July/August 2023

Physicists and Biologists Uncover New Evidence of Octopuses’ Complex Sleep
Interdisciplinary collaborators found that the brainy cephalopods behave in their sleep like they do while awake. Are they dreaming?

The Hunt for Planet Nine
Since Pluto was demoted to a “dwarf planet” in 2006, a Caltech team has been searching for a hypothesized planet on the edge of the Solar System.

Simulating Spacetime with Quantum Mechanical Materials
At the annual APS Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics meeting, physicists made the case for a new way of modeling a universe.

Opinion: The World is Coming for US Science Talent
Science’s best and brightest must jump through hoops to study and work in the United States. Without common-sense immigration reform, they will look elsewhere — and the US will lose out.

New Budget Caps Dampen Outlook for Science Spending Surge
Congress will almost certainly undershoot the targets it set for science budgets last year.

This Month in Physics History
August 1856: Eunice Foote Concludes That Carbon Dioxide Could Warm the Atmosphere, Three Years Before John Tyndall Did

Jim Hartle, 1939-2023
Giant of quantum cosmology dies at 83.

As Undergrad Physics Enrollment Stumbles, Departments Look Inward
Faculty offer insight on how physics programs can showcase career paths, support students of color, and more.

APS Industry Mentorship Program Bolsters the Career of an Aspiring Quantum Scientist
Enrique Segura Carrillo knew he wanted a career in industry, but he needed help getting there.

To Bolster Undergraduate Enrollment, Some Colleges Are Emphasizing Engineering Physics Degrees
Beloit College in Wisconsin and the University of Maine model different approaches to engineering physics.

Nick Wise, Scientific Sleuth and Fluid Dynamics Researcher
Wise spots awkward phrasing and other red flags to identify fraudulent research papers.

APS Innovation Fund Supports “Vibrant” US-Africa Collaborations in Modeling Electronic Structure
Despite the pandemic, travel restrictions, and even armed conflict, partnerships between researchers in the US and Africa persist.