A high-resolution age map of the Milky Way picks out structures that validate the most widely accepted cosmological theory, lambda cold dark matter. The chronographic data are also used to probe the chemodynamical formation history of our Galaxy. Article p1170 IMAGE: VINICIUS M. PLACCO COVER DESIGN: ALLEN BEATTIE

The realization of a quantum kicked top provides evidence for ergodic dynamics and thermalization in a small quantum system consisting of three superconducting qubits.Letter p1037 IMAGE: ROUSHAN, GOOGLE QUANTUM HARDWARE LAB COVER DESIGN: ALLEN BEATTIE

Scanning tunnelling microscopy shows how the interaction between electrons in graphene and atomic vacancies in a copper substrate produces Kekulé ordering — an electronic phase that breaks chiral symmetry. Article p950; News & Views p895 IMAGE: CHRISTOPHER GUTIéRREZ COVER DESIGN: ALLEN BEATTIE

The detection of spin-orbit torques in a non-centrosymmetric magnetic Heusler alloy at room temperature could guide the search for materials whose magnetism can efficiently be manipulated using electrical currents. Article p855 IMAGE: CHIARA CICCARELLI COVER DESIGN: ALLEN BEATTIE

Experiments showing that electron dynamics can be controlled on attosecond timescales suggest that wide-bandgap semiconductors could be exploited for petahertz signal processing technologies. Letter p741; News & Views p724 IMAGE: HIROKI MASHIKO COVER DESIGN: ALLEN BEATTIE

Aspects of the disordered Bose–Hubbard model, such as the Bose glass–superfluid transition, are still incompletely understood but this can now be probed in an ultracold atomic gas in an optical lattice using controlled quantum quenches of disorder. Letter p646 IMAGE: USHNISH RAY COVER DESIGN: ALLEN BEATTIE

Rogue waves have been observed in fluids and other wave contexts. Experiments now show the formation of 3D acoustic rogue waves in dusty plasmas; they result from wave–particle interactions driving the dust particles into high-amplitude dynamics. Letter p573; News & Views p529 IMAGE: YA-YI TSAI, JUN-YI TSAI AND LIN I COVER DESIGN: ALLEN BEATTIE

Knots have been observed in a variety of classical systems, but so far not in the quantum regime. Knot solitons have now been created in a spinor Bose–Einstein condensate, displaying interesting topological structures, including Hopf fibration.Article p478IMAGE: HEIKKA VALJACOVER DESIGN: ALLEN BEATTIE

When general relativity is included in large-scale simulations of the cosmic structure of the Universe, relativistic effects turn out to be small but measurable, thus providing tests for models of dark matter and dark energy.Letter p346; News & Views p293IMAGE: JULIAN ADAMEKCOVER DESIGN: ALLEN BEATTIE

Simulated pipe flow is interpreted using an ecological model in which predatory zonal flow preys on turbulence, and laminar flows emulate nutrients – establishing a link between turbulence and the directed percolation universality class.Letter p245; News & Views p204IMAGE: HONG-YAN SHIH, TSUNG-LIN HSIEH, NIGEL GOLDENFELD, NICHOLAS GUTTENBERGCOVER DESIGN: ALLEN BEATTIE

Sunspots are transient cool regions on the Sun's photosphere where concentrated magnetic field lines suppress convection. It turns out that sunspot oscillations can map the coronal magnetic field strength with high resolution. The image was captured using the HARDcam instrument on the Dunn Solar Telescope, which is funded by the UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council.Letter p179IMAGE: DAVID B. JESSCOVER DESIGN: ALLEN BEATTIE

A study of a composite soft-matter nanomechanical system consisting of a rotating ring of optically trapped colloidal particles confining a set of untrapped colloids demonstrates the possibility of gearwheel-like torque transmission on the nanoscale.Article p98IMAGE: IAN WILLIAMS AND ERDAL C. OGUZCOVER DESIGN: ALLEN BEATTIE