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(Header image: @ClaireLamman for Physics Today; see https://physicstoday.org/doodle)

Physics Today

@PhysicsToday

Physics Today is the world's most popular physics magazine. (Header image: @ClaireLamman for Physics Today; see https://physicstoday.org/doodle)

In search of better work–life balance, @kathrin_sp gave up her job as a tenured physics professor and looked for jobs in industry. The transition required repackaging her skills. She now runs @xprize’s competition in quantum applications. #whatcanphysicistsdo

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Kathrin Spendier leads a multimillion-dollar quantum competition

Kathrin Spendier leads a multimillion-dollar quantum competition


Lexie Weikert landed her dream job: Since earning her bachelor’s degree in astronomy and astrophysics, she now works at the interface of commercial and government space activities at @Astroscale_UK, a company that services satellites and develops technologies to remove space…


Taking inspiration from nature, researchers are designing artificial muscles that can contract and elongate like real ones. As Caterina Lamuta writes, the advances in design could help make robots move more like humans. physicstoday.aip.org/quick-study/ho…


Climate physicist @DrKateMarvel probed the mysteries of the cosmos as an astrophysicist before shifting to climate modeling because, she says, she is drawn by questions that are big and expansive but also relevant. physicstoday.aip.org/news/q-a-kate-…


Tenured and tenure-track astronomers at cash-strapped @LowellObs must now either survive on hard-to-get grants or leave. As Toni Feder reports, the observatory will likely see at least a temporary slowdown in science as it tries to build back to financial sustainability. #physics


Matt Price, an R&D technical leader at Physik Instrumente, has worked in industry since earning his master’s degree in physics. He’s worked in research, sales, and now management, and says what he likes most is the creativity. #whatcanphysicistsdo #physics


For electric vehicles to go farther than about 600 km on one charge, their lithium-ion batteries may need to be replaced. One compelling technology is the solid-state battery: It’s safe and could deliver high energy and high-power density. #physics #batteries


Merida’s curly red hair. Elio’s flowing cape. Explosions and stunts. At @Pixar, physicist Henry Garcia uses motion to help tell a film’s story. #whatcanphysicistsdo #physics physicstoday.aip.org/news/q-a-henry…


At the beach, waves can be seen steepening and breaking as they come to shore. A similar behavior was recently observed in nanoscale waves, but with a strange twist: The waves steepen on their back side, away from their direction of travel. #physics physicstoday.aip.org/news/micron-si…


What is the nature of neutrino mass ordering? A new neutrino detector in China, which began taking data in August, seeks to answer this question. #physics #astronomy physicstoday.aip.org/news/next-gene…


For decades, researchers thought that sea-level changes during the Pleistocene were caused by global ice sheets becoming increasingly large. But a team led by Peter Clark of Oregon State University has now shown that ice sheets fluctuated in size throughout the epoch. #physics


Steluta Dinca parlayed her academic research in renewable energy into an industry career, which involves testing the performance of solar shingles. #whatcanphysicistsdo #physics physicstoday.aip.org/news/steluta-d…


Bottom-up self-assembly is a powerful approach to engineering at small scales. As Gregory Grason, W. Benjamin Rogers, and Michael Hagan illustrate, materials scientists use several strategies to formulate nanoscale components that can self-assemble into predetermined shapes with…


To disperse their seeds, some plants launch them as ballistic projectiles. Our new Quick Study by @dwightaker of @pomonacollege delves into how this dynamic mechanism works. #physics #biophysics physicstoday.aip.org/quick-study/ho…


Axel Hübner is a quantitative analyst at @DeutscheBank. He likes applying his physics knowledge to the real world. It helps that the work pays well. #physics #whatcanphysicistsdo physicstoday.aip.org/news/axel-hubn…


If you looked up at the night sky in fall 2024, you may have seen comet C/2023 A3. Our newest #BackScatter is a photo of the comet taken by Binyu Wang and his teacher Li Shen, which won first place in the Natural category of the 2025 @AAPTHQ High School Physics Photo Contest.…


A curious composition of two isotopes in the kilometer-sized Ryugu asteroid has led researchers to a new interpretation of how water could have persisted in its parent body for a billion years. #astronomy #physics physicstoday.aip.org/news/lutetium-…


Physicist Richard Garwin, a giant in the field, died in May 2025 at age 97. Famous for designing the first hydrogen bomb, Garwin was also a prominent adviser—and occasional critic—of the US government. Three of his close colleagues examine his career for @PhysicsToday. #physics


How can a physics graduate get a job outside of academia? To understand what companies look for when hiring, Physics Today's Alex Lopatka recently spoke to scientists in the private sector. The big takeaway: soft skills like communication are often just as important as technical…

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Landing a job in the private sector

Technical knowledge and skills are only some of the considerations that managers have when hiring physical scientists. Soft skills, in particular communication, are also high on the list.


Although the US was once the "crown jewel for science," the political and funding climate has changed the calculus for STEM scholars considering coming from abroad. #physics #science physicstoday.aip.org/news/equation-…


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