Issues

When the temperature is low enough, solid helium seems to acquire superfluid properties. But at the same time, the apparently flowing solid becomes stiffer.

An analysis of lunar metals indicates that the Moon formed later than previously thought—after Earth’s core had separated from its mantle.

Particle physics and ITER participation are the losers as Congress wraps up fiscal year 2008 appropriations. NSF growth is slowed.

Withdrawal from the International Linear Collider and from several observatories without peer review or even consultation angers British research communities.

Does the mid-frequency active sonar used by the US Navy adversely affect marine mammals? The scientific evidence is incomplete, but the courts find environmentalists’ arguments persuasive.

Plagued by quantum tunneling of charge carriers through gate insulators, chip manufacturers are shifting to high-dielectric-constant materials that maintain sufficient capacitance and reduce power leaks.

Biophysicists play a major role in the attempt to unravel the molecular processes the human immunodeficiency virus uses to infect and hijack the immune system.

With data provided by magnetic observatories, geophysicists can gain insights into our planet’s interior and nearby space environment without even leaving the ground.

Sails and keels, like airplane wings, exploit Bernoulli’s principle. Aerodynamic and hydrodynamic insights help designers create faster sailboats.

Photoemission shines as a source of the bright electron beams required for free-electron lasers and particle-physics accelerators.

Electromagnetic induction and spin precession are the key concepts behind the two devices most commonly used to determine geomagnetic fields.