Anita Chandran reviews The Body Digital: a Brief History of Humans and Machines from Cuckoo Clocks to ChatGPT by Vanessa Chang
Read article: The humanity of machines: the relationship between technology and our bodies
The noise is down to the base of the shoe forming wrinkles that travel at near supersonic speeds
Read article: The physics of why basketball shoes are so squeaky
Mike Follows reviews Friction: a Biography by Jennifer R Vail
Read article: An illuminating, if imperfect, celebration of friction
Predicting the future is hard, but here’s a flavour of what’s hot in physics right now
Read article: Happy new year: what’s happening in physics in 2026?
Michael Banks picks his favourite articles this year from the world of everyday physics
Read article: The quirkiest stories from the world of physics in 2025
Try our new interactive end-of-year quiz compiled by Colin White
Read article: Check your physics knowledge with our bumper end-of-year quiz
Janina Moereke discovers the practicalities of installing wind turbines in a forest
Read article: So you want to install a wind turbine? Here’s what you need to know
Honor Powrie extols the virtues being just “good enough” in life
Read article: When is good enough ‘good enough’?
"Beamforming feedback information" in latest version of the technology can identify individuals passing through radio networks with almost 100% accuracy, say researchers
Read article: Is your WiFi spying on you?
Condensed natter: Physics World editors give their compressed verdicts on top new books
Read article: Breakfast physics, delving into quantum 2.0, the science of sound, an update to everything: micro reviews of recent books
