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Festive five: Physics World picks its favourite features from 2018

23 Dec 2018 Matin Durrani
Montage covers of Physics World containing favourite feautres of 2018
Festive five: these issues of Physics World contained our favourite features of 2018

As 2018 draws to a close, you may have noticed us announce the Physics World Breakthrough of the Year for research into “twistronics” and the Physics World Book of the Year, which was awarded to Beyond Weird by Philip Ball.

I’m now pleased to reveal the five authors whose Physics World features we’ve picked as our favourites of 2018. We’ve published almost 80 features over the last year in our monthly magazine, focus issues, special reports and online.

But these authors’ articles have all the hallmarks of a top Physics World feature, in that they tell a good story, say something profound and are pitched at a level that you – the connossieurs of physics – will enjoy.

They are, in chronological order:

Imre Bartos, from the University of Florida in the US, for “A new cosmic messenger” from the January 2018 issue of Physics World, in which he describes the excitement surrounding the recent discovery of gravitational waves form two colliding neutron stars.

Philip Ball, science writer in London, UK, for “Is photosynthesis quantum-ish?” from the April 2018 issue of Physics World, in which he examines whether there’s something inherently quantum in how plants turn sunlight into energy.

Seth Lloyd, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for “Stephen Hawking’s scientific legacy” from the May 2018 issue of Physics World, in which he recalls the immense scientific contributions of the great cosmologist, who died in March this year.

Sidney Perkowitz, Emory University in Atlanta, US, for “Time examined and time experienced” from the July 2018 issue of Physics World, in which he surveys our changing scientific and philosophical understanding of time over the centuries.

Melanie Windridge, Tokamak Energy and Imperial College London, for “Physicist on top of the world”, from the September 2018 issue of Physics World, in which she describes her summit of the world’s highest peak and explains how scientific and technological advances are helping to make the ascent less arduous.

Congratulations to all our winners – and remember, if you have an idea for a feature of your own, features editor Sarah Tesh would love to hear from you.

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