Discrepancies between previous experimental and simulation results had led researchers to question the existence of this phase. The main difficulty lay in detecting this distinct phase transition, which is primarily governed by changes in hydrogen dynamics rather than by structural transformation. To circumvent this issue, the team investigated the dynamics of water using quasi-elastic neutron scattering

Previous studies invoked scaling laws or mechanisms such as heat transfer, phase change, capillarity, mass diffusion, and nucleation to explain the growth of ice bubbles. However, a comprehensive and quantitative model connecting bubble shapes to freezing conditions remained elusive. In particular, the interplay between freezing rates, gas diffusion, and capillary forces was poorly understood, limiting

This month, we publish a Comment detailing the proportion of papers published in Nature Physics that have a last author who is a woman. Here, we present our internal data and outline our response and commitments for the future.

The implication, then, is that we will need something that is not a rocket, that is, something propelled by an external energy source. One idea is a high-power laser driving a light sail of low mass with photon momentum. It sounds like science fiction, and serious estimates of the practical requirements illustrate a series of immense challenges. Even so, it may be possible. According to a recent analysis

In addition to photovoltaics, wind turbines are among the most powerful renewable energy sources. Thorsten Schrader and Frank Härtig outline the challenges for metrology.

One of the winners of the 2024 edition was a video by Jian Guan and colleagues showcasing a curious symmetry-breaking effect that induced a galloping motion to a bubble in a vibrated chamber. This self-propulsion mechanism, which has now been described in detail in Nature Communications (J. H. Guan et al. Nat. Commun. 16, 1572; 2025), could be applied to surface cleaning, complex fluid network navigation

The idea that animals might use Earth’s magnetic field not only as a compass but also as a map has been around for decades. Because the planet’s magnetic field varies across different locations, each region has a distinct magnetic signature defined by its field strength and inclination angle. In principle, an animal could learn these signatures and use them to recognize specific places. But how they

The team gathered samaras, the winged fruit of maple trees that contain seeds enclosed in a nutlet, from the species Acer ginnala (pictured), A. floridanum, and A. negundo to cover a range of weights and sizes. The maple samaras were then levitated in a wind tunnel and subjected to collisions with water drops, with cameras recording their trajectories for digital analysis. The drops, with a mass of

The SI brochure has described the global measurement system for more than 50 years, and yet it has kept a low profile. Richard Brown leafs through its history.

Until recently, I must admit, I had not quite realized how fundamental Henri Poincaré was to the history of mathematics. Just over a century ago, the French mathematician introduced two closely linked ideas that continue to shape modern physics: homology and homotopy. Both words suggest some way to measure the similarity between objects or spaces. The modern descendants of his techniques have become

Physics is amazing and transformational. But for far too long the people most likely to benefit from its opportunity and wonder have been too narrowly defined.