There is in general no accurate theoretical description of the behavior of a system as it passes through its critical point. Current work, both experimental and theoretical, attempts to provide a unified theory that will be applicable to many different kinds of phase transition.
NEW EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES have been joined by novel theoretical approaches to give great impetus to the study of phase transitions. The systems studied include vapors near their critical points, ferromagnets near their Curie temperatures, antiferromagnets near their Néel points and the superfluid transitions. All these phase transitions, although apparently very different, show surprising similarities in their behavior near the critical point.
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.
Research exchanges between US and Soviet scientists during the second half of the 20th century may be instructive for navigating today’s debates on scientific collaboration.
The Eisenhower administration dismissed the director of the National Bureau of Standards in 1953. Suspecting political interference with the agency’s research, scientists fought back—and won.
Alternative undergraduate physics courses expand access to students and address socioeconomic barriers that prevent many of them from entering physics and engineering fields. The courses also help all students develop quantitative skills.
Defying the often-perceived incompatibility between the two subjects, some physicists are using poetry to communicate science and to explore the human side of their work.
September 01, 2025 12:00 AM
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Physics Today - The Week in Physics
The Week in Physics" is likely a reference to the regular updates or summaries of new physics research, such as those found in publications like Physics Today from AIP Publishing or on news aggregators like Phys.org.
