier route would have been the more energetically favourable

Does the Bullet Cluster contain a lot less dark matter than we thought?

New analysis of JWST observations suggests that the Bullet Cluster of galaxies might only have half as much dark matter as previously believed

Measuring the invisible: how internal dosimetry shapes radiation protection

Assessing the impact of radiation exposure is crucial for protecting the health of workers, but expert judgement is needed to interpret the results

Safety first: Internal Dosimetry is the practice of estimating intakes and risk from occupational exposures to radioactive materials (Credit: iStock/??)

Physics and the green economy: a slide puzzle

Can you reconstruct this green energy image in our interactive slide puzzle?

Graphic illustration of the concept of the green economy

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

Discover how SEI formation and graphite expansion define Li-ion transport in electrodes

Machine vision begins to work like the human eye

New artificial vision system adapts faster to changing light conditions

Antineutrino detectors could spot signs that a fusion reactor is producing weapons-grade plutonium

Non-intrusive technique could enable round-the-clock, offsite monitoring of reactor operations

Diagram of a tokamak fusion reactor emitting electron antineutrinos. A box outside the reactor represents a detector, and two people are shown for scale (they are much smaller than the reactor and a little bigger than the detector). The whole diagram is drawn in shades of grey and black.

AI-enhanced rare-event sampling helps predict extreme weather

Combining artificial intelligence with physical climate modelling enables more accurate characterization of rare weather events

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

View the employer profile

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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