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Path of least resistance Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Rosemary Teague and Amber Yallop
Graduate student Rosemary Teague and undergraduate Amber Yallop share their nontraditional degree pathways, some difficult choices they made along the way, and what a future in physics looks like for them now
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Masked debate Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08
It’s a debate that has been raging since the COVID-19 pandemic began – what mask is best for curbing the spread of COVID-19?
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Lunar dust buster Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08
Any astronauts thinking of living on the Moon won’t only have to contend with an arduous journey, weird food and space suits. They’ll also face the problem of lunar dust.
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Intrepid interstellar adventurers Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Ian Randall
Science journalist Christopher Wanjek’s enchanting new book, Spacefarers: How Humans Will Settle the Moon, Mars, and Beyond explores the challenges and motivations of recreating the Earth-like conditions necessary for our survival, out in space and on neighbouring worlds.
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Second critical point appears in two models of water Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Isabelle Dumé
Researchers in the US and Italy have identified a second critical point in two theoretical models of water
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Hot air? Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Alec Beardsell
In response to Norman Wilson’s letter “Power predicaments” (July p26), which was in response to an exchange based on Dave Elliott’s article (January p19) about the current status of renewable energy.
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Is anybody there? Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Chris Holt
Vic Tandy – an engineer at Coventry University in the UK – once described how he worked for a medicalequipment manufacturer whose laboratory included a room that was believed to be haunted
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First female fellows Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Mike Frost
In response to the “2020 summer quiz part 1” (July p56).
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Cash boost for Giant Magellan Telescope Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Liz Kruesi
Construction of the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) is to speed up after the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded the GMTO Corporation – the organization overseeing construction and management of the 25 m-wide telescope – a grant of $17.5m over the next three years.
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Observations under threat from satellite constellations Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Peter Gwynne
The large numbers of satellites in low-Earth orbit “threaten the scientific viability” of some current and planned Earth-based optical and infrared telescopes. That is according to a report based on a Satellite Constellations 1 workshop organized by the American Astronomical Association and the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab.
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Green strings attached Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 James McKenzie
Solving many of today’s environmental problems will require advanced technological solutions, says James McKenzie
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US funds five quantum-science centres Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Peter Gwynne
The US has established five new centres to boost quantum-information science in the country. To be located at the US’s national laboratories, the centres were created to uphold a provision of the bipartisan National Quantum Initiative Act
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US election focuses on science Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Peter Gwynne
From dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic to stimulating industries of the future, science policy will play a larger role than usual in next month’s US election
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Safe race Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 John Field
In response to Diandra Leslie-Pelecky’s feature “The science of racing safely” (August pp24–28), which explores the dangers of being a racecar driver, and the science behind some of the features in NASCAR that are designed to keep the drivers safe.
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Andromeda shot bags astronomy prize Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Michael Banks
French photographer Nicolas Lefaudeux has beaten thousands of amateur and professional photographers from around the world to win the 2020 Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year
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Microwave anomalies strengthen case for loop quantum cosmology Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Keith Cooper
A theory of quantum gravity that describes the universe as beginning in a “Big Bounce” rather than a Big Bang has succeeded in explaining several anomalies in the cosmic microwave background
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Eliminating the boundary between sky and space Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Oliver Nailard
Reusable vehicles are vital to make access to space more affordable, but conventional rocket engines have their limits. Oliver Nailard describes how UK firm Reaction Engines hopes to revolutionize space access with a new class of propulsion system, the Synergetic Air Breathing Rocket Engine (SABRE)
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Protons could be lighter than thought Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Isabelle Dumé
New measurements of the proton–electron mass ratio could help shine a light on several problems in physics
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Borderline collider Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08
In 1977 the Nobel-prize-winning physicist Leon Lederman published a tongue-in-cheek proposal to build a collider using existing subway tunnels in New York.
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Courting controversy online Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Carla Figueira de Morisson Faria and Andrew Brown
Carla Figueira de Morisson Faria and Andrew Brown say that academic debate can still be fostered in an online-only world
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IOP Publishing to implement double-blind peer review Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Michael Banks
IOP Publishing, which publishes Physics World, has announced it will introduce double-blind peer review on all of its wholly owned journals by the end of 2021.
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Age of cosmic exploration Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Tushna Commissariat
Look Up: Our Story with the Stars by journalist, TV presenter and author Sarah Cruddas is a short, sharp and impassioned look at the history and the future of space exploration
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Stretching the limits Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Helen Gleeson
Most materials get thinner when stretched, but “auxetics” do the opposite and get thicker. Helen Gleeson describes her group’s discovery of a material that is auxetic at the molecular level, which could be used in everything from body armour to laminated glass
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Correction Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08
In the feature “100 seconds to midnight” (September pp35–39), we inadvertently stepped 20 seconds closer to disaster:
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Secrets of spinning ‘blue whirl’ flames revealed Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Sam Jarman
Computer simulations suggest that “blue whirls” – small, spinning flames that were first spotted in 2016 – involve three different flames
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Multi-user network paves the way towards a quantum internet Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Tim Wogan
Researchers in the UK and Austria have demonstrated secure information exchange between multiple users spaced around a city.
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CERN’s emissions equal to a large cruise liner, says report Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Kate Ravilious
Greenhouse-gas emissions emitted by the CERN particle-physics lab near Geneva in 2018 were 223,800 tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent – similar to the emissions from a large cruise liner.
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LIGO–Virgo spots massive black-hole merger Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Hamish Johnston
Gravitational waves from the most massive merger of two black holes ever seen have been detected by the LIGO and Virgo observatories.
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Missing maths Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Andy French
In response to Niki Bell’s Forum article “Putting new physics on the syllabus” (August p19), in which she suggests adding modern physics discoveries to the education system.
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Signatures of life found in the clouds of Venus Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Keith Cooper
Astronomers have announced the detection of phosphine in the clouds of Venus.
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Virtual virtues Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Matin Durrani
Conferences are never going to be the same even when COVID-19 is a distant memory
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Fair slices Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08
What’s the fairest way to slice up a watermelon?
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Redefining the scientific conference Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Christopher A-L Jackson, Eleanor S Armstrong and Divya M Persaud
Eleanor S Armstrong, Divya M Persaud and Christopher A-L Jackson argue that the COVID-19 pandemic offers an opportunity to start making scientific meetings more inclusive
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Irritating emissions Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 John Ruddy
In response to David R Andrews’ feature “Good vibrations” (August pp42–46), in which he explores the role of sound and ultrasound in fuel injection and parking sensors.
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Monumental mistake Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Robert P Crease
Robert P Crease laments the disappearance of a landmark in US science history
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Neutrino observatory set for the Pacific Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Edwin Cartlidge
Astrophysicists in Germany and North America have published plans to build the world’s largest neutrino telescope on the sea floor off the coast of Canada.
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Optical microscopy – how small can it go? Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Anna Demming
For centuries diffraction limited the resolution of optical microscopy. The past 50 years have, however, seen one limitation after another buckle under the ingenuity of a host of wide-ranging techniques, from lenses to tips, chips and doughnuts. Anna Demming reports
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Informed optimism Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02 Stephen Giblin
In response to Kate Ravilious’ feature “Life in a carbon-neutral world” (April 2020), in which she looks at the changes society will need to make on a day-to-day basis, to move towards a net-carbon-zero world.
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Build a bot Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02 Ian Randall
iCub was developed to explore the notion that the development of a truly human-like artificial intelligence is dependent on it having a physical body. The rationale for the hypothesis is at the heart of computer scientist Mark Lee of the University of Aberystwyth’s new book, How to Grow a Robot: Developing Human-Friendly, Social AI .
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Trio of probes launch to Mars Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02 Michael Banks, Ling Xin and Liz Kruesi
China, the UAE and the US have sent craft to Mars to study the planet in greater detail, with NASA set to conduct the first controlled flight on another planet, as Ling Xin, Michael Banks and Liz Kruesi report
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Higgs hardships Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02 Mike Jacoby
In response to Niki Bell’s Forum article “Putting new physics on the syllabus” (August 2020), in which she suggests adding modern physics discoveries to the education syllabus.
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Cubic earth Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02
We’ve long dismissed the notion developed by the Greek philosopher Plato that the universe is made of five types of matter: earth, air, fire, water and the cosmos. Each was described with a particular geometry: a cube in the case of earth.
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First-hand insights Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02 James McKenzie
With so much spin, jargon and fake news, it can be hard to know what businesses are really up to. James McKenzie finds that hearing a company’s vision first hand is key to understanding its potential
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A matter of space Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02 Michael Firbank
In response to Susan Curtis’ feature article “Charging ahead” (August 2020) in which she investigates the new charging solutions that will be needed to power a large number of electric cars, as they become more mainstream over the next few years
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Particle and atomic physics more likely to win Nobels Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02 Simon Perks
Research into particle and atomic physics is more likely to be awarded a Nobel prize than work in other fields. That is according to a new analysis from scientists at Stanford University.
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Report calls for US-wide quantum internet Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02 Peter Gwynne
US government, academic and industrial scientists have laid out a blueprint for building a nation-wide quantum internet.
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Calls for UK and EU to compromise over Horizon Europe Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02 Michael Allen
Rapid progress is needed in negotiations regarding the UK’s participation in the EU’s major scientific framework programme if collaborations are to continue smoothly into 2021. That is according to a statement signed by more than 100 organizations and individuals representing the European scientific community.
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Hacking a path to innovation Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02 Bonnie Tsim
Bonnie Tsim says “hackathons” are a great way for scientists to apply their skills to the commercial world
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Grenoble synchrotron reopens following €150m upgrade Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02 Michael Banks
Officials at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France, have announced the completion of a major upgrade to one of Europe’s premier X-ray facilities.
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Off the menu Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of almost everyone around world – and this year’s Nobel-prize winners, who are due to be unveiled next month, are no exception.
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It’s a material world Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02 Robert P Crease
From wine and skis to clocks and bone implants, Linn Hobbs has a passion for everyday materials, as he tells Robert P Crease
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Security questions over today’s cars Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02 Julian Philpot
In response to Stephen Ornes’ feature “How to hack a self-driving car” (August 2020) in which he looks into the hardware and software behind cars that drive themselves, and the potential opportunities they create for hackers.
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Sound of the incubator Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02
Imagine spending the first days of your life outside your mother’s womb listening to a vacuum cleaner at a distance of one metre. That’s the fate of many of the 15 million or so babies who are born prematurely each year and have to be placed in an incubator.
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100 seconds to midnight Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02 Rachel Brazil
For almost 75 years, the Doomsday Clock has monitored how close humankind is to global catastrophe. With the clock now closer to midnight than ever before, Rachel Brazil talks to physicists who say we must step up our efforts to prevent disaster
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Lattice layabout in the park Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02 Hamish Johnston
In these tough times of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the safest ways of mixing with friends is to meet up in a local park. But what 2D configuration, lattice or otherwise, offers the best way to maintain the appropriate social distance?
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Broken cable damages iconic Arecibo observatory Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02 Michael Banks
The iconic Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico has suffered a 30 m-long gash in its main reflector dish after a steel cable snapped last month.
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How modelling is transforming medicine Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02 Sam Vennin
Computational modelling has been brought under the spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic, with scientists trying to predict how the SARS-CoV-2 virus will spread. But epidemiology is not the only medical field in which modelling is sparking breakthroughs, as Sam Vennin explains
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Summer quiz answers Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02
Answers to our quiz published in the July and August issues
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Closing the skills gap Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02 Sean Ryan and Veronica Benson
Why do many science graduates lack the skills that industry is looking for? Sean Ryan and Veronica Benson of the South-East Physics Network explore the problem and discover that there is one straightforward way for universities and businesses to address this
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3D microscopy reveals how human sperm swim Phys. World (IF 0.105) Pub Date : 2020-11-02 Sam Jarman
Human sperm swim in corkscrew motions to compensate for the asymmetry in their tails. That is according to researchers in the UK and Mexico who have used high-speed 3D microscopy to determine how sperm maintain their forward swimming direction.
Contents have been reproduced by permission of the publishers.