The week in physics: 8-12 February

Science communications in Japan; Hypergiant outbursts; Measuring dark matter's viscosity. Forward this email  View in your browser THE WEEK IN PHYSICS: 8–12 FEBRUARY Faxes, mascots, and manga: Science communication in Japan Research institutions combine tradition and whimsy to disseminate science news and information to the public. Amanda Alvarez Author Q&A: A retrospective look at the Spitzer Space Telescope Astronomers Michael Werner and Peter Eisenhardt talk about their book on the recently retired IR observatory and what to expect from its successor, the James Webb Space Telescope. Ryan Dahn Advertisement AR's "U" Series Amplifiers Offers the Widest Bandwidth AR's "U" Series, Class A amplifiers covers a bandwidth of 10 kHz – 1000 MHz and delivers up to 500 W of power, making it ideal for EMC & laboratory testing, medical/physics research, antenna & component testing, wireless charging, & more! Imagine the possibilities with amplifiers that are Built to Last. FROM THE VAULT: April 1971 Panel discussions: Is there any hope? A tongue-in-cheek application of operator theory offers ways to improve an enduring feature of scientific meetings. Robert B. Leighton Advertisement Optimizing Quantum Research with an Efficient Test & Measurement Topology Tektronix shares examples of real topologies deployed with digitizers and signal sources. Learn about the mechanisms of how quantum experiments are triggered. See signal sources that are being used and the challenges that come with scaling. Better understand signal conditioning and the synchronization needed and learn about digitizers that enable efficient monitoring of quantum sequences. Register now. Neutron stars, gravitational waves, and dark matter A proposed recipe for measuring dark matter's viscosity could help identify its elusive constituents. Charles Day Outbursts from a Milky Way hypergiant The star VY Canis Majoris's recent episodes of mass loss may provide clues about what's behind the fading of fellow giant Betelgeuse. Andrew Grant Webinar Ray Optics Simulations Tune into this webinar to learn about optical ray tracing using the COMSOL Multiphysics® software. We will demonstrate how to create a geometry of a lens system and trace rays through it, and show how to combine ray optics with a structural and thermal simulation for a STOP analysis. Register now. FROM THE FEBRUARY MAGAZINE California dreamin' Defense projects made the West Coast the promised land for US physicists after World War II—until the projects dried up. Stuart J. Leslie FEATURED JOBS > Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer  |  Universities Research Association, Inc. > Experimental-Physics Education Specialist  |  The W.M. Keck Science Department of Claremont McKenna, Pitzer and Scripps Colleges Are you hiring? Do you want your job to appear here? Post with Physics Today and select the "Featured Job Listing: Physics Today 'The Week in Physics' e-newsletter" upgrade to easily showcase your job to 66 000 physicists and engineers. Physics Today is published by the American Institute of Physics 1 Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740 USA +1 301 209 3100 © 2021 American Institute of Physics. Unsubscribe  |  Email Preferences  |  Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us