Issues
From the Editor
Readers’ Forum
Search and Discovery
Nonidentical fermions interact identically
The decoupling of electronic and nuclear spin states allows scattering fermionic atoms to rapidly cool.
Atlantic invertebrates are going the wrong way
Why, as the oceans warm, are seafloor animals moving to even hotter waters?
Nanodiamonds shine as subcellular thermometers
By taking advantage of the electron spin in nitrogen–vacancy centers and carefully tracking the centers, researchers detected temperature variations as small as 0.22 °C.
Issues and Events
Quantum computing ramps up in private sector
Ridicule has given way to high hopes.
ARPA–E can’t reach the promised land alone
Evaluating the success of an upstart agency that swings for the fences on clean-energy technologies isn’t straightforward.
Articles
The math behind epidemics
A few simple metrics characterize outbreaks like COVID-19, but calculating them correctly is surprisingly tricky.
James Jeans and The Mysterious Universe
The controversial best seller heralded the end of an era in science popularizations.
Magnetic field–boosted superconductivity
Although a magnetic field gradually destroys the superconducting state in most materials, a small family of uranium compounds bucks the trend.
Books
New Products
Obituaries
Thomas B. Sanford
Quick Study
Soft electronics with liquid-metal veins
Deformable circuits whose resistance changes when stretched could set the stage for bio-inspired robots and soft tactile logic devices.