Katherine Wright

I can see that image would set that off.

Superconductivity Traverses a Single Molecule Bridge A single molecule provides a controllable connection between a normal metal and a superconductor.    

Researchers have caused a material’s superconductivity to permeate into a nearby normal metal via a single molecule. The effect could allow the creation of Majorana quasiparticles, which many research teams are exploring as future qubits for quantum computers. ⚛️ 🧪

physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

Aiming for Lighter Light Sails Researchers are developing highly reflective thin films that could be installed on small light-propelled spacecraft.

One route to faster spacecraft involves giving them light sails—structures that use laser-radiation pressure to propel them to high speeds. Now researchers have demonstrated a nm-thick photonic-crystal material that could be used as the basis for the sails. ⚛️ 🧪

physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

A Potential Tool for Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease Transforming an MRI brain scan into a hyperbolic network of nodes allows researchers to detect brain connectivity disruption caused by Alzheimer’s disease.

Each year, over 10 million people worldwide will receive a dementia diagnosis. Now researchers in Paris have developed a tool that could allow for detection of such brain disorders before symptoms set in. ⚛️ 🧪

physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

Artificial Intelligence Makes the Grade Language models such as ChatGPT could help university educators provide more consistent and transparent grades for introductory-level physics exams.

Much has been discussed about students using chatbots to help write assignments. But physics educators believe that more positive learning outcomes could be achieved by using these powerful language models to improve the assessment of students’ work. physics.aps.org/articles/v18... ⚛️ 🧪

Desert Locusts Follow Unexpected Motion Rules New experiments with virtual reality suggest that locusts do not follow traditional rules of collective behavior.

Researchers thought the rules on how swarming locusts move was all wrapped up. Turns out they were wrong. ⚛️ 🧪 physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

Microsoft’s Claim of a Topological Qubit Faces Tough Questions Microsoft’s announcement of achieving a milestone in a potentially transformative approach to quantum computing is met with skepticism by researchers attending the APS Global Summit.

An update on the microsoft-majorana story.

physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

Lensing Candidates Stand Out in Euclid Mission’s First Data Release The Euclid satellite released its first trove of galaxy data based on seven days of deep-field observations in three sky areas.

The @esa.int Euclid mission has today released its first survey data, which include images of 26 million galaxies from three deep-field surveys. ⚛️ 🧪 🔭☄️

physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

NASA may have to cancel major space missions due to budget cuts Potential cuts of up to 50 per cent of NASA's science budget could mean cancelling missions including the Hubble Space Telescope and the Voyager probes

NASA is facing enormous cuts, half of its science budget, under DOGE.

The impacts on the agency could be devastating, possibly including the cancellation of entire missions such as Hubble, Perseverance, and Voyager.

Story by me in New Scientist (free to read)

www.newscientist.com/article/2472...

Altermagnets That Turn On and Off Researchers have proposed methods to tune the properties of altermagnets, a step toward practical applications for this new form of magnet.

Altermagnets are arguably the hottest objects in magnetism right now. Now 3 independent groups have proposed methods for electrically tuning the properties of altermagnets. The findings could allow the use of altermagnets in next-gen spintronics devices. ⚛️ 🧪

physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

Experts Weigh in on Microsoft’s Topological Qubit Claim Tech giant Microsoft claimed in a recent press release to have made the first topological qubit–an important milestone in the development of quantum computers. But some experts say the firm’s claim ha...

Republished from @physicsworld.bsky.social. ⚛️ 🧪
physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

Gender Gap in Recognition Prevails When men and women physics undergraduates receive the same amount of recognition from their peers for being good at physics, men report significantly higher perceptions of peer recognition than women.

“Some students are internalizing the recognition they get from peers very, very differently, and so any kind of interventions and studies I think we can dig into will likely help all students.” ⚛️ 🧪 #WomenInSTEM

physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

No Easy Fix for Cosmology’s “Other” Tension The tension—a disagreement between cosmic-clumpiness measurements—is not going away, according to a new analysis of galaxy lensing data.

The s8 tension is not going away. ⚛️ 🧪

physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

Nonchiral Clusters Self-Assemble into Chiral Films Researchers have demonstrated a method to create circular polarizing films from nonchiral nanoclusters that form spiral chains during drying.

Researchers have demonstrated a way to make large-scale chiral films from three different achiral inorganic materials. (Previously they'd done it mostly with organic materials). ⚛️ 🧪

physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

Ice Moves in a Cascade of Quakes Observations of a new deformation mode of ice could improve models of sea-level rise.

Just when you think everything about ice must be known. ⚛️ 🧪

physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

Detecting Axion-Like Dark Matter with the JWST Measurements made by the JWST observatory could be used to detect photons emitted by the decay of a hypothetical form of dark matter particle known as the axion.

Great piece by Elisa Todarello on using the JWST observatory @jwstobserver.bsky.social to detect photons that might be produced by axions, hypothetical particles that could make up the Universe's missing matter.

physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

Gauging Edge Instabilities in Future Fusion Reactors Researchers are unraveling the influence of energetic particles on the stability of plasmas in fusion reactors.

“We see that highly energetic ions can have a significant impact on the properties of edge-localized modes [of Tokamak plasmas]...That suggests that if we want to develop proper mitigation strategies, we need to factor in controlling these energetic ions.” ⚛️ 🧪

physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

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An Ultrahigh Neutrino Detection Makes Waves A new underwater neutrino experiment—for now, only partially installed—has detected what appears to be the highest-energy cosmic neutrino observed to date.

The big physics news of the day, in case you missed it. ⚛️ 🧪

physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

Cooking Flawless Pasta Scientists have pinpointed energy-efficient ways to cook al dente pasta and developed an infallible recipe for the perfect cacio e pepe sauce.

physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

The Tumultuous Birth of Quantum Mechanics The creation of modern quantum mechanics was a messy business in which many of the participants did not grasp the significance of their own discoveries.

"...quantum mechanics wasn’t created all at once. It took several decades and was a messy, confused process, during most of which the true nature of this revolution was obscure." ⚛️ 🧪

physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

Quantum Milestones, 1927: Electrons Act Like Waves Davisson and Germer showed that electrons scatter from a crystal the way x rays do, proving that particles of matter can act like waves.

Its #IYQ25 launch week, so here is another quantum milestone for your delectation. ⚛️ 🧪

physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

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Cooking Flawless Pasta Scientists have pinpointed energy-efficient ways to cook al dente pasta and developed an infallible recipe for the perfect cacio e pepe sauce.

A story that will make you hungry. ⚛️ 🧪

physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

Quantum Milestones, 1923: Photons Are Real Arthur Compton’s results convinced most skeptics that in some experiments, light can act like a stream of particles.

Grab a cup of coffee and learn about the experiments that convinced skeptics that light can behave like a stream of particles. #IYQ25 ⚛️ 🧪

physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

Your daily dose of quantum physics for #IYQ25 ⚛️ 🧪

I caught up with researchers in Korea about a new device that can vacuum up microplastics floating on the surface of a body of water.

physics.aps.org/articles/v18/6

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Quantum Milestones, 1916: Millikan’s Measurement of Planck’s Constant The experiment provided further proof of the reality of photons, yet Millikan didn’t accept their existence until later in his career.

2025 is the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology #IYQ25. To celebrate, @physicsmagazine.bsky.social is republishing archival stories on the history of quantum physics. The 1st recounts Robert Millikan’s measurement of Planck’s constant. ⚛️ 🧪

physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

Strange Swapping Behavior Defines New Particle Candidate Researchers predict the existence of a class of particles that behave differently from those already known.

“There was a belief that all fundamental particles must be fermions or bosons. Here we show there could be something beyond that.” (Caveat, its a highly idealized system, so experimental realization is not imminent and may not happen at all. Still cool though). ⚛️ 🧪

physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

Color photo of Stephen Hawking. He is seated in his wheelchair, smiling at someone to his right. Hawking has dark hair and is wearing glasses. He has on a dark blue jacket, light plaid shirt, and a patterned blue tie.

Stephen Hawking was born #OTD in 1942. He developed theorems with Penrose that determine when general relativity produces singularities, established classical laws of black hole mechanics, and hypothesized that quantum effects cause black holes to radiate. 🧪 ⚛️ 🔭

Image: Santi Visalli/Getty