For as long as computers have existed, physicists have used them as tools to understand, predict and model the natural world. Computing experts, for their part, have used advances in physics to develop machines that are faster, smarter and more ubiquitous than ever. This collection celebrates the latest phase in this symbiotic relationship, as the rise of artificial intelligence and quantum computing opens up new possibilities in basic and applied research
Manufacturing silicon qubits at scale
As quantum computing matures, will decades of engineering give silicon qubits an edge? Fernando Gonzalez-Zalba, Tsung-Yeh Yang and Alessandro Rossi think so
Small computers find an industrial niche
Physicist and Raspberry Pi inventor Eben Upton explains how simple computers are becoming integral to the Internet of Things
30 years of the web
Challenges of interdisciplinary physics and the Web at 30
Physics World journalists discuss the week’s highlights
Vague but exciting: how the Web transformed business
James McKenzie explains how Tim Berners-Lee's invention of the World Wide Web at CERN has revolutionized how we trade.
Electronic publishing and visions of hypertext
Tim Berners-Lee predicts the future of online publishing in an article he wrote for Physics World in 1992
Illustrating 30 years of the Web
Jess Wade illustrates the history of the World Wide Web, from the technology that enabled it to the staple it is today
The future of the Internet
Emerging technologies shaping our connected world
Physics World 30th anniversary podcast series – 30 years of the World Wide Web
Fifth episode in mini-series revisits the birth of the Web and the challenges it now faces
The third pillar of science
Computing is transforming scientific research, but are researchers and software code adapting at the same rate? Benjamin Skuse finds out
Simulations reveal new insights
Wanted: an electrical grid that runs on 100% renewable energy
Global conflicts are making renewable energy more attractive, but an all-renewable grid will require solving physics problems as well as political and economic ones
Read article: Wanted: an electrical grid that runs on 100% renewable energy
New project takes aim at theory-experiment gap in materials data
MaterialsGalaxy platform will reduce unhelpful “silos” within the field, say scientists
Read article: New project takes aim at theory-experiment gap in materials data
Oscar-winning computer scientist on the physics of computer animation
CGI pioneer Pat Hanrahan is our podcast guest
Read article: Oscar-winning computer scientist on the physics of computer animation
Simple feedback mechanism keeps flapping flyers stable when hovering
Discovery could improve the performance of hovering robots and even artificial pollinators
Read article: Simple feedback mechanism keeps flapping flyers stable when hovering
Staying the course with lockdowns could end future pandemics in months
New calculation of viral spread suggests that rapid elimination of SARS-CoV-2-like viruses is scientifically feasible, though social challenges remain
Read article: Staying the course with lockdowns could end future pandemics in months
Laser-driven implosion could produce megatesla magnetic fields
Simulations of improved technique generate fields as strong as those found near neutron stars
Read article: Laser-driven implosion could produce megatesla magnetic fields
Machine learning reveals new science
Deep learning helps radiologists detect lung cancer on chest X-rays
Introducing artificial intelligence into the clinical workflow helps radiologists detect lung cancer lesions on chest X-rays and dismiss false-positives
Machine learning puts nanomaterials in the picture
Algorithms help materials scientists recognize patterns in structure-function relationships
Deep learning algorithm helps diagnose neurological emergencies
A deep learning algorithm detects brain haemorrhages on head CT scans with comparable performance to highly trained radiologists
Artificial intelligence helps detect atrial fibrillation
An artificial intelligence model can identify patients with intermittent atrial fibrillation from scans performed during normal heart rhythm
Machine learning is implemented on an IBM quantum processor
Proof-of-concept demonstration done using two superconducting qubits
AI framework uses medical images to individualize radiotherapy dose
An image-based artificial intelligence framework predicts a personalized radiation dose that minimizes the risk of treatment failure
AI predicts coma outcome from EEG trace
A machine learning algorithm can read electroencephalograms as well as clinicians
The latest in quantum computing
Extracting entropy information from quantum dots
New work could help optimize quantum memories and information processing
Read article: Extracting entropy information from quantum dots
Single metasurface could generate record numbers of trapped neutral atoms
Technique boosts prospects for building quantum computers with more than 100,000 qubits
Read article: Single metasurface could generate record numbers of trapped neutral atoms
Read-out of Majorana qubits reveals their hidden nature
Mechanism could pave the way for more robust quantum computation, but questions remain over scalability
Read article: Read-out of Majorana qubits reveals their hidden nature
Metasurfaces create super-sized neutral atom arrays for quantum computing
Technique lays the groundwork for neutral-atom quantum computers with more than 100,000 qubits, say physicists
Read article: Metasurfaces create super-sized neutral atom arrays for quantum computing
Could silicon become the bedrock of quantum computers?
Australian spin-out Silicon Quantum Computing makes the case with a modality-leading 11-qubit processor
Read article: Could silicon become the bedrock of quantum computers?
Qubit ‘recycling’ gives neutral-atom quantum computing a boost
Reducing atom loss and re-using already-measured atoms enables more complex quantum computations
Read article: Qubit ‘recycling’ gives neutral-atom quantum computing a boost
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