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Qubits made with entangled molecules Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Martijn Boerkamp
Two independent groups report using ultracold molecules to encode quantum bits, as Martijn Boerkamp explains.
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Physicist Maggie Aderin-Pocock honoured with damehood Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Michael Banks
Physicist Maggie Aderin-Pocock, who is chancellor of the University of Leicester, has been awarded the title Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to science education and to diversity.
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Solar-powered fabric cools in the day and warms at night Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Sam Jarman
Researchers in China have unveiled a new concept for solar-powered clothing that can regulate its wearer’s body temperature.
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Light found to evaporate water without heat Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Isabelle Dumé
Researchers in the US have found that under certain conditions light can cause water to evaporate directly, without heating it first.
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Fruits of success Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01
How many pieces of fruit can you remove from a pyramid before the whole mound collapses? According to researchers in Chile it depends on the slope of the pyramid – about 10% in the average supermarket display.
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Viruses change structure at human body temperatures to infect us better Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Isabelle Dumé
The structure of viral DNA has been uncovered in unprecedented detail, shedding new light on changes that make the macromolecule more fluid-like at temperatures close to that of the human body.
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The principles of chaos Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Jessica Flack
Jessica Flack reviews The Primacy of Doubt by Tim Palmer.
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Entanglement gets its ‘temperature’ taken Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Martijn Boerkamp
Quantum simulator visualizes large-scale entanglement in materials thanks to a 50-year-old quantum field theorem, as Martijn Boerkamp reports.
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Green physics power Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 James McKenzie
James McKenzie examines the key messages of a new report on the green economy from the Institute of Physics, which puts the work of physicists front and centre in dealing with climate change.
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Sink or swim Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01
Scientists in China and the US have investigated how fire raft ants avoid drowning in heavy rain by clumping together to form floating rafts.
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Seeking big impact from big science Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Joe McEntee
Mike Witherell, director of the US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, tells Joe McEntee why effective stewardship is essential for long-term research success.
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UK student exchange Turing Scheme ‘inadequate’ Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Michael Allen
Universities and colleges have found it hard to complete applications to the UK’s new Turing Scheme, with funding for students often delivered late, according to a report.
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Quali-tea result Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01
A team from Seoul National University has investigated the physics of what happens as a liquid is poured into a cup or mug from different heights.
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Opportunity knocks Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Matin Durrani
Our 2024 careers guide showcases the many physics job options beyond academia.
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US Peregrine mission ends in failure Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Peter Gwynne
A US company’s Moon mission has failed after its fuel tank ruptured and began to leak propellent shortly after launch.
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Physics in the round Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Sidney Perkowitz
Sidney Perkowitz explains what Isaac Newton has to do with a huge entertainment dome in Las Vegas.
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Beetling away Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01
Researchers at Cornell University have used highspeed cameras to understand how whirligig beetles can reach speeds of up to 1 m/s as they skirt across water.
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Ask me anything: Margaret Gardel Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Margaret Harris
Margaret Gardel is a biophysicist and professor at the University of Chicago, US, where she is director of the new Center for Living Systems – one of four newly established National Science Foundation Physics Frontier Centers.
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Quantum processor integrates 48 logical qubits Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Sam Jarman
A quantum processor with 48 logical qubits that can execute algorithms while correcting errors in real time has been unveiled in the US.
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How to survive a physics PhD Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Pruthvi Mehta
Achieving a doctoral degree, the highest academic qualification available, is a huge feat that can be a long and difficult journey. Having recently completed her own PhD in physics, Pruthvi Mehta shares her five top tips for surviving your doctoral studies.
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The power of quantum algorithms Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Hamish Johnston
Building quantum computers isn’t just about developing clever new hardware. Toby Cubitt, who co-founded the quantum-tech firm Phasecraft, tells Hamish Johnston why algorithms are vital too.
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What if the Internet broke? Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Ian Randall
Ian Randall reviews Communications Breakdown: SF Stories about the Future of Connection edited by Jonathan Strahan.
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The nuclear reactor just for students Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Robert P Crease
Robert P Crease travels to Reed College in the US, which is unique for having the only nuclear reactor in the US run by undergraduate students.
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From cosmic rays to cardiology Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Tushna Commissariat
Data scientist and artificial-intelligence researcher Azadeh Keivani talks to Tushna Commissariat about her journey from astronomy to healthcare, co-founding an educational non-profit organization and her work in outreach.
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Why we need to talk quantum Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Aletta Meinsma, Julia Cramer
Aletta Meinsma and Julia Cramer argue that physicists must take responsibility for communicating a balanced view on quantum technologies.
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What’s in a cover? Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Jemima Coleman, Wendy Sadler
Jemima Coleman and Wendy Sadler say that science magazines have a responsibility to ensure that science is accessible and inclusive for all.
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Ukraine invasion forced a fifth of scientists to flee Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Ethan van Woerkom
An investigation by Swiss and Ukrainian researchers has found that almost 20% of scientists in Ukraine fled the country by the end of 2022 as a result of the Russian invasion.
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Baidu and Alibaba to quit quantum computing research Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Martijn Boerkamp
Chinese search engine company Baidu has donated its quantum computing research facility to the Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences, following a similar move by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, which donated its quantum lab to Zhejiang University last November.
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Panel calls for muon collider Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Michael Allen
The “P5” panel of US particle physicists say that work on developing a future muon collider could allow the US regain the “energy frontier”, as Michael Allen reveals.
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A flaming good feeling Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Dan Roach
As a mature student with the Open University, Dan Roach rekindles his love of practical experiment.
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Ask me anything: Sally Oey Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Margaret Harris
Sally Oey is a professor of astronomy at the University of Michigan, US, where she studies massive stars and their effects on their host galaxies. She is especially interested in how ultraviolet ionizing radiation escapes from so-called “starburst” galaxies, which contain many bright, young stars that heat interstellar gas to millions of degrees.
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Coldest: how new quantum states of matter emerged Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Chad Orzel
The road to Bose–Einstein condensates and degenerate Fermi gases was paved with ideas that shouldn’t have worked, but did, as Chad Orzel explains in the final segment of his three-part history of laser cooling.
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Did natural erosion help carve Egypt’s Great Sphinx? Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Katherine Skipper
Sphinx could have been created by the natural erosion of a rock formation, according to researchers at New York University.
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Researchers build first all-electric organic laser Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Isabelle Dumé
Researchers at the University of St Andrews in Scotland have made the first organic semiconductor laser that does not require a separate light source to operate.
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First simultaneous production of a top quark and a photon observed Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Sam Jarman
Researchers at the CERN particlephysics lab have observed the simultaneous production of a photon and a top quark for the first time.
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Mysterious ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray puzzles astronomers Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Jacklin Kwan
One of the most energetic particles ever observed has been spotted by researchers using the Utah-based Telescope Array.Much of the body of Egypt’s Great
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‘Perfectly-tuned’ planetary system found Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Keith Cooper
Astronomers have discovered a new planetary treasure trove that provides one of the best opportunities for characterizing “mini-Neptunes”, as Keith Cooper reports.
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How networking can bolster diversity in physics Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Claire Malone
Physicists who want to solve the world’s great challenges don’t just need deep technical expertise, but also excellent networking skills. Claire Malone explains that getting the most out of networking is all a question of practice – and providing those opportunities is key to increasing diversity in physics.
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The two faces of Wernher von Braun Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Ian Randall
Ian Randall reviews Depravity’s Rainbow by Lewis Bush.
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A hard time in space Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01
After subjecting rats to cosmic rays similar to those experienced on the Moon or Mars, researchers found evidence of impaired blood flow to the erectile tissue in the penis of male rats.
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Spinal cord implant wins award Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Tami Freeman, Michael Banks, Margaret Harris, Hamish Johnston
The Physics World 2023 Breakthrough of the Year goes to the development of a link between the brain and spinal cord that enabled an individual with paralysis to stand and walk naturally, as Tami Freeman reports.
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Shocking finding Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01
Researchers have found volcanic eruptions and grinding coffee beans both produce static electricity, which may help resolve parallel issues in geophysics.
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Denial of reality Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Robert P Crease
Robert P Crease reviews On Disinformation: How to Fight for Truth and Protect Democracy by Lee McIntyre.
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Slippery slopes Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01
Researchers in Germany and Turkey have devised a transparent coating that could lead to cleaner toilets by making porcelain more water-repellent.
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On the run Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01
Harvard University materials physicist Jenny Hoffman has became the fastest woman to run across the US, taking just over 47 days to make the 5000 km journey from San Francisco to New York City.
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The laws of division Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Anna Demming
Across the world, varying factions of society seem to be angrier and more divided than ever. But as Anna Demming explains, physicists are doing their best to shed light on what has gone wrong.
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Oppenheimer: icon of the nuclear age Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Sidney Perkowitz
Oppenheimer was the blockbuster movie of 2023 featuring a stellar cast of Hollywood A-listers. But as Sidney Perkowitz reminds us, many other movies, books and stage performances have examined the moral and political implications of the Manhattan Project too.
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Oppenheimer lessons Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Robert P Crease
US authorities celebrated Robert Oppenheimer for developing atomic weapons but sidelined him when he wanted to advise them on their use. It’s an episode that has many lessons for us today, says Robert P Crease.
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Why it’s time to bin the boffin Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Rachel Youngman
Rachel Youngman explains the rationale behind the Institute of Physics’ “Bin the boffin” campaign.
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Technology triumphs Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 James McKenzie
James McKenzie celebrates firms in photonics and instrumentation that have won business awards from the Institute of Physics in 2023.
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Awards named after male scientists rarely given to women Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Laura Hiscott
The gender of the person an award is named after can have a big impact on who is likely to receive it, finds a new study, which notes that men win almost 90% of awards named after male scientists.
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Oppenheimer on screen Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Matin Durrani
Who’d have thought a film about a physicist would be up for eight Golden Globes?
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Scientists with disabilities suffer $14 000 pay penalty Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Michael Allen
Scientists who suffer from a disability that occurred early in their life earn around $14,000 less per year than their colleagues.
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Ireland releases national strategy for quantum research Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Anthony King
A new Irish government report says the country is ideally situated to capitalize on a quantum industry, noting the potential for quantum technologies in computing, communication, simulation and sensing.
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US unveils international plan to boost commercial fusion Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Peter Gwynne
The US government has announced ambitious plans to boost collaboration with international partners on commercializing fusion energy as a tool to tackle climate change.
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Meet in person to make breakthroughs, says study Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Laura Hiscott
The online world makes it easier for researchers to collaborate – but does not result in more groundbreaking work, finds a new study.
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Ireland set to join CERN particle-physics lab Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Anthony King
The Irish government has finally applied to join the CERN particle-physics laboratory near Geneva as an associate member.
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‘Now is the time’ for net-zero action Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Michael Banks
A new report by the Institute of Physics finds that most physicists believe that the UK will fail to hit its climate goals, as Michael Banks reports.
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On the origins of inequality Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2023-12-01 Isabel Rabey
Isabel Rabey reviews The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule by Angela Saini.
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Evidence of tellurium found in neutron star mergers Phys. World (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2023-12-01 Ethan van Woerkom
Physicists in Japan and Lithuania have found evidence that tellurium is produced when neutron stars merge.