Read article: Japanese Nobel-prize-winning semiconductor pioneer Isamu Akasaki dies aged 92 Personalities News Japanese Nobel-prize-winning semiconductor pioneer Isamu Akasaki dies aged 92 Akasaki was instrumental in the creation of blue LEDs in the 1980s and 1990s that led to a wide range of applications
Read article: Retraction of Nature paper puts Majorana research on a new path Particle and nuclear News Retraction of Nature paper puts Majorana research on a new path “Inconsistencies” are found with the original analysis but an independent report finds no instances of data fabrication
Read article: UK researchers decry ‘shameful’ cuts to international support fund Environmental policy News UK researchers decry ‘shameful’ cuts to international support fund Open letter warns of damage caused by reductions to official development assistance grants
Read article: NASA’s Perseverance rover lands safely on Mars Telescopes and space missions News NASA’s Perseverance rover lands safely on Mars Mission now begins the search for signs of ancient microbial life in a dried-out river delta
Read article: United Arab Emirates’ Hope probe enters Martian orbit Planetary science News United Arab Emirates’ Hope probe enters Martian orbit Reaching Mars represents a key step in turbocharging the UAE’s science capabilities
Read article: Next-generation planetary missions could hunt for gravitational waves, say astronomers Astronomy and space News Next-generation planetary missions could hunt for gravitational waves, say astronomers Spacecraft heading to Uranus and Neptune in the next decade could be used to detect gravitational waves as they travel on their way
Read article: Doomsday Clock remains perilously close to midnight Culture, history and society News Doomsday Clock remains perilously close to midnight COVID-19 pandemic described as a "historic wake-up call"
Read article: US president Joe Biden sets out his science agenda Policy and funding News US president Joe Biden sets out his science agenda Biden has appointed the geneticist Eric Lander as his science adviser and elevated the position to the cabinet
Read article: Dutch physicist and Nobel laureate Martinus Veltman dies aged 89 Personalities News Dutch physicist and Nobel laureate Martinus Veltman dies aged 89 The work of Martinus Veltman was instrumental in understanding the weak interaction in particle physics
Read article: Silicon-based material with a direct band gap is the Physics World 2020 Breakthrough of the Year Materials News Silicon-based material with a direct band gap is the Physics World 2020 Breakthrough of the Year Award goes to an international team led by Erik Bakkers