Exploring the foundations of physics & cosmology with Zeeya Merali & Gabe Fitzpatrick, of the Foundational Questions Institute, FQxI.

At the edge of reality.
Joined July 2009
In the first of a series of short documentaries from FQxI, Professor Natalia Ares shows us her research at Oxford University that uses carbon nanotube machines to investigate how we can use information as a fuel.⁠ @NAresgroup @geoffreylondon ⁠ qspace.fqxi.org/videos/246/i… ⁠ #FQxI
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Following on our post last week, a reminder to come join us *tonight* from 6:30pm outside the Martin Wood Complex (Clarendon Laboratory, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU).  Visit the event page on our website via link in bio or physics.ox.ac.uk/index%2Ephp…  See you later! 🔭🌔
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make this the cover of every organic chemistry textbook
Hexagonal growth in a black olive tree.
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Put the fund back in fundamental research
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This article, by @stevenstrogatz for @TheAtlantic, is probably the most honest assesment of the current situation that you'll read. No one knows exactly how to move forward. What new training pathways will look like. How young mathematicians will develop the things the community have prized for generations like 'taste'. What they can say is that they are thinking very, very hard -- as if the future of the field depended on it. Because it does.
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Oxford spin-out Quantum Fabrix secured £6.8M in government funding to advance quantum networking hardware and scale its SrROCK programme, developing atomic source tech for data centre and space uses. physics.ox.ac.uk/news/physic…
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In pursuit of an alternative to dark matter to explain the universe we see, some scientists posited that we might not understand gravity as well as we think. But a trio of weird galaxies without dark matter has put that tottering theory to bed. Hear more on The Quanta Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas…
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In the deepest region of the Earth’s mantle, much of the material consists of crystals of magnesium oxide. For years, experiments with the material have produced unexpected results. Now, LLNL researchers have proved why: the direction you push matters. livermorelab.info/4imZBFg
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Latest from the Nature Pod 🔊 The team discuss how precisely measuring a positron could shed light on one of physics’ greatest mysteries — plus, the latest on an ambitious mission to a Martian moon go.nature.com/4i9TTX2
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A framework for identifying boundary gauge operators and anyons-generating microscopic boundary Hamiltonians can translate periodic-lattice qLDPC codes to low-overhead planar codes for fault-tolerant logical operations. More in PRX Quantum: go.aps.org/4z8wDju
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Lucy James, one of FQxI’s new Foundational Fellows, is working on two of the fellowship’s projects, the arrow of time and multiverses.
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Early-career physicists and astronomers who stay active in a professional society are more likely to report collaboration, mentorship, and faster career progress, an AIP study finds. Association, not proof, but a signal worth weighing. 🔗 bit.ly/4hQk9H7
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APS Open Science is currently waiving all Article Publication Charges for submitted papers and transfers, allowing you to get your paper published fast, open, and free: go.aps.org/4pp0FtG #OAWeek
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For decades, Dennis Overbye's title at the New York Times was "cosmic affairs correspondent." Now a 2026 AIP Gemant Award winner, he'll go behind the scenes of "Chasing the Higgs." Nov 4, Washington DC. Free to attend. RSVP: bit.ly/4zCCcXe
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How superconductivity relates to the pseudogap in cuprates remains unclear. Now, time-resolved photoemission measurements show a light-induced pseudogap-like state below critical temperature, revealing a dynamic interplay with superconductivity. nature.com/articles/s41567-0…
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When you type an unpublished idea into a chatbot or coding agent, could it end up being used by the company that built the model—or a rival who asks the right question a year later? And what can you do to reduce the risk? No setting makes a chatbot fully private, but experts suggest steps that can make leaks much less likely: scim.ag/4sihqtz
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Borrowing an idea from one research discipline to solve a thorny problem in another is an age-old scientific trick. Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection, for example, famously inspired algorithms in computer science that “evolve” solutions to complex problems. But such clever leaps are fleetingly rare. For #AI, however, hopping between fields can be a breeze. Researchers highlighted that ability with the release of 36 preprints produced with a single suite of AI tools called BootLoops. The so-called harness can be used with any large language model, such as Anthropic’s Claude or OpenAI’s ChatGPT. And in just 3 months, researchers used Claude outfitted with BootLoops to cross-pollinate at a massive scale, spotting—and precisely solving—problems in seemingly unrelated fields that share the same mathematical structures. The resulting papers range widely, from figuring out the age of sunspots, to analyzing government health policies, to attempting to decipher a mysterious medieval manuscript. Learn more: scim.ag/3TUUyDJ
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Need to publish fast?🏃💨New acceptance criteria + swift production time allow APS Open Science submissions to sail through the lauded peer review process of the APS journals into the hands of the public. See how: go.aps.org/4ehSyfy #OAWeek
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