Natural Science Forum / Physics / General Physics / July 2008

physicsworld.com newswire (Week 27)

HEADLINE NEWS

Sponsored by Amptek Inc.
Amptek Inc. introduces the first low cost Peltier cooled Silicon Drift
Detector.  With performance of 139eV FWHM at 100,000CPS, P/B of 6,500 for
only US$5,900, chose this detector for both laboratory and field use.

Amptek - the #1 choice of OEMs.
Web: http://www.amptek.com/drift.html
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33 years later, NASA finds Mercury to be even more active
Messenger's first flyby answers some questions raised by Mariner 10
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/34879

US presidential candidates receive questions on science
ScienceDebate organizers hope questions will prompt a national science
debate
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/34882

UK physics funding plans are approved
Input from physics community benefits LHCb
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/34880

Seeking an African Einstein
New centre for maths and computer science opens in Nigeria as part of plan
to find the "next Einstein" in Africa
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/34836

Survey of distant galaxies sets limit on cosmic strings
Gravitational lensing measurement suggets that cosmic strings make up no
more than 2% of mass of universe
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/34826

Lay-offs at Fermilab set to be reversed
Bush signs spending bill that includes emergency support for physics
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/34821

WRITING COMPETITION
Got a funny, off-beat or thought-provoking idea you want to get off your
chest? Physics World magazine is offering a prize for the best submission to
its Lateral Thoughts section. As well as publishing the best entries, we
will award £100 for the best overall entry and £100 for the top entry by an
undergraduate or postgraduate student. Send your Lateral Thoughts, of
900-950 words, to pwld@iop.org by 30 June 2008 if you want to be eligible
for the prizes.

PHYSICS WORLD BLOG

On a lake in southern Germany
I am spending this week on an island in Lake Constance in southern Germany
at the 58th meeting of Nobel Laureates at Lindau…
http://physicsworld.com/blog/2008/07/on_a_lake_in_southern_germany_1.html

Where are all the physics teachers?
The British media were talking about physics today...
http://physicsworld.com/blog/2008/06/where_are_all_the_physics_teac_1.html

MICROSCOPY ONLINE SUPPLEMENT
Our latest supplement includes profiles of leading microscope suppliers and
a preview of the Microscience 2008 exhibition and conference
http://physicsworld.com/cws/supplement/microscopy

Sponsored by William Andrew Inc.
Micro & Nano Technologies (MNT) is a new book series from William Andrew
Inc. covering the latest developments in small scale technologies, while
emphasizing accessible and practical content.  They are targeted to
engineers in industry, academia, and government.
Web:
http://www.williamandrew.com/subject_area.php?id=micro%20and%20nano%20technology
&src=PhysicsToday
E-mail: bbeckley@williamandrew.com

IN DEPTH

A gathering for Gardner
Robert P Crease examines why mathematics popularizer Martin Gardner inspires
so many different kinds of people
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/print/34769

A cosmic conundrum
Lincoln Wolfenstein explores the enduring mystery of matter–antimatter
asymmetry
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/print/34789

Blog life: Chris Lintott's Universe
Chris Lintott on life co-presenting TV's <i>The Sky at Night</i>
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/print/34790

Breaking through
Those outside the mainstream can find it hard to make worthwhile scientific
contributions
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/print/34767

A quantum renaissance
Markus Aspelmeyer and Anton Zeilinger on how technological advances let us
readdress fundamental quantum puzzles
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/print/34774

Dreaming in plastic
Conducting polymers are triggering a whole host of new applications from
ultrathin flexible laptops to watch-sized TVs
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/print/34783

Symmetry's physical dimension
Symmetry plays a vital role in physics, but could a bizarre 248D symmetry
group called E8 really guide us to a theory of everything?
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/print/34784