Starts and restarts
Leading a small laser firm through various incarnations has taught Steve Birrell lessons about science, business and the differences between physicists and engineers
Read article: Starts and restarts
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I'm an online editor at Physics World. I write about applied physics research, and generally "fly the flag" for the practical and commercial side of physics within the Physics World team. I joined Physics World in 2008, shortly after completing my PhD in experimental atomic physics at Durham University, but I’m not from these parts originally: I grew up in Kansas and did my undergraduate degree in the US. Aside from industry physics, I'm interested in science policy and every now and then I get nostalgic about soldering circuits and fiddling around with lasers. Outside work I enjoy hiking, reading about history and becoming less incompetent at karate.
Leading a small laser firm through various incarnations has taught Steve Birrell lessons about science, business and the differences between physicists and engineers
Read article: Starts and restarts
A new UK facility aims to help photonics experts translate their ideas into products that benefit patients
Read article: Photons for a healthier world
Margaret Harris observes that lithium not only offers a playground for atomic physicists, but also provides a route to greener energy and a life-changing treatment for people with a bipolar disorder
Read article: Battle of the elements: lithium is the little element making a big difference
Materials scientist Judith Driscoll on how working with industrial partners has contributed to her research
Read article: Complex oxides and collaborative science
Ralf Kaiser and David Mahon on using muon tomography systems to “see” inside complex, shielded structures, such as drums containing nuclear waste
Read article: Seeing past the ordinary
Materials that pack 40% more energy into batteries and a smart watch that monitors blood glucose were among the highlights at last week’s IDTechEx Show
Read article: Smart sensors and novel nanomaterials draw crowds in Berlin
Ultrapure graphene is grown in labs under carefully controlled conditions, but Mark Thompson believes that exploiting the material’s properties on a large scale requires a different approach
Read article: Making graphene by the tonne
The problem of climate change is so serious that even scientists at oil and gas firms are talking about it – sort of
Read article: Facing up to the decarbonization challenge
A talk about world travel patterns at the APS March meeting raises fascinating questions about how and where people choose to go
Read article: Mapping the network of international tourism
Leaders of the UK's industrial-physics community eye up their options as the country prepares to leave the European Union
Read article: Hi-tech firms seek clarity amid Brexit confusion