Read article 'The Higgs, supersymmetry and all that'
The Higgs, supersymmetry and all that
John Ellis reflects on 50 years at the forefront of theoretical high-energy physics - and whether the field is ripe for a paradigm shift.
Read article 'The Higgs, supersymmetry and all that'
Read article 'Learning to love anomalies'
Learning to love anomalies
The 2020s will sort current anomalies in fundamental physics into discoveries or phantoms, says Ben Allanach.
Read article 'Who ordered all of that?'
Who ordered all of that?
Explaining the bizarre pattern of fermion types and masses has led theorists to explore complex symmetry groups, with recent work suggesting that the “flavour scale” could be at a much lower energ...
Read article 'When twistors met loops'
When twistors met loops
Carlo Rovelli reports on a conference which brought together two communities that have evolved independently for many years.
Read article 'Gauge–gravity duality opens new horizons'
Gauge–gravity duality opens new horizons
In 1997, Juan Maldacena conjectured a deep relationship between gravity and quantum field theory.
Read article 'Redeeming the role of mathematics'
Redeeming the role of mathematics
Graham Farmelo’s new book sheds light on the current debate on the role of mathematics in theoretical physics, says CERN's former head of theory, Wolfgang Lerche.
Read article 'Particle physics meets gravity in the Austrian Alps'
Particle physics meets gravity in the Austrian Alps
The meeting was sponsored by the Humboldt Foundation, based in Bonn, whose mission is to promote cooperation between scientists in Germany and elsewhere.
Read article 'Topological avatars of new physics'
Topological avatars of new physics
A field configuration is topologically non-trivial if it exhibits the topology of a “mathematical knot” in some space, real or otherwise.
Read article 'In it for the long haul'
In it for the long haul
We have conquered the easiest challenges in fundamental physics, says Nima Arkani-Hamed. The case for building the next major collider is now more compelling than ever.
Read article 'First light for supersymmetry'
First light for supersymmetry
Ideas from supersymmetry have been used to address a longstanding challenge in optics – how to suppress unwanted spatial modes that limit the beam quality of high-power lasers.
