Issues

A solid-state device catches and releases light pulses like fireflies—without killing their quantum states.

A method that efficiently produces rectangular films of graphene nearly a meter in diameter may chart a course to commercialization.

Adding an extra neutron to a nucleus with magic numbers of both neutrons and protons, and watching how it settles in, tests the shell model and can help elucidate the creation of heavy elements in supernovae.

Responding to congressional demands, a multiagency coalition wants to measure the economic, scientific, and societal benefits of federally funded basic research.

Physicists believe in science as a messenger for peace and a means to improve quality of life; but sanctions complicate international collaborations and breed aggression toward the West.

Has the climate changed for the nuclear power industry? Modular reactors may open new markets.

Classical earthquakes are easily located by triangulation. For more obscure seismic events, geophysicists are developing the trick of playing the movie backward.

From 1807 to 1811, Joseph Fourier conducted experiments and devised mathematical techniques that together yielded the first estimate of a material’s thermal conductivity. His methodology has influenced all subsequent work.

A carefully engineered coupling between light and matter could pave the way to a room-temperature Bose-Einstein condensate.

The ampere and other electrical units defined by international agreement are presently established through challenging experiments. A redefinition of those units based on quantum laws would enable a simpler and more reliable realization.