The week in physics: Mechanically interlocked molecules; Reframing physics readiness; Being a physicist right now

The week in physics: 15–19 September A machine that mechanically interlocks molecules Researchers have shown how a molecular motor can be used to intertwine two molecules and form a linkage that couldn't be made with conventional synthesis. Laura Fattaruso What does it mean to be a physicist right now? The scientific enterprise is under attack. Being a physicist means speaking out for it. John Doyle From the vault: December 2001 Edward Condon and the Cold War politics of loyalty Early in the Cold War, a noted scientist was relentlessly hounded by red-baiting congressmen. The lessons of the case remain no less relevant today. Jessica Wang Reframing the narrative on physics readiness Alternative undergraduate physics courses expand access to students and address socioeconomic barriers that prevent many of them from entering physics and engineering fields. The courses also help all students develop quantitative skills. Suzanne White Brahmia and Geraldine L. Cochran You might have missed The ingredients for an unbeatable squash shot Ryan Dahn Post a Job Get Job Alerts Browse All Jobs Assistant Professor - Experimental Nuclear Physics Iowa State University (Ames, IA) View Job Assistant Professor, Materials Science and Energy Sciences Institute Yale University (West Haven, CT) View Job Tenure-Track Faculty Position in Plasma Physics West Virginia University (Morgantown, WV) View Job nterdisciplinary doctoral PhD projects in the fields of Ultrafast Science and Quantum Materials International Max Planck Research School for Ultrafast Imaging and Structural Dynamics (Hamburg, Germany) View Job Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Physics in Experimental Applied Physics Davidson College (Davidson, NC) View Job Post-Doctoral Research Scientist Columbia University (New York, NY) View Job Physics Today is published by the American Institute of Physics. To manage your AIP email preferences and newsletter subscriptions, click here. Or unsubscribe from all AIP emails. © 2025 American Institute of Physics. Physics Today 1 Physics Ellipse College Park, MD 20740-3842 +1 301 209 3100