Latest articles
Sticky materials un-stick themselves in jumps
New work could change the way we think about how soft materials adhere to surfaces
An orchestral trip through the moons of our solar system
Amanda Lee Falkenberg describes the process of turning mysterious worlds into music
Opinion and reviews
Thomas Kuhn: new insights into a revolutionary philosopher of science
Gino Elia reviews The Last Writings of Thomas S Kuhn: Incommensurability in Science edited by Bojana Mladenovic
What would happen if communication systems broke down?
Ian Randall reviews Communications Breakdown: SF Stories about the Future of Connection edited by Jonathan Strahan
Lee McIntyre: the ‘rant lit’ philosopher whose angry new book is ‘peppered with flaws and contradictions’
Robert P Crease reviews On Disinformation: How to Fight for Truth and Protect Democracy by Lee McIntyre
The cost of excellence: top scientists on the brutality of the academic system
Emma Chapman reviews Fascination of Science: 60 Encounters with Pioneering Researchers of Our Time by Herlinde Koelbl (translated by Lois Hoyal)
The Creator: a big movie with big effects that explores AI ethics in surprising ways
Kyla Rushman reviews the film The Creator produced, directed and co-written by Gareth Edwards
What the movie Oppenheimer can teach today’s politicians about scientific advice
Robert P Crease says we still have much to learn from the 1954 hearing in which Oppenheimer was stripped of his security clearance
The Nobel Prize for Physics
Explore the work of recent Nobel laureates, find out what happens behind the scenes, and discover some who were overlooked for the prize
Features
Explore more in culture, history and society
Can you solve this quantum cryptic word search?
Try our fiendish quantum-physics cryptic word search, created by Ian Randall
Einstein’s only experiment is found in French museum
1915 experiment established the connection between magnetism and angular momentum
Soap bubbles transform into lasers
Laser wavelengths depend on bubble's size, paving the way for bubble-laser-based sensors of pressure or ambient electric field
Surf’s up: Physics World admires the famous Severn bore
Wave carried surfers by as we stood on a rainy riverbank
Rhapsody as European synchrotron examines Niccolò Paganini’s violin
Scientists have carried out X-ray studies on the iconic violin that was crafted in 1743
Seismic signal that pointed to alien technology was actually a passing truck
Mysterious samples from the ocean floor are not associated with 2014 meteor, study suggests
Mystery of why inkjet-printed paper curls finally solved
Physicists in Austria reveal that solvents in the ink are behind the effect
The physics behind ‘fractal painting’ revealed
The technique involves mixing colourful inks with alcohol and applying it to a surface coated with a layer of acrylic paint
First editions: in pursuit of the original Kaye and Laby
Andrew Ferguson goes hunting for a piece of physics history
Researchers solve mystery of why flying insects gather at artificial light
Tracking insects’ flight under a range of light conditions reveals that artificial lights confuse insects as to which way is up
Fermilab’s guest composer is inspired by neutrinos, poetry and physics collide at the LHC
Excerpts from the Red Folder
Cosmic code of conduct: the ethics of human testing in space
Biomedical ethicist Vasiliki Rahimzadeh discusses the need for a universal code of ethics for doing scientific research on human subjects in space
Wet scalp could protect you from lightning, structural colour makes blueberries blue
Excerpts from the Red Folder
International Day of Women and Girls in Science: inspiring stories from Physics World
Katherine Skipper looks back at last year’s coverage of research led by female physicists
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