Many everyday English words have a double meaning, being used as physics jargon. This month, we share some of our favourite stories of how physics terms came to be.

Science and society are inextricably entangled, but the discussion of social issues in optics and photonics is, at best, treated as peripheral to the field. A group of researchers, technicians, administrative staff, and clinical liaisons share how they came together to start a conversation recognizing these oft-disregarded issues.

Thierry Emonet and Massimo Vergassola discuss what research shows about how animals perform the feat of navigating by smell.

Good writing is about having something interesting and original to say. Generative AI tools might provide technical help, but they are no substitute for your unique perspective.

Pietro Barabaschi, Director General of ITER, calls for measures and incentives to carefully document the entire research process, including dead ends and failures, instead of reporting just the successful final results.

Mónica Bello, Curator and Head of Arts at CERN talks about the programmes that have been fostering the dialogue between artists and physicists for over a decade with the aim of exploring the cultural significance of fundamental research.