Physics Today
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Physics Today is the membership magazine of the American Institute of Physics that was established in 1948. It is provided to the members of ten physics societies, including the American Physical Society. Although its content is scientifically rigorous and up to date, it is not a true scholarly journal in the sense of being a primary vehicle for communicating new results. Rather, it is more of a hybrid magazine that informs readers about important developments in the form of overview articles written by experts, shorter review articles written internally by staff, and also discusses the latest issues and events of importance to the science community such as science politics. The physics community's main vessel for new results are the Physical Review suite of scientific journals published by the American Physical Society and Applied Physics Letters published by the American Institute of Physics. Source
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Media Outlet details
| Scope | National, Trade/B2B |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Country | United States of America |
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| Frequency | Monthly |
Recent Articles
Search ArticlesHigh schoolers compete in European and International Physics Olympiads
Nearly 400 high school students from 84 countries gathered from 4 to 12 July in Bucaramanga, Colombia, to compete in the 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO). The annual event challenges students to solve complex theoretical and experimental physics problems. For the second time in three years, the US did not attend IPhO.
Katherine Quinn teases out trends in global research and innovation
“What can physicists do? ” is an interview series that profiles physicists who opted for careers outside of academia. Katherine Quinn Senior data scientist, Center for Security and Emerging Technology, Georgetown University BS, math and physics, McGill University, 2013 PhD, physics, Cornell University, 2019 What was your research focus? Statistical physics and complex systems applied to cosmology, neural networks, biophysics, and machine learning. I also did research in physics education.
Study of Danish academics reveals child penalty
(Photo by iStock.com/dragana991.) Welcoming a new child into the world is often described as a life-changing event for parents. New research suggests that it also could be an inflection point in parents’ academic careers, particularly in the careers of women.
Ghost imaging delivers high resolution with a limited x-ray dose
X-ray imaging with high spatial resolution is widely used in both scientific and clinical applications to look inside samples noninvasively. But although it allows users to quickly assess a fractured bone or the atomic structure of a crystal, such imaging can cause significant cellular damage to biological samples when they are extensively subjected to its ionizing radiation.
Philip Franke develops laser wakefield acceleration applications
“What can physicists do? ” is an interview series that profiles physicists who opted for careers outside of academia. Philip Franke Team leader, laser-driven accelerator, TAU Systems BS, physics, University of Texas at Austin, 2016 PhD, physics, University of Rochester, 2022 What was your PhD research focus? Shaping ultrashort laser pulses for laser–plasma applications. What were you looking for in a job? I had my heart set on working in academia or at a national lab.
FYI science policy news
For more from FYI, the science policy news service at AIP, visit https://aip.org/fyi . US caps length of student visas Starting on 15 September, the US will admit student visa holders for a fixed period that is tied to their program’s length but capped at four years, and it will add restrictions on when and whether visa holders can change their majors or programs. The federal rule laying out the new immigration regulations was published by the Department of Homeland Security in July.
The decline in physics bachelor’s degrees: Contributors and consequences
The numbers are unnerving. After two decades of sustained growth, the number of physics bachelor’s degrees awarded in the US declined from the years 2020 to 2024, according to a recent trend analysis from the research team at the American Institute of Physics (AIP, publisher of Physics Today). 1 Figure shows the drop, which, the latest AIP data show, was followed by a slight increase in the 2024–25 academic year.
Ultrabright laser brings details of proteins into focus
Probing flash-frozen biological samples with an electron beam has been a game changer for researchers examining the details of biological structures. The technique—cryogenic electron microscopy, known as cryo-EM—has exploded in popularity in the past 15 years.
The US is losing appeal for international students
Federal research funding in the US is on the rocks. Visas to study and work in the country have become more restrictive and harder to get. Universities have doubled down in cautiousness about how many graduate students they admit. Given the instability and uncertainty, it’s no surprise that international students—who, for nearly two decades, have made up about 44% of the physics PhD population in the US—are thinking twice before opting to pursue their PhDs in the country.
A dental lens on human evolution
View larger Tooth enamel is the hardest tissue in vertebrates, and its lack of organic material prevents it from decomposing quickly. Pupa Gilbert of the University of Wisconsin–Madison and colleagues recently analyzed tooth samples, including from individuals who lived about 40 000 years ago (left) and 700 years ago (right), to see whether the nanostructure of the enamel could provide insights into evolutionary changes associated with humans’ changing diet.