Science

HELSINKI — China took its total launches this year to 26 over the weekend, with a trio of flights of legacy and newer Long March rocket models. The activity saw the launch of a remote sensing satellite for Pakistan, the lofting of four new satellite internet technology test satellites, and a further launch carrying an

There may be a layer of reality even deeper than the quantum realm Cappan/iStockphoto/Getty Images Physicists are making new inroads into the world of post-quantum theories, uncovering what reality may look like on a level deeper and stranger than the already infamously odd quantum theory. In the 1920s, physicists had several extremely useful theories for

Newton’s law describes gravity on cosmological scales, galaxy clusters reveal – Physics World Skip to main content Discover more from Physics World Copyright © 2026 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors Read the original article here

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force is sharply increasing its demand for the most capable rocket launches, adding pressure to a market currently limited to two certified providers. Compared with its projections a year ago, the Space Force is now forecasting significantly higher demand to launch satellites into what it calls ‘highly stressing orbits.’ These

Addressing nutritional deficiencies could improve cognition in people with dementia CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU/AFP via Getty Images A personalised programme that combines targeted medical interventions with lifestyle changes seems to improve memory and functioning among people with mild cognitive decline or the early stages of dementia. This involves assessing someone for factors that could be affecting their

Study reveals the physics behind nature’s pointed tips – Physics World Skip to main content Discover more from Physics World Copyright © 2026 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors Read the original article here

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force has awarded agreements worth up to $3.2 billion to a group of 12 companies to develop prototypes for space-based interceptors. The awards, announced April 24 by the Space Systems Command, cover 20 agreements made in late 2025 and early 2026 using Other Transaction Authority contracts, a flexible acquisition tool

Stephan Schlamminger and his colleague, Vincent Lee, examine the torsion balance they used to measure the gravitational constant R. Eskalis/NIST For centuries, physicists have been trying to measure the strength of gravity, a number called “big G”. The measurements have never lined up with one another, hinting that either we don’t fully understand our experiments

Quiz of the week: At what temperature did researchers find a new critical point in water? – Physics World Skip to main content Discover more from Physics World Copyright © 2026 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors Read the original article here

WASHINGTON — The Space Systems Command, the U.S. Space Force’s acquisition arm, awarded SpaceX a $57 million contract to demonstrate satellite-to-satellite communications using Link-182, a radio-frequency data link standard the Space Force has adopted for its MILNET data relay network. MILNET is a planned constellation of Starshield communications satellites in low Earth orbit built by

A reconstruction of the giant octopus Yohei Utsuki/Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Hokkaido University While dinosaurs ruled the land, Cretaceous oceans were home to a fierce and enormous octopus species that may have reached up to 19 metres in length, rivalling the size of the largest predators of the time, including sharks and marine

Tantala 3D integrated circuits deliver a rainbow of laser light – Physics World Skip to main content Discover more from Physics World Copyright © 2026 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors Read the original article here

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has nominated defense industry and intelligence executive Roger Mason to lead the National Reconnaissance Office. If confirmed by the Senate, Mason would replace Christopher Scolese, who has run the agency since August 2019. The NRO builds and operates the nation’s spy satellites, a classified network that supplies imagery and signals

The dairy industry’s green claims are under scrutiny Witthaya/Getty Images The world’s biggest meat and dairy companies are flooding the public with promises to tackle global warming, but almost all are greenwashing, a new analysis claims. Animal agriculture is a major driver of climate change, responsible for at least 16.5 per cent of all global

Researchers express ‘grave concern’ over attacks on Iranian institutions and science – Physics World Skip to main content Discover more from Physics World Copyright © 2026 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors Read the original article here

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s latest budget documents put numbers behind an ambitious plan to expand U.S. military spending, with space programs emerging as one of the clearest beneficiaries. Materials released April 21 confirm the defense topline the White House outlined earlier this month, cementing both the scale of the proposed increase and its unusual reliance

An image of Titan taken by the Cassini spacecraft during a flyby NASA/JPL/SSI/Val Klavans Titan’s plains may be covered in up to a metre of fluffy, organic “snow”. About 65 per cent of the surface of Saturn’s huge moon is made up of strangely uniform and flat plains, and they seem to be coated in

Shining a light on central African physics – Physics World Skip to main content Discover more from Physics World Copyright © 2026 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors Read the original article here