Issues

Near-field optical microscopy, with its subwavelength resolution, provides a new look at nanostructures’ electronic states.

To demonstrate the effectiveness of neutron diffraction in biology, crystallographers bring neutrons to bear on an important industrial enzyme.

The goal remains to get the most physics out of the world’s highest-energy accelerator before that title passes to CERN at the end of the decade.

Pending solid science from the new Large Zenith Telescope, a group of scientists hopes to build an extremely large—and extremely cheap—array of liquid mercury telescopes.

The Bush administration is contemplating a new crop of nuclear weapons that could reduce the threat to civilian populations. However, they’re still unlikely to work without producing massive radioactive fallout, and their development might require a return to underground nuclear testing.

A stroll through three millennia of astronomical speculation and discovery reminds us that inspired guesses are not enough. Progress comes primarily from the introduction of new observational and theoretical tools.

A physics education is a solid foundation for a diverse range of careers, but physics students do not know it. It is time they found out, and physics alumnae and alumni can help.