How cells manage the internal energetic budget to drive mechanical and chemical dynamics is still an open question. Now it is shown that the allocation of energy depends on the distance from thermodynamic equilibrium.

Kondo physics has been observed in moiré bilayers, but the expected magnetic transitions have not been reported. Now, a metal–insulator transition with ferromagnetic order that develops at nearly the same time is reported in a moiré bilayer.

Edge modes are a key feature of topological materials, but their propagation is difficult to directly observe in condensed matter systems. The controlled injection and propagation of chiral edge modes has now been shown in a rotating ultracold gas.

The dimensionality of a many-body system strongly impacts its physical behaviour. Now, a crossover from 1D to 2D has been observed in the Bose–Einstein condensate of a photon gas.

Approximate—rather than exact—quantum error correction is a useful but relatively unexplored idea in quantum computing and many-body physics. A theoretical framework has now been established based on connections with quantum circuit complexity.

Magnetic phases that are stabilized by quantum fluctuations in low dimensions are rare. A thickness-dependent crossover from three-dimensional antiferromagnetism to a two-dimensional vestigial nematic state that is driven by fluctuations has now been observed.

The Fisher information imposes a fundamental limit on the precision with which an unknown parameter can be estimated from noisy data, as Dorian Bouchet explains.

PhD students can face many challenges, such as a lack of confidence in their newly acquired skills or the uncertainty about which career path to choose. We highlight some ways to empower students in their doctoral journey.

Measurements pervade winemaking, from the size of vineyards to the taste in your mouth. Stefanie Reichert gives us the tour.

In light of the recent Olympic and upcoming Paralympic Summer Games in Paris, we take a closer look at the physics of sports and how it helps athletes improve their performance.