Stories from March 2009
Astronomy’s bright future
To mark UNESCO’s International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009), six leading astronomers from the UK, the US, Europe and Asia write in March’s Physics World about the biggest challenges and opportunities facing international astronomers over the next couple of decades
Quantum paradox directly observed – a milestone in quantum mechanics
In quantum mechanics, a vanguard of physics where science often merges into philosophy, much of our understanding is based on conjecture and probabilities, but a group of researchers in Japan has moved one of the fundamental paradoxes in quantum mechanics into the lab for experimentation and observed some of the ‘spooky action of quantum mechanics’ directly
Women in Science laureate picks up award
Institute of Physics (IOP) Fellow Professor Athene Donald will be picking up her 2009 L’Oreal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science today, 5 March, 2009
Climate change means bigger NHS, council and property bills
Climate change concerns like melting icecaps, increased desertification, loss of coral reefs and the extinction of species like polar bears can seem a distant concern in our everyday lives. Little attention, however, has been paid to the likelihood of increased bills, through tax and insurance charges, that will be incurred as the UK climate changes
New breakthrough in medical imaging technology
New medical imaging technology, Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI), which generates unprecedented real-time images of blood flow and heart movement may improve disease diagnosis and treatment planning
Dark matter and nanotech explained
The Institute of Physics will be live webcasting two lectures this Thursday, 19 March, from www.iop.org, being given at the Institute to an audience comprised of physics teachers from London and the South East. The main aim of the lectures is to help teachers tackle topical and exciting physics in the classroom
Institute of Physics responds to IUSS Committee’s engineering report
The Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee has published a new report, ‘Engineering: turning ideas into reality’ today, Friday, 27 March, 2009
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