The February 2017 issue of Physics World is now out

By Matin Durrani

It’s time to check out the February issue of Physics World magazine, where our cover story looks at the physicists studying how dinosaurs moved. The issue is now live in the Physics World app for mobile and desktop, and you can also read the article on physicsworld.com here.

There’s also a great feature about whether supersolids could be making a comeback, while science writer Brian Clegg explains why anticipating people’s questions is the secret to good science communication.

Elsewhere in the new issue, check out why Jules Verne was spot-on with the physics of drones and meet the man who’s been the driving force behind statistical physics meetings.

Remember that if you are a member of the Institute of Physics, you can read Physics World magazine every month via our digital apps for iOS, Android and desktop.

For the record, here’s a run-down of what else is in the issue.

• Uncertainty for science under Trump – As Donald Trump is inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States, scientists remain unsure about what to expect from his administration, as Peter Gwynne reports

• China forges ahead in space science – Scientists in China have drawn up a wishlist of next-generation space-science missions, but they will still need government backing to go ahead. Ling Xin reports

• Shaping your career – Our new careers guide is a great way for physics graduates to explore their options

• Joel’s conference – Robert P Crease attends a meeting that’s extraordinary for its diversity, longevity, impact and, above all, the character of its organizer

• Figuring out a handshake – How can we fix the replication crisis in science? Bruce
Knuteson offers a solution

• Deducing how dinosaurs moved –  How did dinosaurs dash and their cousins the pterosaurs take flight? Physics-based modelling is helping to solve these mysteries of movement, as Matthew R Francis reports

• The return of supersolids –Following a false alarm in 2004, two groups report what could be the first observation of supersolids, a theoretically predicted state of matter that is both a superfluid and a solid at the same time, as Stephen Ornes reports

• Speaking a different language – Good science communication is not just about explaining your work. As Brian Clegg argues, it’s about being able to put yourself in a non-scientist’s shoes to anticipate the kind of questions they will want to have answered

• The many faces of Marconi – Elizabeth Bruton reviews Marconi: the Man Who Networked the World by Marc Raboy

• A tour de force of the cosmos – Lionel London reviews Mapping the Heavens: the Radical Scientific Ideas That Reveal the Cosmos by Priyamvada Natarajan

• Spin-out success –David Taylor reflects on the lessons learned in founding spinout
firms based on magnetic resonance imaging technology

• Once a physicist – Owen Byrne is the founder of Donard Bikes, which produces hand-made carbon-fibre bicycles

• Vernian flying machines – Michael Huber on Jules Verne’s dreams