The week in physics: Quantum scarring; Stellarators; Superhydrophobic tubes

The Week in Physics The paradoxical phenomenon of quantum scarring Inside certain quantum systems, where randomness was thought to lurk, researchers—after a 40-year journey—have found order and unique wave patterns that stubbornly survive. Lev Kaplan, Eric Heller, and Joonas Keski-Rahkonen APR 02, 2026 Superhydrophobic tube stays afloat in extreme conditions Inspired by a spider that holds an air bubble when it swims, the material could one day be used to design ocean sensors. Sarah Wells MAR 30, 2026 Stellarators are among the leading fusion energy candidates Advances in computing have reignited interest in the approach. Toni Feder MAR 31, 2026 From the vault George Uhlenbeck and the discovery of electron spin How two young Dutchmen, one with only a master’s degree, the other a graduate student, made a most important finding in theoretical atomic physics. Abraham Pais DEC 01, 1989 Astrophysics influencer uses social media to break science stereotypes Toni Feder APR 01, 2026 Crossword: Divergence versus convergence Doug Mar MAR 30, 2026 ADVERTISEMENT Who gets to be seen as a scientist? Images shape how science is understood. Expand AIP’s Emilio Segrè Visual Archives to show the diversity of people and experiences in the physical sciences. Be part of this visual legacy. Submit photos of your life and work as a physical scientist and inspire future generations of innovators. Submit today. Post a Job Get Job Alerts Browse All Jobs Professorship of Materials Physics Graz University of Technology (Graz (AT)) View Job Doctoral student Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon (Hamburg (DE)) View Job Program Fellow, Emergent Phenomena in Quantum Systems Initiative Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (Palo Alto, California) View Job Postdoctoral Fellow—Novel Superconductors Carnegie Institution of Washington (Washington D.C.) View Job Professor / Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) of Next-Generation Electrical and Optical Devices ETH Zurich (Zürich, Switzerland) View Job Instructor of Physics—Durham NCSSM (Durham, North Carolina) 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. © 2026 American Institute of Physics Physics Today 1 Physics Ellipse College Park, MD 20740 +1 301 209 3100