Great @physicstoday.bsky.social article covering how professional societies are supporting scientists to lobby effectively in response to the attacks on science -> pubs.aip.org/physicstoday...

As the US government continues to undermine research, societies like APS are helping scientists write letters and op-eds and organize visits to lawmakers. As Toni Feder writes, the aim is to garner support for continued science funding.

We are sad to hear that George Smoot passed away. Smoot, an experimental astrophysicist, shared the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics with John Mather for his work on the COBE satellite, which demonstrated that the cosmic microwave background has a near-perfect blackbody spectrum.

“It is up to each of us to make the case, in language that resonates beyond academia, that science is not a luxury but a necessity,” says American Physical Society president John Doyle. “Now, as we face new challenges, advocacy must become a part of what we all do.” #physics #standupforscience

Silvia Alonso-Pérez presents a look at the physics behind the theremin, the early electronic musical instrument that converts hand gestures into the eerie tones heard in the soundtracks of classic sci-fi films like The Day the Earth Stood Still. #electronicmusic #physics #acoustics #scifi

A tiny molecular motor has been used to intertwine two molecules and form a linkage that couldn’t otherwise be made. As Laura Fattaruso writes, the achievement paves the way for the synthesis of molecules that are beyond the reach of conventional chemistry. #physics #molecularmachines

“Shut up and calculate”? Not a chance.🔭🧪 President of the @apsphysics.bsky.social in @physicstoday.bsky.social reminds us that physicists are not just scientists; we are citizens, educators, & truth-tellers. So, no, Laura Ingraham, we also won't just "shut up and dribble." 🔗 bit.ly/ShutUpandCal...

A team of Italian physicists won the satirical Ig Nobel Prize in Physics last week for their phase diagram of the notoriously tricky cacio e pepe pasta sauce. The team varied the amount of cornstarch and the cooking temperature to find the “scientifically optimized recipe” to avoid clumping.

Grant cancellations by NSF this year are being tracked in a database called Grant Witness. The volunteer-run site has been used in litigation and science advocacy efforts and regularly updates grant statuses as court cases and appeals are announced.

The Eisenhower administration dismissed the director of the National Bureau of Standards (the predecessor of NIST) in 1953. As Joseph D. Martin writes, scientists suspected political interference with the agency’s research, fought back, and won. #histSTM #longread

Scientists reviewed measurements from monitoring stations and instruments from around the world to document the global climate system in their 2024 annual report.

Despite working in a time of tense diplomatic relations, proxy wars, and budget cuts, many US and Soviet scientists collaborated productively during the 1970s and 1980s, writes Anna Doel. Prior exchanges help better understand the challenges to scientific cooperation today. https://bit.ly/4neNFWQ

A team at Brown University uncovered the physics behind the vaunted nick shot—an unbeatable hit in four-walled racket sports like squash. #everydayphysics https://pubs.aip.org/physicstoday/online/44637/

A lucky strike might be fun, but achieving high bowling scores requires consistently knocking down all 10 pins. Here's the physics behind throwing a perfect strike. https://pubs.aip.org/physicstoday/online/44608

We're sad to hear of the death of Rainer Weiss, who shared the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics with Barry Barish and Kip Thorne for his contributions to the gravitational-wave detector LIGO. In 1999, he and Barish outlined the physics behind LIGO for Physics Today. https://bit.ly/3UPb84O

From our archives: “The future of the #Higgs boson” by Joseph Lykken and Maria Spiropulu from December 2013 doi.org/10.1063/PT.3... #FromTheVault #PTarchive

International collaboration is the goal of the newly launched Texas–France space hub in Houston. Rice University is facilitating the exchange of new ideas for some of space’s biggest challenges. The 6-month program introduces French firms to the US commercial space ecosystem. doi.org/10.1063/pt.o...

This month's cover article in @physicstoday.bsky.social @aip-publishing.bsky.social is on "The Enduring Puzzle of Static Electricity". To learn more about using electrostatic forces to design granular materials, turn to the article that I wrote together with Joshua Méndez Harper: lnkd.in/e_fxkrzt

From our archives: “Analysis of musical‐instrument tones” by Jean‐Claude Risset and Max V. Mathews from February 1969 "With computers we can not only analyse the sound of a musical instrument but also build up a synthesized copy of the sound." doi.org/10.1063/1.30... #FromTheVault #PTarchive

From the archive: “Mass extinctions caused by large bolide impacts,” Luis Alvarez, July 1987 "Evidence indicates that the collision of Earth and a large piece of Solar System debris such as a meteoroid, asteroid or comet caused the great extinctions of 65 million years ago" doi.org/10.1063/1.88...

From our archives: “Flavor SU(3) Symmetries in Particle Physics” by Howard Georgi in April 1988 "Anyone who understands quantum mechanical harmonic oscillators can understand the role and significance of the flavor symmetries of the standard model." doi.org/10.1063/1.88... #FromTheVault

We're sad to hear about the passing of Mary K. Gaillard. We were lucky enough to feature a Q&A with her in 2016, in the wake of the publication of her memoir, "A Singularly Unfeminine Profession: One Woman’s Journey in Physics" doi.org/10.1063/PT.5...

With Tom Lehrer's passing, I suppose this is a moment to share the story of the prank he played on the National Security Agency, and how it went undiscovered for nearly 60 years.

incredibly sad to hear that Tom Lehrer died yesterday. my illustrious predecessor @mbaldwin.bsky.social scored a rare interview with him in 2018 for @physicstoday.bsky.social on the "Physical Revue," a parody of the physical sciences he premiered at Harvard in 1951. pubs.aip.org/physicstoday...

From our archives: “The future of physics” by Freeman Dyson from September 1970 "Many physicists may turn to molecular biophysics, pulsar astronomy and the problems of environmental pollution, just as some turned to radioastronomy and computer technology 25 years ago." doi.org/10.1063/1.30...

A highlight of my @physicstoday.bsky.social tenure for sure!! I'm not sure I've ever been more excited to receive an email address!

From our archives: “Color Perception” by Alan R. Robertson from December 1992 The physical stimulus that causes a color perception can be measured by straightforward physical methods, but predicting the perceived color is much more complex. doi.org/10.1063/1.88... #FromTheVault #ptarchive

The elusive nature of earthquakes makes forecasting notoriously difficult. Researchers are increasingly turning to AI to help tackle the challenge. doi.org/10.1063/pt.t...

From 1939 to 1948, Dorothy Weeks—the first woman to receive a PhD in mathematics from MIT—led a physics summer internship program that was specifically targeted for women. doi.org/10.1063/pt.v...

From our archives: “Chandrasekhar’s role in 20th-century science” by Freeman Dyson Once the astrophysics community had come to grips with a calculation performed by a 19-year-old student, the heavens could never again be seen as a perfect and tranquil dominion. doi.org/10.1063/1.35...

Sixty years ago today, the American Institute of Physics established a "Center for History and Philosophy of Physics," building on four years of pilot efforts. Charles Weiner was director and Joan Warnow led the Niels Bohr Library & Archives. Their work set a model for many efforts to come.

From our archives: “History of the cyclotron” by M. Stanley Livingston, October 1959 In memory of E. O. Lawrence, two lectures on the history of the cyclotron were presented at the @apsphysics.bsky.social 1959 spring meeting. This article is based on Dr Livingston's talk. doi.org/10.1063/1.30...

“Most people think of Sally as the astronaut: the first American woman to go to space. She was so much more than that.” #PrideMonth doi.org/10.1063/pt.w...

From our archives: “Whiskey webs: Fingerprints of evaporated bourbon” by Stuart J. Williams. February 2021 When a water-diluted droplet of American whiskey evaporates, it can leave behind a self-assembled web pattern not found in Scotch or brandy. doi.org/10.1063/PT.3... #FromTheVault #PTarchive

The life story of astronaut Sally Ride is featured in the new National Geographic documentary SALLY, released on streaming services today. #PrideMonth doi.org/10.1063/pt.w...

“Physics looks at waste management” by David Rose, John Gibbons, & William Fulkerson. Feb 1972 What are the best ways to find out what's in our waste, sort & separate it, return to service anything that can be used again & properly dispose of the remainder? doi.org/10.1063/1.30... #FromTheVault

What’s on the 40-year wish list for US particle physics? A muon collider at Fermilab, a Higgs factory at CERN, and strong US investment in dark-matter research and cosmic surveys, says a new ‪@nationalacademies.org report out yesterday. nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/2883...

The success of the D-Day invasion #OTD in 1944 hinged on the Allies’ ability to predict the tides. To perform tidal calculations, the Allies used large mechanical computers that were originally designed by Lord Kelvin. doi.org/10.1063/PT.3... Photo credit: H. R. Seiwell, Mil. Eng. 39, 202 (1947)

From our archives: “The tide predictions for D-Day” by Bruce Parker from September 2011 Based on the physics of Newton and Laplace, the big brass tide-predicting machine designed by Lord Kelvin was crucial for the success of the Normandy invasion in World War II. doi.org/10.1063/PT.3...

Astronomer and gay rights leader Frank Kameny was born 100 years ago today. His fight for justice helped foster change in and beyond STEM. doi.org/10.1063/pt.s... #HistSci #Physics #Astronomy

Hidden behind a fog of galactic gas, Sagittarius A* proved a tricky imaging target for the @ehtelescope.bsky.social team. doi.org/10.1063/PT.6... #BlackHoleWeek #Astronomy

Roger Penrose proved that black holes could and should form in the universe. The topological picture he used in that proof has become foundational to general relativity. doi.org/10.1063/PT.3... #BlackHoleWeek #Astronomy #Physics #NobelPrize

@drbecky.bsky.social aims to shrink the gender imbalance in the viewership of her astronomy videos. doi.org/10.1063/pt.w... #BlackHoleWeek ⚛️🔭

From our archives: “Introducing the black hole” by Remo Ruffini and John A. Wheeler According to present cosmology, certain stars end their careers in a total gravitational collapse that transcends the ordinary laws of physics. doi.org/10.1063/1.30... #FromTheVault #PTarchive #BlackHoleWeek 🔭⚛️

Our May issue is here! Learn about threats to the dark and quiet sky, seismic data that reveal groundwater health, and the future of ocean sciences in the US. Plus, enjoy a poem about physics! pubs.aip.org/physicstoday... 📸: Pexels/Pixabay ⚛️🔭 #PhysicsToday #oceanography #seismology #poetry

A new report projects a 13% drop in first-year physics and astronomy graduate enrollment in the US in fall 2025 compared with fall 2024 because of federal funding policy changes. That would be a sharper decrease than any in the past decade. doi.org/10.1063/pt.k... #Physics #Astronomy #EduSky

You can read the article in our April issue or online here: doi.org/10.1063/pt.i... ⚛️

From our archives: “What is the Lithosphere?” by John C. Maxwell from September, 1985 doi.org/10.1063/1.88... #FromTheVault #PTarchive #EarthScience

A science communicator launched an effort to pair artists with scientists whose jobs were eliminated or whose research funding was halted by the Trump administration. The result? Powerful portraits of researchers and their work. ⚛️🧪 doi.org/10.1063/pt.f...

Celebrate the 35th anniversary of Hubble's launch with a data visualization that charts the positions in the sky of the Hubble Space Telescope’s plethora of cosmic targets. 🔭⚛️ #Hubble35