Science

Gauge theory could give quantum error correction a boost – 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 — Rocket Lab has won a contract from Japanese radar satellite company iQPS for three additional Electron launches. Rocket Lab announced April 9 it signed a contract with iQPS, or Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, for three Electron launches from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand starting in 2028. The companies did not

Cats may find food more appealing if it has a distinct odour Jaromir/Getty Images Cats that refuse their regular food might simply have become disenchanted by its odour – a discovery that suggests new strategies pet owners can explore to encourage their felines to eat. Many owners have felt the frustration of feeding finicky cats

Backing winners in deep tech: physicist and venture capitalist Alexandra Vidyuk – 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 — A Falcon 9 launched a Cygnus cargo spacecraft April 11 as Northrop Grumman continues its dependence on a competitor to fly resupply missions to the International Space Station. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:41 a.m. Eastern. The launch, originally scheduled for April

  The astronauts of the Artemis II mission have made it home. Their journey, which began in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on 1 April, took them around the moon and further from Earth than any human has travelled before. On 10 April, they splashed down in their capsule off the coast of California. On landing, mission

Laser-driven free electron laser runs for more than eight hours – 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 — HawkEye 360 announced April 10 it has filed for an initial public offering, becoming the latest defense-oriented space company to test the public markets. The Herndon, Va.-based company submitted a registration statement on Form S-1 to the Securities and Exchange Commission, taking the first formal step toward a public listing. It plans to

One of the radiolarian fossils found inside the rock sample Courtesy of Jonathan Aitchison A tiny pellet of ancient rock, a mere half the size of a grain of rice, has yielded 20 microscopic fossils representing eight different species, including one that is entirely new to science. The discovery will enhance our understanding of the

Stanford Medicine unveils world’s first ultracompact proton therapy facility – 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

MILAN – PLD Space signed a 30 million euro ($35 million) venture debt loan with the European Investment Bank (EIB) on April 7, a move to support the final development stage of MIURA 5, PLD’s lightweight rocket. Miura 5, which is designed to deploy roughly 540 kilograms to 1 ton of payload to low Earth

A violent encounter between the two factions of Ngogo chimpanzees Aaron Sandel A once harmonious group of wild chimpanzees has split into two, leading to intractable conflict and escalating violence. Researchers say the rift suggests that human wars are a deeply rooted part of our nature, rather than something that emerged recently as our culture

Have you published a disruptive paper? New machine-learning tool helps you check – 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 — Improving the accuracy of space situational awareness (SSA) data and using tighter thresholds for potential conjunctions can help retire most of the risk of satellite collisions in low Earth orbit, a new study concludes. Research presented April 8 at the 5th IAA Conference on Space Situational Awareness in Madrid by COMSPOC found that

Visualisation showing the western boundary currents that form part of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio Buoy measurements show the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, which moderates Europe’s climate, is weakening at four different latitudes, the strongest evidence so far that this system of ocean currents is slowing and could be heading toward

The dark heart of the lithium-ion battery revolution – 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 — Hungary is moving to build its first national communications satellite and broaden defense ties with U.S. industry under several partnerships announced by the Hungarian defense and space firm 4iG during Vice President J.D. Vance’s visit to Budapest April 7. The centerpiece is an agreement with Northrop Grumman to build a geostationary communications satellite

Light is both a wave and a particle, and we know it for sure now Anna Bliokh/Getty Images The following is an extract from our Lost in Space-Time newsletter. Each month, we dive into fascinating ideas from around the universe. You can sign up for Lost in Space-Time here. When physicist Clinton Davisson received the Nobel prize in 1937 for