Science

Optical fibre connected to a dilution refrigeratorHarsh Rathee/Department of Physics Photographs accompanying most scientific papers might politely be called “functional”. But this collection of images from Imperial College London’s research photography competition proves that research can be beautiful. The top image, by Harsh Rathee of the physics department, shows an optical fibre connected to a dilution refrigerator, a device that creates a temperature a thousandth that of the vacuum of space. By observing how light interacts with sound waves at this incredibly low temperature, researchers can explore the unique properties of matter at the quantum level. Liquid GoldAnna Curran/Department of Mathematics The above entry is from Anna Curran of the maths department, wh...

El Chaltén is a village inside Argentina’s Los Glaciares National Park. The remote park is home to 48 glaciers, with some trailheads starting in town. Located among shops, restaurants and hotels on one of El Chaltén’s main streets is photographer Alex DeMets’ La Lenga Art Gallery.  DeMets has managed the gallery and displayed his work there for the last three years, after spending the previous six years traveling and photographing South America. Originally hailing from the American Midwest, DeMets started traveling full-time to pursue his photographic career nearly ten years ago. Since then, he has completed just two dozen or so final images, nearly all of which can only be viewed in-person at his gallery, since he rarely shares them on the internet. In an interview with GlacierHub, ...

Getting an AI to write software for you? That’s vibe codingronstik/Alamy Want to write software, but haven’t got the first clue where to start? Enter “vibe coding”, a term that has swept the internet to describe the use of AI tools, including large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, to generate computer code even if you can’t program. What is vibe coding and where did it come from? “Vibe coding basically refers to using generative AI not just to assist with coding, but to generate the entire code for an app,” says Noah Giansiracusa at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts. Users ask, or prompt, LLM-based models such as ChatGPT, Claude or Copilot to produce the code for an app or service, and the AI system does all the work. The term was coined by Andrej K...

David Parker/Science Photo Library You might say it all started with a spot of hay fever. In June 1925, a young physicist named Werner Heisenberg retreated to the barren island of Helgoland in the North Sea, seeking respite from his allergies. There, he scribbled down equations that would light an intellectual fire in Europe, eventually forming the basis of an idea that shook our view of how reality works to the core. That idea was quantum theory. In recognition of the quantum centenary, the United Nations has designated 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. There will be celebrations, exhibitions and conferences all over the world. This article is part of a special series celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of quantum theory. Re...

Growing up in Seychelles, a small island developing state with vast ocean territory and a deep reliance on marine ecosystems, Jeremy Raguain developed a strong passion for ocean conservation. Since graduating from Columbia University’s Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA-ESP) program in May 2024, he has taken on a critical role at the International Union for Conservation of Nature Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office. His work focuses on accelerating the ratification and implementation of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) agreement, an international agreement that seeks to ensure the sustainable use and conservation of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. In this interview, Raguain shares insights o...