When twistors met loops
Carlo Rovelli reports on a conference which brought together two communities that have evolved independently for many years.
Gauge–gravity duality opens new horizons
In 1997, Juan Maldacena conjectured a deep relationship between gravity and quantum field theory.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Understanding naturalness
The last few years have seen an explosion of ideas concerning naturalness, but we’re only at the beginning of our understanding, says theorist Nathaniel Craig.
Fixing gender in theory
It is high time we addressed the low representation of women in high-energy theoretical physics, says Marika Taylor.
The roots and fruits of string theory
"People say that string theory doesn’t make predictions, but that’s simply not true."
