Celebrating 25 years of Physics World

By Matin Durrani

Physics World October 2013.

Today marks the 25th anniversary of Physics World – the member magazine of the Institute of Physics (IOP) – which launched in October 1988. And to celebrate that fact, we’ve created a fantastic special issue of Physics World in which we look back at some of the highlights in physics of the last 25 years and also forward to where the subject is going next.

All members of the IOP can access the entire new issue right now via the digital version of the magazine or by downloading the free Physics World app onto your iPhone or iPad or Android device, available from the App Store and Google Play, respectively. The issue includes a stack of bonus audio and video content, including three short films we’ve specially made about some of the top spin-offs from physics.

We’ve split the bulk of the issue into five sections, each with five items (five times five being 25, of course):

• Find out our choice of the top five discoveries in fundamental physics over the last 25 years.

• See what five leading researchers have to say about Physics World‘s choice of the five biggest unanswered questions in physics right now.

• Enjoy our pick of the five top images from the last 25 years that have let us “see” a physical phenomenon or effect.

• Learn more about the five people who are changing the way physics is done.

• Gaze into the future as we disclose the five most promising spin-offs from physics.

We also have a set of fiendish physics-themed puzzles devised for you by staff at the UK’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) – the first is revealed in the special issue and on our blog, with the rest to be unveiled on physicsworld.com throughout October.

If you’re not yet a member, you can join the Institute as an IOPimember for just £15, €20 or $25 a year. Being an IOPimember gives you a full year’s access to Physics World both online and through the apps.

And because we’re feeling in a good mood, we’re making available a free PDF download of the special issue from Wednesday 16 October, which can be downloaded by members and non-members alike.

Physics World would not have thrived for so long without the support of the Institute of Physics, which now has more than 50,000 members. Key to the magazine’s success has been its editorial independence from the Institute, which means that Physics World’s editorial staff can focus, without bias, on creating interesting, informative and entertaining content to the best of their ability. Physics World has not stood still either: we now create audio and video content, host online lectures, publish special Web-only reports and are active on Facebook and Twitter.

Like physics itself, it is hard to imagine what Physics World will look like in another 25 years. But you can be sure that, in whatever format it exists, Physics World will be there. #PW25

PS Don’t forget to try out the fiendish Physics World puzzle.