29 April 2025
\n \n \n \nTen new Fellows have joined the Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship programme at the University of Oxford. Now entering its third year, the programme is helping to accelerate the next scientific revolution by applying artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to research across the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematical sciences.
\n \n\n \n \n20 March 2025
\n \n \n \nDepartment of Physics researchers have been at the forefront of studies working with thousands of members of the public to sift through the immense quantities of data from Euclid to shed light on how mysterious forces shaped the evolution of the Universe.
\n \n\n \n \n6 February 2025
\n \n \n \nA breakthrough from researchers at the Department of Physics addresses quantum\u2019s \u2018scalability problem\u2019: a quantum computer powerful enough to be capable of processing millions of qubits.
\n \n\n \n \n3 February 2025
\n \n \n \nThe Mathematical, Physical, and Life Sciences (MPLS) Division at the University of Oxford is delighted to announce the establishment of the Denys Firth Scholarship in Theoretical Physics, made possible by a generous gift from Denys Firth (Oriel College, 1969, Physics).
\n \n\n \n \n28 January 2025
\n \n \n \nThe planet was originally detected two years ago by Oxford University scientist Dr Michael Cretignier. This result, drawing on over two decades of observations, opens a window to future studies of Earth-like exoplanets that may have conditions suitable for life.
\n \n\n \n \n15 January 2025
\n \n \n \nResearchers from the Department of Physics report in The Conversation on how global temperatures passed the critical 1.5\u00b0C milestone for the first time in 2024.
\n \n\n \n \n13 January 2025
\n \n \n \nProfessor James Binney from the Department of Physics, has received the Royal Astronomical Society\u2019s 2025 Gold Medal for Astronomy for his lifetime achievements in the study of the structure and evolution of galaxies.
\n \n\n \n \n4 December 2024
\n \n \n \nCongratulations to the Department of Physics, which has been given the Gold award having held Athena Swan Silver since 2019.
\n \n\n \n \n3 December 2024
\n \n \n \nFour MPLS researchers have been awarded European Research Council Consolidator Grants, part of the EU\u2019s Horizon Europe programme. These grants, totalling \u20ac678 million this year, aim to support outstanding scientists and scholars as they establish their independent research teams and develop their most promising scientific ideas.
\n \n\n \n \n18 November 2024
\n \n \n \nIn a new study led by the Department of Physics, an international group of researchers who developed the science behind net zero demonstrate that relying on \u2018natural carbon sinks\u2019 like forests and oceans to offset ongoing CO2 emissions from fossil fuel use will not actually stop global warming.
\n \n\n \n \n24 October 2024
\n \n \n \nProfessor Stephen Blundell and Professor Laura Herz from the Department of Physics have been awarded gold medals from the Institute of Physics (IOP).
\n \n\n \n \n18 October 2024
\n \n \n \nProfessor Myles Allen, Department of Physics and School of Geography and the Environment, sets out the case for focussing on the big picture \u2013 why we need Carbon Capture and Storage to work
\n \n\n \n \n12 August 2024
\n \n \n \nScientists in the Department of Physics have developed a method for generating increasing amounts of solar electricity without the need for silicon-based solar panels by coating a new power-generating material onto the surfaces of everyday objects such as rucksacks, cars, and mobile phones.
\n \n\n \n \n27 June 2024
\n \n \n \nThe United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the Department of Physics, IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), and various national forecasting and meteorology agencies across east Africa are joining forces to pioneer a transformative initiative that is revolutionising extreme weather forecasting and early warning systems in the region.
\n \n\n \n \n14 June 2024
\n \n \n \nAn international team of scientists, led by the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford, has developed a novel way to experimentally produce plasma \u2018fireballs\u2019 on Earth, opening up a new frontier in laboratory astrophysics.
\n \n\n \n \n30 May 2024
\n \n \n \nResearchers from the Department of Physics, led by Professor Myles Allen, demonstrate the use of state-of-the-art weather forecasts to show how greenhouse gas emissions affect extreme weather.
\n \n\n \n \n30 May 2024
\n \n \n \nMore than 70% of Britain\u2019s electricity came from wind turbines at the peak of Storm Isha, compared to an average of 30%.
\n \n\n \n \n17 May 2024
\n \n \n \nAn international team led by researchers in the Department of Physics have proved that Einstein was correct about a key prediction concerning black holes. Their study gives the first observational proof that a 'plunging-region' exists around black holes.
\n \n\n \n \n11 April 2024
\n \n \n \nThe full power of next-generation quantum computing could soon be harnessed by millions of individuals and companies, thanks to a breakthrough by scientists at Oxford University Physics guaranteeing security and privacy.
\n \n\n \n \n9 April 2024
\n \n \n \nProfile of Dr Chris Ballance, Future Leaders Fellow at Oxford University Physics, who is at the forefront of the field of quantum computing, from the initial blue-sky ideas through to leading high-performance quantum systems that are solving real problems.
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