The week in physics: Federal funding impacts; Qubits from magnetic molecules; Length-of-day variations

Rapid-fire changes in federal funding stoke uncertainty in US universities Forward this email View in your browser The week in physics: 10–14 February Beginning this month, all Physics Today newsletters will be sent from PhysicsToday@aipcomm.org. To ensure that you continue to receive our newsletters without interruption, please add our new email address to your contacts. Advertisement In Case You Missed it: Special Issue on Quantum Quantum mechanics is all around us and early debates about quantum theory, epitomized by Schrödinger's cat, have morphed into real-world quantum applications. In this special issue, we present articles from our archives that describe the birth of modern quantum mechanics, the emergence of several key concepts, and new applications that have the potential to transform both science and society. Read now. Rapid-fire changes in federal funding stoke uncertainty in US universities Scientists fear erosion of the US research enterprise. Toni Feder As the world turns—irregularly The length of the day varies by milliseconds over the course of weeks, years, and centuries. Conservation of angular momentum explains why. Duncan C. Agnew Up-conversion nanoparticles measure medium-sized forces in hard-to-reach places Squeezing the tiny crystals can dramatically change their photophysics. Johanna L. Miller Advertisement Save the Date: 2025 Physics & Astronomy Congress Oct 31–Nov 1 marks the largest gathering of physics and astronomy undergrads: the 2025 Physics & Astronomy Congress. The Congress unites students, alumni, and faculty for three days of cutting-edge physics, astronomy, and physical sciences, along with interactive professional development workshops and valuable networking opportunities. Held only once every three years, this is a unique event you won't want to miss. Plan ahead. From the vault: January 2017 What it took to be a NASA computer Female computers, including those acclaimed in the hit film Hidden Figures, played a crucial role in developing the complex mathematical models that guided flight within and beyond Earth's atmosphere in the mid 20th century. Melinda Baldwin Making qubits from magnetic molecules Bottom-up synthesis of such molecules provides physicists with a rich playground to study newly discovered quantum effects and a means to store information at the scale of individual atoms. Stephen Hill Japan accelerator pursues nanobeams to boost luminosity Squeezing beams of electrons and positrons for the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB facility proceeds with halting progress. Toni Feder Women leave physics at a similar rate as men, bibliometric study suggests That's according to an August 2024 study in the journal Higher Education that examined the publication patterns of researchers in 16 broad disciplines within science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine. Tonya Gary Water's hydrogen bonds are seen like never before With a new spectroscopy approach, researchers observed how charge redistributes through hydrogen bonds when water becomes acidic or basic. Alex Lopatka From the February magazine Vast amounts of hydrogen are likely hidden under our feet Enough of the gas is trapped beneath our planet's surface to satisfy our energy needs for decades, a new study finds. The question is whether it's economically viable to use. Sarah Wild Get notified about our webinars and whitepapers Sign up Get Physics Today delivered for just $25 per year Subscribe Accelerating career connections worldwide for over 75 years BROWSE ALL JOBS POST A JOB CREATE JOB ALERTS FEATURED JOBS Senior Science Writer Thorlabs, Inc. (Newton, NJ) View Job Post-Doctoral Positions Indiana University Physics Department (Bloomington, IN) View Job Assistant Professor of Physics Nebraska Wesleyan University (Lincoln, NE) View Job Faculty Position Announcement in Physics/Astronomy Macalester College, Physics & Astronomy Department (Saint Paul, MN) View Job Postdoctoral Fellow Paul Scherrer Institut (Villigen, Switzerland) View Job Visiting Assistant Professor Missouri State University (Springfield, MO) View Job Physics Today is published by the American Institute of Physics 1 Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740 USA +1 301 209 3100 © 2025 American Institute of Physics. Unsubscribe  |  Email Preferences  |  Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us