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Physics World Weekender

European Space Agency unveils first images from Earth-observation ‘sounder’ satellite

The pioneers of weather forecasting

Met Office atmospheric physicist Susan Ballard finds it "stimulating" to read about some of her earliest predecessors

European centre celebrates 50 years at the forefront of weather forecasting

Andy Brown at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts discusses the growing impact of AI and machine learning on forecasting

How weather became a science

A book on three pioneers of meteorology reveals much about their science, although little about their personalities, says David M Schultz

Research updates

Scientists quantify behaviour of micro- and nanoplastics in city environments

Abundance and composition of atmospheric plastics

Ion-clock transition could benefit quantum computing and nuclear physics

Schematic showing how the shape of ytterbium-173 nucleus affects the clock transition

Einstein’s recoiling slit experiment realized at the quantum limit

Laboratory set-up of Einstein’s thought experiment

Uranus and Neptune may be more rocky than icy, say astrophysicists

Novel modelling approach suggests that the traditionally ice-rich image of these planets may be skewed

String-theory concept boosts understanding of biological networks

Better imaging data point to surface minimization

Could silicon become the bedrock of quantum computers?

Australian spin-out Silicon Quantum Computing makes the case with a modality-leading 11-qubit processor

New sensor uses topological material to detect helium leaks

Device works by monitoring frequency of sound waves propagating through a kagome material

Encrypted qubits can be cloned and stored in multiple locations

“Elegant” result has implications for a quantum internet

Hot ancient galaxy cluster challenges current cosmological models

Observations of the thermal energy in a baby galaxy cluster 12.4 billion light years away suggest much more energetic early cluster growth than current theories assume

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Latest news

Michele Dougherty steps aside as president of the Institute of Physics

People
News

Physicist Norbert Holtkamp takes over as head of Fermilab

Astronomer Daniel Jaffe named president of the Giant Magellan Telescope project

The latest opinion and reviews

The Future Circular Collider is unduly risky – CERN needs a ‘Plan B’

Is our embrace of AI naïve and could it lead to an environmental disaster?

Johan Hansson says it is dangerous to treat artificial intelligence as a magic wand

silhouette of figure in a hoodie holding a glowing red AI chip

The obscure physics theory that helped Chinese science emerge from the shadows

Robert P Crease reveals the curious twist in the development of Chinese physics in the 1960s

Physics World podcasts

AI-based tool improves the quality of radiation therapy plans for cancer treatment

Cosmic time capsules: the search for pristine comets

Small white dot with a blue halo. Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS observed by the Hubble telescope

Laser fusion: Focused Energy charts a course to commercial viability

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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The physics of an unethical daycare model that uses illness to maximize profits

The arXiv paper is "not intended as a recipe for unethical daycare centre"

**Saving the Titanic: the science of icebergs and unsinkable ships**

Two studies published this week have an unexpected (if tenuous) link to the 20th century’s most famous maritime disaster

Photo showing a raft of six battered-looking metal tubes floating on the surface of a water. Everything is bathed in blue light and a few bubbles are present.

The power of a poster

Kevin McGuigan highlights what a good poster can do for your research

Row of 3 posters on a wall next to an open office door

Fuel cell catalyst requirements for heavy-duty vehicle applications

Join the audience for a live webinar at 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. EST on 18 February 2026

Discover the realities and requirements of catalyst development for fuel cell applications

Ask me anything: Mažena Mackoit-Sinkevičienė – ‘Above all, curiosity drives everything’

Mažena Mackoit-Sinkevičienė works in quantum optics and technology and is vice-president of the Lithuanian Physical Society

Modelling wavefunction collapse as a continuous flow yields insights on the nature of measurement

Quantum state diffusion framework makes it possible to characterize quantum measurement in terms of entropy production

Schematic diagram showing a spinning coin. In the "instantaneous wavefunction collapse" picture, the coin is instantly either heads or tails. In the quantum state diffusion gradual wavefunction collapse, the coin is drawn as wobbling between heads and tails as it falls, before finally settling on heads.

NPL unveils miniature atomic fountain clock

Precision timekeeper is just 5% the size of a conventional clock

Illustration of a conventional atomic fountain clock (left) next to NPL’s miniature atomic fountain clock

Shining laser light on a material produces subtle changes in its magnetic properties

New use for photolithography could have applications for data storage

Photo of three researchers in white clean room gear, pictured in a laboratory

CERN accepts $1bn in private cash towards Future Circular Collider

Cash comes as Mark Thomson takes the reins at CERN

Polarization-sensitive photoacoustic microscopy reveals heart tissue health

Label-free imaging technique can distinguish diseased cardiac tissue from healthy tissue and identify different types of fibrosis

MIR-DS-PAM images of fibrotic and normal cardiac tissue

India turns to small modular nuclear reactors to meet climate targets

While SMRs could help meet climate targets there are concerns over their commercial viability

Gravitational lensing sheds new light on Hubble constant controversy

Astronomers calculate new value for the universe's expansion

A montage of eight time-delay gravitational lens systems. There is an entire galaxy at the centre of each image, and bright points in rings around them.

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

Reversible degradation phenomenon in PEMWE cells

Join the audience for a live webinar at 6 p.m. GMT/1 p.m. EST on 4 February 2026

Sponsored by The Electrochemical Society, Hiden Analytical, Scribner Associates, Gamry Instruments

Investigate how voltage dips below 1.5 V trigger reversible PEMWE performance gains, driven by iridium oxidation dynamics and reaction kinetics

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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

Food Physics 2026

4—5 February 2026 | Leeds, UK

Physics plays a crucial role in the design of delicious, healthy, and nutritious food and beverages. This annual conference, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2026, brings together academics and industry professionals to share the latest developments and explore opportunities for physicists to tackle multidisciplinary challenges. These challenges range from sustainability to food manufacturing and the design of multiphase microstructures.

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