The week in physics: Crowd dynamics

Dense crowds follow their own rules Forward this email View in your browser The week in physics: 24–28 February Advertisement Unlock Precision in High-Energy Physics: Free Whitepaper Download! Find out how GaGe digitizers can boost acoustic microscopy precision by enabling Dynamic Range Expansion (DRE) to detect and stream ultrasonic echoes via PCI-Express with GaGe's Trigger Out signaling. Read more. Dense crowds follow their own rules When thousands of people are packed into a confined space, collective dynamics takes over. The phenomenon can be described with a physical model. Johanna L. Miller You might have missed Record-setting cosmic neutrino breaks in a new telescope An analysis of the highest-energy neutrino ever detected has researchers questioning the frequency at which such energetic particles pelt our planet. Andrew Grant Advertisement Track the Federal Science Budget with FYI Published by AIP since 1989, FYI is an authoritative source for science policy news and analysis trusted by policymakers and scientists nationwide. FYI's Federal Science Budget Tracker provides up-to-date information on appropriations proposals and outcomes for agencies that fund the physical sciences. For each agency, you can view program-level budget details, a timeline of actions, and historical budget data. Visit Budget Tracker. From the vault: October 1948 The origin of the Earth To answer this question, the author ... finds that one is pushed successively from speculating on the origin of the earth to speculating on the origin of the solar system, the origin of stars, of nebulae, of galaxies, of the universe—on to the beginning of time. Thornton Page Advertisement Save the Date: 2025 Physics & Astronomy Congress Oct 30–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 March magazine France's Oppenheimer Frédéric Joliot-Curie was one of the first to conceive of the nuclear chain reaction. But the ardent advocate of nuclear disarmament paid a high price for his political convictions. William Sweet 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 Research Associate (m/f/d) Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (Berlin, Germany) View Job Research Faculty II Florida State University—Physics Department (Tallahassee, FL) View Job Dean—James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ) View Job Visiting Assistant Professor Physics & Astronomy Bucknell University (Lewisburg, PA) 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