Issues

Recent theoretical work suggests the most arcane variant of quantum computing could become the most practicable.

Thanks to techniques borrowed from quantum computation, once-unsuitable ions can now be used for atomic clocks.

The planned RSVP search for extremely rare particle metamorphoses has been felled by escalating cost estimates.

Despite hundreds of complaints, the US Department of Commerce is considering export rule changes that many say could hinder research.

Despite the political upheavals of the 1930s, the decade played a pivotal role in Hans Bethe’s life.

Half a century after he explained how the Sun shines, Hans Bethe addressed the problem of why we see too few of its neutrinos.

In 1947 no one knew how to calculate the fine structure of spectroscopic levels of a real electron making transitions in a real hydrogen atom—except Hans Bethe.

Hans Bethe spent a lifetime enhancing the security of his adopted homeland—initially designing its nuclear bombs, but ultimately warning presidents and the public to guard against the hazards of such bombs.

Post-war research helped take nuclear physics from the domain of phenomenology and models to that of many-body theory based on the underlying nucleon—nucleon interaction.

A scientific colleague and friend reminisces about a nearly 30-year collaboration working on supernovae, collapsing binaries, and California condominiums with nice bathtubs.