Editorials

One hundred years ago, Enrico Fermi and Paul Dirac worked out how fermions distribute across the quantum states available to them. Their intuition laid the statistical foundation for the study of systems ranging from solids to white dwarfs.

A recently proposed class of magnets, so-called altermagnets, combine features of ferromagnets and antiferromagnets. We discuss the scientific appeal of altermagnets, current controversies and challenges for their practical use.

Social connections can unlock opportunities that are advantageous to careers in physics. However, this resource is unevenly distributed, and its benefits can’t always overcome the negative effects of societal stereotypes and biases.

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to John Clarke, Michel Devoret and John Martinis “for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit”.

Two decades ago this month, Nature Physics published its first issue. We reflect on the past and look into the future.

The first direct observation of gravitational waves occurred on 14 September 2015. We look back at ten years of gravitational wave science.

We highlight how an abstract piece of condensed-matter physics — the fractional quantum Hall effect — may be ideally placed to implement quantum computers.

It’s never too early to plan for a regular dose of physics during your vacation. If you are looking for inspiration, we have some hidden physics gems for you.

This month, we publish three articles reporting breakthroughs in different areas of quasicrystal research.

This month, we celebrate the 150-year anniversary of the signing of the Metre Convention and look to the future of metrology.

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.

Following International Women’s Day, we draw inspiration from trailblazing women physicists from history and ask how the physics community can accelerate the closing of the gender gap.

We highlight recent developments at the journal, with new editors joining the team and the roll-out of a platform to facilitate the peer review of code.

To kick off the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, we highlight recent progress in the use of quantum simulators to tackle problems in high-energy physics and cosmology.

From soft matter models to plasma generation, physics offers a wide array of tools to optimize the way we prepare and preserve our food.

The 2024 Nobel prize for Physics was awarded for foundational contributions to the development of artificial neural networks. The award reflects a shift in how we understand boundaries between scientific fields — or whether such boundaries are still useful at all.

Adapting an experimental tool for use in a new field can be as powerful as inventing a new technique.

PhD students can face many challenges, such as a lack of confidence in their newly acquired skills or the uncertainty about which career path to choose. We highlight some ways to empower students in their doctoral journey.

In light of the recent Olympic and upcoming Paralympic Summer Games in Paris, we take a closer look at the physics of sports and how it helps athletes improve their performance.

This year marks the hundredth anniversary of Satyendra Nath Bose’s paper that stimulated the study of quantum statistics. We take this opportunity to celebrate the physics of bosons.