Issues

The laureates brought the conceptual features of quantum physics back to mainstream interest.

Most chemical reactions require stringent conditions and can interfere with other molecules in their environment. But a few do not—and they’ve proved tremendously useful.

Can closer communication with Native Hawaiians turn the tide for the Thirty Meter Telescope?

R&D on making petroleum-free petrochemicals is making strides. But the scale-up may come too late to meet urgent climate change goals.

Studying animals’ use and manipulation of complex fluids from materials-science and rheological points of view can help to understand animal behavior and provide new insights for mimicking biomaterials.

By understanding and applying the physics of cellular self-assembly, scientists aim to predict tissue behaviors and accelerate the regeneration of human tissues and organs.

For nearly 20 years, Einstein’s quantum theory of light was disputed on the basis that light was a wave. In 1922 Compton’s x-ray scattering experiment proved light’s dual nature.

The Squares: US Physical and Engineering Scientists in the Long 1970s, Cyrus C. M. Mody, MIT Press, 2022. Open access ($65.00 paper)

Carbon Queen: The Remarkable Life of Nanoscience Pioneer Mildred Dresselhaus, Maia Weinstock, MIT Press, 2022, $24.95

The animals flex and relax fast-acting muscles to expose light reflectors hidden in specialized skin pouches.