Reviewed by John Maddox If war is too important to be left to the generals, then surely the research community should be on its guard against leaving the history of discovery to the historians of science who have recently captured their eponymous field. That must surely be the reasonable person’s first reading of this well […]
Bosons (for example, photons) cause constructive interference patterns. This means that the probability that both particles are detected in the same direction is enhanced by the intereference. On the other hand fermions (such as electrons), are predicted to cause destructive interference patterns. This suggests that, compared to classical physics, the probability of finding the particles […]
In a unimolecular reaction a molecule breaks into two smaller molecules (or atoms) in a manner that appears to be independent of the chemical composition of its surrounding. The number of molecules falls exponentially with time. Perrin’s radiation hypothesis is based on two conjectures: the reacting substance has to absorb radiation at the frequency required […]
Golf clubs have an intrinsic attraction to physicists. Not only is the game a relaxing sport, but designing the perfect golf club requires the modelling of some very complex interactions. Manufacturers have to take into account vibration, flexibility and rotational torque dynamics to make sure that the maximum amount of power or energy is transferred […]
COBE first hit both the scientific and international headlines in the early nineties when it confirmed that the cosmic background radiation followed a blackbody spectrum, and later when it detected fluctuations in the cosmic background. COBE was switched off in 1994, but astronomers are still analyzing the data it collected. Two years ago, a French […]
Read article: 1998 NAS awards
The National Academy of Sciences has honoured several physicists and astronomers for outstanding contributions to science
The new evidence is published in this week’s Nature. Two papers, one by David Gray of the University of Western Ontario, and one by Artie Hatzes of the University of Texas, Austin, describe new information that indicates a planet orbiting the star 51 Pegasi. The planet was originally discovered by Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz […]
China and Russia last week signed an $3 billion agreement to build a nuclear power plant in eastern China
A number of different radiation sources, such as gamma-rays and X-rays, have been used to pasteurize intact eggs. However, the high radiation dose needed to kill Salmonella and other bacteria leads to two side effects – a deterioration in the physical structure of the egg white, and a revolting smell. This means the eggs cannot […]
This week Lunar Prospector was successfully launched towards the Moon. It is NASA's first lunar mission in over 25 years
