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Latest articles

Why telling bigger stories is the only way to counter misinformation

A physicist’s guide to ice cream: the complex science behind one of the world’s most popular desserts

From foaming to phase transitions, Douglas Goff explains the physics behind a perfect scoop

Moonstruck: art and science collide in stunning collection of lunar maps and essays

Ian Randall reviews LUNAR: A History of the Moon in Myths, Maps + Matter

Opinion and reviews

Cartoon of someone alone in a crowded space

What physics metaphor do you think needs to be experimentally verified?

Large group of people celebrating at CERN

Unclear nature: anthropological study of CERN is a missed opportunity to bridge physics and social sciences

Old wood and mercury thermometer with a scale hand drawn along its length

Setting the scale: the life and work of Anders Celsius

Sceptical space settlers, Einstein in England, trials of the JWST, tackling quantum fundamentals: micro reviews of the best recent books

Condensed natter: Physics World editors give their compressed verdicts on top new books

Confused by the twin paradox? Maybe philosophy can help

Robert P Crease discusses a puzzle that goes to the heart of science and philosophy

Around the world in 16 orbits: a day in the life of the International Space Station

Kate Gardner reviews the novel Orbital by Samantha Harvey

Rambling tour of Europe explores the backstory of the Scientific Revolution

Victoria Atkinson reviews Inside the Stargazer’s Palace by Violet Moller

Stop this historic science site in St Petersburg from being sold

A historic scientific landmark may soon disappear, says Robert P Crease

A breezy tour of what gaseous materials do for us

Margaret Harris reviews It’s a Gas: the Magnificent and Elusive Elements that Expand Our World by Mark Miodownik

Physics World podcast

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.

Features

Black and white photo of a woman in an art studio; and colour photo of a round stained glass artwork

A ‘quantum rose’ for the 21st century: Oksana Kondratyeva on her stained-glass art inspired by a quantum computer

Return to Helgoland: celebrating 100 years of quantum mechanics

A musician and an artist on a large stage in front of an enormous screen showing a painting

Akiko Nakayama: the Japanese artist skilled in fluid mechanics

Explore more in culture, history and society

Defying gravity: insights into hula hoop levitation

Successful hula hooping requires a gyrating body with a particular slope and curvature

The 10 quirkiest stories from the world of physics in 2024

We revisit the physics of papercuts, a quantum escape room and much more

Photo of fireworks exploding over a body of water

Picking winners: the 10 most popular physics stories of 2024

Take a tour of the year's highlights with this list of the most-read stories published in Physics World in 2024

**Two advances in quantum error correction share the Physics World 2024 Breakthrough of the Year**

Complementary research brings practical quantum computing closer

Abstract representation of coloured light, dust and physics equations

From physics to filmmaking: Mark Levinson on his new documentary, The Universe in a Grain of Sand

Towards a unified vision of nature, humans and machines

Exploring this year’s best physics research in our Top 10 Breakthroughs of 2024

Lively chat about antimatter, medical physics, quantum computing, lasers and more

Top 10 Breakthroughs of the Year in physics for 2024 revealed

Work on entangled imaging, recoiling nuclei and transparent mice are on our shortlist

Quantum
Blog

International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025: here’s all you need to know

Matin Durrani explains how you can stay on top of all things quantum-related during the next 12 months

Martin Rees, Carlo Rovelli and Steven Weinberg tackle big questions to mark Oxford anniversary

Milestone marked by commemorative volume in Journal of Physics: Conference Series

Eileen Collins attending a survival training course at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma

Trailblazer: astronaut Eileen Collins reflects on space, adventure, and the power of lifelong learning

Astronaut Eileen Collins and filmmaker Hannah Berryman discuss the new documentary SPACEWOMAN and the thrill of pushing human frontiers

**Gems from the Physics World archive: Isaac Asimov**

Science-fiction fans in the Physics World team have a clear favourite from 36 years of articles

Roger Penrose: the Nobel laureate with a preference for transparencies over slideshows

Tushna Commissariat recounts a fascinating chat with Roger Penrose

Laureates on film: Nobel winners who have graced our silver screen

Chatting with Frank Wilczek and Albert Fert

A photo of Brian Josephson's paper on mattress rotation, located below a mattress being lifted up for rotation

How to rotate your mattress like a physics Nobel prizewinner

A tongue-in-cheek e-mail exchange with 1973 Nobel Prize winner Brian Josephson shows that for some laureates, scientific rigour extends to ordinary life, too

Use our infographic to predict this year’s Nobel prize winners

We are expecting a prize in condensed-matter physics in 2024

Nobel predictions and humorous encounters with physics laureates

Physics World editors gaze into their crystal ball and reminisce about past Nobel winners

Physicists reveal the mechanics of tea scum

Researchers have looked at how tea scum breaks apart when stirred

The physics of cycling’s ‘Everesting’ challenge revealed

Everesting involves a cyclist riding up and down a given hill multiple times until the ascent totals the elevation of Mount Everest – or 8848 m

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