A new Physics Today is coming

PT was established more than 75 years ago to counter the accelerating growth and fractionation that the field of physics was experiencing following World War II. (For more on those early years, see the article by David Kaiser, Physics Today, May 2018, page 32 , commemorating PT’s 70th anniversary.) Increasing research specialization and compartmentalization risked the erosion of the field’s sense of community. By providing news and feature articles across the gamut of physics-related topics, PT was intended to give readers an appreciation of what was going on outside their specialty and thus establish and maintain a sense of common identity.

Fostering that sense of community still underpins PT’s mission today: to be a unifying influence on the physical sciences by cultivating a shared understanding, appreciation, and sense of belonging among physical scientists. We strive to acknowledge our commonalities, honor our history, and celebrate our differences.

In a world in which news, progress, and change are spreading faster than ever, having a trusted, reliable source of accurate, curated information that matters is even more essential. And that information will soon have a new home: a PT website that will provide a modern, magazine-like digital experience. No matter how you reach us—or we reach you—we will make it easy to discover recent research breakthroughs and applications, indulge your curiosity, find inspiration from Q&As, and locate resources to advance your career.

At our core, we will continue to cover twin aspects of the physical sciences enterprise: the richness of the science and the shared experience of being a scientist. Amid today’s unprecedented upheaval in the sciences and science education, that shared experience is taking on extra urgency and importance. Our new online home will better allow you to find the information that’s relevant to you—whether it’s PT’s own content, reports on science policy and statistics from other parts of the American Institute of Physics (publisher of Physics Today), or material from the Member Societies that make up the AIP Federation.

PT’s news stories and feature articles will first appear on our website, and most will then appear in the next issue of the monthly magazine. That way, you won’t have to wait a month for the content you want.

Just as importantly, the platform will make it easy to engage both with our content and with others in the community. For the majority of PT’s existence, letters to the editor provided an important conduit for readers to share their thoughts. These days, however, digital channels reaching a receptive audience are essential. Indeed, the exchange of ideas remains central to building a strong, shared culture and a welcoming community.

As we roll out these changes—and additional ones in the future—we will be seeking the input of you, our readers, to understand how we can best serve you and meet your needs. We are currently recruiting volunteers for focus groups; if you’re interested in sharing your perspectives, please visit https://www.aip.org/pt-focus-group-sign-up . And if you receive a link later this year to an online reader survey, please take it. But as always, you don’t need to wait to let us know your thoughts: You can reach us any time at https://contact.physicstoday.org or pteditors@aip.org .