Wanted: teachers young or old
Paula Gould reports on why the recruitment of physics teachers in England and Wales has slumped to an all-time low
Author archive
Organic magnetism finally demystified
In the January issue of Physics World, Kazuyoshi Tanaka of the Department of Molecular Engineering, Kyoto University, Japan, describes how Bakhyt Narymbetov of the Institute for Molecular Science in Okazaki, Japan, and co-workers have succeeded in differentiating two distinct magnetic phases in a carbon-60 compound (B Narymbetov et al. 2000 Nature 407 883).
Extrasolar planets
Andrew Collier Cameron explains how astronomers are searching for an Earth-like planet outside our solar system that could harbour life
Read article: Extrasolar planets
Sensors reveal the secrets of car tyres
The best place for these sensors is in the tyres themselves because this is where all the external forces on the car, with the exception of wind resistance and gravity, are felt. In the January issue of Physics World, Franz Dollinger of Siemens Corporate Technology in Munich, Germany, explains how his team collaborated with the […]
Welcome to 2001
Indeed, it is now possible to study for a degree in science and science fiction. Rest assured that this degree course at the University of Glamorgan in the UK does not involve watching videos and reading SF novels all day (note that science-fiction buffs do not approve of the term “sci-fi”). Rather the course involves […]
Read article: Welcome to 2001
Sound waves deliver a faster pint
With millions of litres of beer and lager sold every day, brewing is big business. One of the main aims of the industry is to increase production by reducing the time needed to turn the barley, hops, yeast and water into a refreshing pint. Now a team of physicists and engineers at EA Technology in […]
Read article: Sound waves deliver a faster pint
Star high-school students find pulsar
Using data from the Chandra satellite, the young scientists pinpointed an X-ray source in the supernova remnant known as IC443 and asked the National Radio Astronomy Laboratory for data from the VLA to back up their find. The radiowave data confirmed that a point-like source exists in the remnant, supporting the team’s suspicion that the […]
Read article: Star high-school students find pulsar
Flying the flag for fluid dynamics
Zhang and colleagues found that the filaments – which are several centimetres long – have two distinct stable states depending on their length. Below a certain threshold the filament stretches out straight, in line with the fluid flow. Even when the researchers nudge the filament to encourage it to flap, it quickly returns to the […]
Read article: Flying the flag for fluid dynamics
UK physics scoops extra money
The JIF scheme was set up in 1998 by the UK government and the Wellcome Trust – the world’s largest biomedical research charity – to provide much-needed funding for university laboratory facilities. The £125m divided out among 28 research projects in this latest round brings the total money awarded so far under the scheme to […]
Radiation from mobile phones amplified in human cells
Earlier studies used simplistic models that assume human cells are spherical. But many cells – for example, muscular and red blood cells – are not spherical. Sebastián’s team therefore developed a more sophisticated model that accounts for cells that are shaped like rods, cylinders and rugby balls. “If we are to understand the biological effects […]
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