Working in physics: index

• Making the 'wonder material', August 2012
  Graphene is taking the world of physics by storm, with new applications cropping up almost weekly. Daniel Stolyarov describes how he and his wife, Elena Polyakova, turned the graphene boom into a business
• Technology for life, July 2012
  The fight against cancer offers rewarding career opportunities for medical physicists as well as healthcare professionals, as Giulia Thompson describes
• Changing the Hamiltonian, June 2012
  Trained to understand particles rather than people, physicists who become managers often struggle with human-resources challenges such as motivating and developing employees.
• Playing the game, May 2012
  Catherine Goode describes how a degree in physics and a childhood passion for computer and video games led her to a career in game design.
• Making outreach work, April 2012
  Lisa Jardine-Wright offers some advice on ensuring that physics outreach is more than just a "fun day out" for students, volunteers and academics
• Careers, interrupted, February 2012
  Jan West describes how an organization inspired by the UK's first female physics professor has helped more than 200 people return to working in science after career breaks
• Why biophysics works for me, January 2012
  Five scientists talk to Jon Cartwright about why they are drawn to problems on the border between biology and physics
• Building a bionic eye, December 2011
  Kate Fox describes how strokes of luck – both good and bad – led her to work on an interdisciplinary "bionic eye" project aimed at helping people with retinal disease
• Enjoy a new perspective of the Earth, November 2011
  Earth scientist and remote-sensing expert Shannon Franks describes how there is more to NASA than space exploration
• Physics to freelance, September 2011
  With dozens, if not hundreds, of professionals vying for the same jobs, why not create your own career? Independent space-technology consultant Mark Williamson shares his experience of self-employment
• Three perspectives: careers in China, August 2011
  A xinren ("recent arrival"), a zhongguo tong ("old hand") and a zhongjian ("in-between") discuss the ups and downs of doing physics research in China
• Beyond the eureka moment, July 2011
  For academic inventors, having a great idea is just the beginning. Figuring out what to do next can be a much bigger challenge, as Nadya Reingand explains
• The sounds of science, June 2011
  Wanda Diaz Merced describes how losing her sight led her to investigate new ways of studying space physics, using sound rather than visual information
• Surviving your thesis, May 2011
  Many PhD students view thesis writing with trepidation but, as James Hayton explains, this rite of passage need not be a nightmare – it just takes the right tactics
• A super(conducting) career, April 2011
  Joe Brown explains why he is still enthusiastic about designing and manufacturing superconducting magnets after nearly 40 years in the industry
• Seeking advice, March 2011
  With so many different career options out there, Margaret Harris examines what university careers offices can – and cannot – do to help physics graduates find their way in the job market
• Retired, but still a physicist, February 2011
  Caroline Lodge and Eileen Carnell describe how good practice in the retirement process can benefit both retiring physicists and their employers
• Fusion scientists of the future, January 2011
  In interdisciplinary subjects such as fusion energy, training PhD students is a complex task. Llion Marc Evans describes how being part of the Fusion Doctoral Training Network has helped him develop as a researcher
• Banking on it, December 2010
  Even after the global financial crisis, banking remains a popular career choice for physics graduates. Physics World talks to Benjamin Rosenberger and Rob Thomson, both of the equities division of Swiss firm UBS, about the ups and downs of working in finance
• Gongs away, November 2010
  Now that the Nobel Prize for Physics is sorted for another year, Margaret Harris examines the range of other physics prizes on offer, and how receiving awards can help - and sometimes hinder - a recipient's career
• Playing it safe with reactors, October 2010
  With new nuclear reactors on the horizon, Mike Yule explains why helping to keep the UK's existing plants running safely is a great job for a physicist
• From the universe to the Internet, September 2010
  Peter Cogan describes how the skills of a physicist are always in demand at Bell Labs, although the research focus is now on telecommunications rather than fundamental physics
• A new model Master's, August 2010
  Students torn between the worlds of business and physics may soon have fresh options thanks to a novel hybrid course gaining popularity in the US
• Big lasers, tiny circuits, July 2010
  Slava Rokitski describes how a childhood interest in the way things work led him to a career in laser manufacturing
• Building a better lecture, June 2010
  Educational research has revealed flaws in the traditional lecture format, but as Keith Taber explains, it has also suggested ways of reshaping lectures that could benefit both students and academics
• Supporting laser science, May 2010
  If the laser in your laboratory is not working, your first port of call (after the instruction manual!) will be someone like Harald Ellmann, whose fascination with practical problem-solving led to a career in technical support
• Curating the space-time continuum, April 2010
  Alison Boyle describes how working in a science museum offers plenty of variety and the chance to interact with great scientists – past and present.
• Protecting the future, March 2010
  Patent attorneys work at the interface of science and law, helping inventors to safeguard their intellectual property. Elliott Davies describes a career that combines technical knowledge and commercial savvy.
• Life on the borders, February 2010
  Edward Barry describes a career at the sharp end of interdisciplinary research, and how a virus from the New York City sewers is helping shape our understanding of nanoscale self-assembly.
• Astronomy for all, January 2010
  Showing members of the public the wonders of the universe is one of the best things about being an astronomer - and retirement can lead to even more outreach opportunities, as Stephen and Irene Little explain.
• Why not do both?, December 2009
  Physicists thinking about academic or industrial research should consider a career that brings together elements from both, urges Stephen Sweeney.
• What will you do next summer?, November 2009
  Physics undergraduates seeking a summer job that goes beyond traditional student employment should consider a research internship, as Margaret Harris reports.
• Of time and tide, October 2009
  For Stephen Taylor, running a marine-software company means plenty of chances to apply familiar physics to unusual real-world problems – and being your own boss is nice too.
• A physicist's life-cycle, September 2009
  Long-term career satisfaction for academics is closely linked to the type of institution where they work, as Joseph C Hermanowicz discovered when he set out to follow physicists through their careers.
• Scientists in the newsroom, August 2009
  Media fellowships can help physicists improve the way that they communicate their results to the outside world, and also offer valuable insights into how the other half live, as Helen Czerski describes.
• Tools for learning, July 2009
  Some instruments in teaching laboratories may look old-fashioned, but those wooden boxes can hold surprisingly advanced equipment. George Herold describes his career designing experiments for undergraduate labs.
• Don't panic, June 2009
  The job market for new graduates and career-changers in 2009 is not great, but there are signs that physicists may be better equipped than most, as Margaret Harris explains
• Riding the red dragon, May 2009
  Western universities have long welcomed visiting students and academics from the Far East. Now China’s ascendance offers career opportunities for researchers like Ian Broadwell who want to make the reverse journey
• Riding the storm out, April 2009
  A career in severe-weather research offers flexibility and plenty of opportunities to experience the fascinating physics of the rotating fluid called the atmosphere. Josh Wurman describes the science of storm-chasing and why hurricanes are scarier than tornadoes
• Living life on 'Mars', March 2009
  The quest for clear, dark skies has led astronomers to build telescopes far away from the lights and smog of modern civilization, but what is it like to live and work in such places? Elena Mason describes her career at one of the world’s most remote observatories
• The science of fine art, February 2009
  Working at the interface of science and art, conservation research extends our knowledge of artworks and helps keep fragile items safe for future generations. Christina Young explains how physics can help to preserve our cultural heritage
• A fresh look at nuclear, January 2009
  A new industry-wide graduate scheme aims to get the next generation of nuclear scientists thinking about community and environmental issues from the outset. Susie Hay and Michael Kelk describe the “nucleargraduates” programme
• Space to explore, December 2008
  A career in space technology offers great scope for creativity and the chance to build something new. It can even make you relatively popular at parties, as Kevin Middleton describes
• One year left to go, October 2008
  As they enter their final year of undergraduate study, six students from around the globe share with Physics World their perspectives on physics, their courses and the future
• Have PhD, will travel, October 2008
  Life as a postdoctoral researcher offers opportunities for making independent contributions to science, but there are pitfalls too, as Margaret Harris explains
• Rewards of renewables, September 2008
  Thanks to concerns about carbon emissions and the rising price of fossil fuels, the green-energy industry is currently experiencing huge growth worldwide. This presents plenty of interesting and lucrative opportunities for physicists, as Gregory McNamee describes
• Secure your future, August 2008
  A background in physics plus a keen interest in politics and current affairs can add up to a rewarding career in international security, as James Acton explains
• Building for the future, July 2008
  The surprising pleasures of life as a "building physicist"
• Physicists without borders, May 2008
  The global appeal of working for the IAEA
• Success is in the bank, May 2008
  Life as a physicist at the Bank of England
• Back to school, April 2008
  The benefits of outreach programmes that bring researchers into schools
• The best years of your life?, February 2008
  What to expect from a PhD
• Physics for a safer world, February 2008
  A job in the UK’s Home Office Scientific Development Branch
• Generating job options, January 2008
  Life in the nuclear industry
• The business of medical physics, December 2007
  The rewards and challenges of becoming a medical physicist in industry
• The route to engineering success, November 2007
  The benefits of becoming a chartered engineer
• Next steps for physics graduates, October 2007
  What physics students can do when they leave university
• Life in the line of fire, September 2007
  Working as an instrument scientist
• Physicists at Aldermaston, August 2007
  Maintaining the UK's nuclear warheads
• Scientists in the melting pot, July 2007
  Thinking "outside the box"
• Striking it lucky in the oil industry, June 2007
  Oilfield services firm offers a life of adventure
• How to become a European champion, May 2007
  Get your share of research funding
• Making the switch to teaching, April 2007
  Banker took the long way to school
• Cleaning up the power industry, March 2007
  Making electricity more green
• Those who can, teach physics, March 2007
  Catherine Wilson examines the many ways to become a qualified physics teacher in the UK
• Sensing a challenge, February 2007
  Research a priority at electronics firm