The CERN particle-physics lab near Geneva has received $1bn from private donors towards the construction of the Future Circular Collider (FCC). The cash marks the first time in the lab’s 72-year history that individuals and philanthropic foundations have agreed to support a major CERN project. If built, the FCC would be the successor to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), where the Higgs boson was discovered.

CERN originally released a four-volume conceptual design report for the FCC in early 2019, with more detail included in a three-volume feasibility study that came out last year. It calls for a giant tunnel some 90.7 km in circumference – roughly three times as long as the LHC  – that would be built about 200m underground on average.

The FCC has been recommended as the preferred option for the next flagship collider at CERN in the ongoing process to update the European Strategy for Particle Physics, which will be passed over to the  CERN Council in May 2026.If the plans are given the green light by CERN Council in 2028, construction on the FCC electron-positron machine, dubbed FCC-ee, would begin in 2030. It would start operations in 2047, a few years after the High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) closes down, and run for about 15 years until the early 2060s.

The FCC-ee would focus on creating a million Higgs particles in total to allow physicists to study its properties with an accuracy an order of magnitude better that possible with the LHC. The FCC feasibility study then calls for a hadron machine, dubbed FCC-hh, to replace the FCC-ee in the existing 91 km tunnel. It would be a “discovery machine”, smashing together protons at high energy – about 85 TeV – with the aim of creating new particles. If built, the FCC-hh will begin operation in 2073 and run to the end of the century.

The funding model for the FCC-ee, which is expected to have a price tag of about $18bn, is still a work in progress. But it is estimated that at least two-thirds of the construction costs will come from CERN’s 24 member states with the rest needing to be found elsewhere. One option to plug that gap is private donations and in late December CERN received a significant boost from several organizations including the Breakthrough Prize Foundation, the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation, and the entrepreneurs John Elkann and Xavier Niel. Together, they pledged a total of $1bn towards the FCC-ee.

Costas Fountas, president of the CERN Council says CERN is “extremely grateful” for the interest. “This once again demonstrates CERN’s relevance and positive impact on society, and the strong interest in CERN’s future that exists well beyond our own particle physics community,” he notes.

Eric Schmidt, who founded Google, claims that he and Wendy Schmidt were “inspired by the ambition of this project and by what it could mean for the future of humanity”. The FCC, he believes, is an instrument that “could push the boundaries of human knowledge and deepen our understanding of the fundamental laws of the Universe” and could lead to technologies that could benefit society “in profound ways” from medicine to computing to sustainable energy.

The cash promised has been welcomed by outgoing CERN director-general Fabiola Gianotti. “It’s the first time in history that private donors wish to partner with CERN to build an extraordinary research instrument that will allow humanity to take major steps forward in our understanding of fundamental physics and the universe,” she said. “I am profoundly grateful to them for their generosity, vision, and unwavering commitment to knowledge and exploration.”

Further boost

The cash comes a few months after the Circular Electron–Positron Collider (CEPC) – a rival collider to the FCC-ee that also involves building a huge 100 km tunnel to study the Higgs in unprecedented detail – was not considered for inclusion in China’s next five-year plan, which runs from 2026–2030. There has been much discussion in China whether the CEPC is the right project for the country, with the collider facing criticism from particle physicist and Nobel laureate Chen-Ning Yang, before he died last year.

Wang Yifang of the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) in Beijing says they will submit the CEPC for consideration again in 2030 unless FCC is officially approved before then. But for particle theorist John Ellis from Kings College London, China’s decision to effectively put the CEPC on the back burner  “certainly simplifies the FCC discussion”. “However, an opportunity for growing the world particle physics community has been lost, or at least deferred [by the decision],” Ellis told Physics World.

Ellis adds, however, that he would welcome China’s participation in the FCC. “Their accelerator and detector [technical design reviews] show that they could bring a lot to the table, if the political obstacles can be overcome,” he says.

However, if the FCC-ee goes ahead China could perhaps make significant “in-kind” contributions rather like those that occur with the ITER experimental fusion reactor, which is currently being built in France. In this case, instead of cash payments, the countries provide components, equipment and other materials.

Those considerations and more will now fall to the British physicist Mark Thomson, who took over from Gianotti as CERN director-general on 1 January for a five-year term. As well as working on funding requirements for the FCC-ee, top of his in-tray will actually be shutting down the LHC in June to make way for further work on the HL-LHC, which involves installing powerful new superconducting magnets and improving the detection.

About 90% of the 27 km LHC accelerator will be affected by the upgrade with a major part being to replace the magnets in the final focus systems of the two large experiments, ATLAS and CMS. These magnets will take the incoming beams and then focus them down to less than 10 microns in cross section. The upgrade includes the installation of brand new state-of-the-art niobium-tin (Nb₃Sn) superconducting focusing magnets.

The HL-LHC will probably not turn on until 2030, which is when Thomson’s term will nearly be over but that doesn’t deter him from leading the world’s foremost particle-physics lab. “It’s an incredibly exciting project,” Thomson told the Guardian. “It’s more interesting than just sitting here with the machine hammering away.”

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Many of the tissues in the human body rely upon highly organized microstructures to function effectively. If the collagen fibres in heart muscle become disordered, for instance, this can lead to or reflect disorders such as fibrosis and cancer. To image and analyse such structural changes, researchers at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) in Korea have developed a new label-free microscopy technique and demonstrated its use in engineered heart tissue.

The ability to assess the alignment of microstructures such as protein fibres within tissue’s extracellular matrix provides a valuable tool for diagnosing disease, monitoring therapy response and evaluating tissue engineering models. Currently, however, this is achieved using histological imaging methods based on immunofluorescent staining, which can be labour-intensive and sensitive to the imaging conditions and antibodies used.

Instead, a team headed up by Chulhong Kim and Jinah Jang is investigating photoacoustic microscopy (PAM), a label-free imaging modality that relies on light absorption by endogenous tissue chromophores to reveal structural and functional information. In particular, PAM with mid-infrared (MIR) incident light provides bond-selective, high-contrast imaging of proteins, lipids and carbohydrates. The researchers also incorporated dichroism-sensitive (DS) functionality, resulting in a technique referred to as MIR-DS-PAM.

“Dichroism-sensitivity enables the quantitative assessment of fibre alignment by detecting the polarization-dependent absorption of anisotropic materials like collagen,” explains first author Eunwoo Park. “This adds a new contrast mechanism to conventional photoacoustic imaging, allowing simultaneous visualization of molecular content and microstructural organization without any labelling.”

Park and colleagues constructed a MIR-DS-PAM system using a pulsed quantum cascade laser as the light source. They tuned the laser to a centre wavelength of 6.0 µm to correspond with an absorption peak from the C=O stretching vibration in proteins. The laser beam was linearly polarized, modulated by a half-wave plate and used to illuminate the target tissue.

Tissue analysis

To validate the functionality of their MIR-DS-PAM technique, the researchers used it to image a formalin-fixed section of engineered heart tissue (EHT). They obtained images at four incident angles and used the acquired photoacoustic data to calculate the photoacoustic amplitude, which visualizes the protein content, as well as the degree of linear dichroism (DoLD) and the orientation angle of linear dichroism (AoLD), which reveal the extracellular matrix alignment.

“Cardiac tissue features highly aligned extracellular matrix with complex fibre orientation and layered architecture, which are critical to its mechanical and electrical function,” Park explains. “These properties make it an ideal model for demonstrating the ability of MIR-DS-PAM to detect physiologically relevant histostructural and fibrosis-related changes.”

The researchers also used MIR-DS-PAM to quantify the structural integrity of EHT during development, using specimens cultured for one to five days before fixing. Analysis of the label-free images revealed that as the tissue matured, the DoLD gradually increased, while the standard deviation of the AoLD decreased – indicating increased protein accumulation with more uniform fibre alignment over time. They note that these results agree with those from immunofluorescence-stained confocal fluorescence microscopy.

Next, they examined diseased EHT with two types of fibrosis: cell-induced fibrosis (CIF) and drug-induced fibrosis (DIF). In the CIF sample, the average photoacoustic amplitude and AoLD uniformity were both lower than found in normal EHT, indicating reduced protein density and disrupted fibre alignment. DIF exhibited a higher photoacoustic amplitude and lower AoLD uniformity than normal EHT, suggesting extensive extracellular matrix accumulation with disorganized orientation.

Both CIF and DIF showed a slight reduction in DoLD, again signifying a disorganized tissue structure, a common hallmark of fibrosis. The two fibrosis types, however, exhibited diverse biochemical profiles and different levels of mechanical dysfunction. The findings demonstrate the ability of MIR-DS-PAM to distinguish diseased from healthy tissue and identify different types of fibrosis. The researchers also imaged a tissue assembly containing both normal and fibrotic EHT to show that MIR-DS-PAM can capture features in a composite sample.

They conclude that MIR-DS-PAM enables label-free monitoring of both tissue development and fibrotic remodelling. As such, the technique shows potential for use within tissue engineering research, as well as providing a diagnostic tool for assessing tissue fibrosis or remodelling in biopsied samples. “Its ability to visualize both biochemical composition and structural alignment could aid in identifying pathological changes in cardiological, musculoskeletal or ocular tissues,” says Park.

“We are currently expanding the application of MIR-DS-PAM to disease contexts where extracellular matrix remodelling plays a central role,” he adds. “Our goal is to identify label-free histological biomarkers that capture both molecular and structural signatures of fibrosis and degeneration, enabling multiparametric analysis in pathological conditions.”

• The researchers describe their microscopy technique in Light: Science & Applications.

 

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From surveys of the pre-Sputnik skies to analysis of interstellar visitors, scientists are rethinking how and where to look for physical traces of alien technology.

A research team has successfully imaged a nova in high resolution—and the images suggest that the nova was not a single, impulsive explosion.

Eutelsat has signed an agreement with French startup MaiaSpace to launch some of its OneWeb replenishment satellites.

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NASA’s Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft rolled to the launch pad for the Artemis 2 mission Jan. 17, though uncertainty remains about when it will be ready to launch.

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Discover more about the egg-laying monotremes of Oceania and the ancient traits they still carry. 

The White House has resubmitted a nomination for NASA deputy administrator but is seeking a new nominee for the agency’s chief financial officer.

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China suffered a pair of launch failures Friday, seeing the loss of a classified Shijian satellite and the failed first launch of the Ceres-2 rocket

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The operator of a Spanish military communications satellite that suffered a “space particle” strike has written off the spacecraft, concluding it can no longer carry out its mission.

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Discover the mysterious world beneath Antarctica’s thick ice sheet, mapped in unprecedented detail.

Learn about the movement of tectonic plates off the coast of northern California, a process that could incite major earthquakes.  

Learn how plants communicate through chemical signals, and why losing biodiversity can disrupt these hidden communication networks.

Learn how microscopic fossils reveal that tiny seafloor organisms were already feeding and recycling nutrients soon after one of Earth’s largest mass extinctions.

Thousands have penned more than one-third of a journal issue, raising conflict-of-interest concerns

Faculty members say university is overreacting to pressure from the Trump administration and Congress

German launch company Isar Aerospace is preparing for the second launch of its Spectrum rocket, this time carrying several satellite payloads.

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China’s main space contractor performed a static fire test of a new reusable Long March rocket Friday, paving the way for a test flight.

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Deposition Sciences, Inc. (DSI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, specializes in advanced materials and optical coatings. For over 20 years, they’ve been producing their Sunshade® thermal control material, […]

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Astronomer Daniel Jaffe has been appointed the next president of the Giant Magellan Telescope Corporation –  the international consortium building the $2.5bn Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). He succeeds Robert Shelton, who announced his retirement last year after eight years in the role.

A former head of astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin from 2011 to 2015, Jaffe became vice president for research at the university from 2016 to 2025 where he also served as interim provost from 2020 to 2021.

Jaffe has sat on the board of directors of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy and the Gemini Observatory and played a role in establishing the University of Texas at Austin’s partnership in the GMT.

Under construction in Chile and expected to be complete in the 2030s, the GMT consists of seven mirrors to create a 25.4 m telescope. From the ground it will produce images 4-16 times sharper than the James Webb Space Telescope and will investigate the origins of the chemical elements, and search for signs of life on distant planets.

“I am honoured to lead the GMT at this exciting stage,” notes Jaffe. “[It] represents a profound leap in our ability to explore the universe and employ a host of new technologies to make fundamental discoveries.”

“[Jaffe] brings decades of leadership in research, astronomy instrumentation, public-private partnerships, and academia,” noted Taft Armandroff, board chair of the GMTO Corporation. “His deep understanding of the Giant Magellan Telescope, combined with his experience leading large research enterprises and cultivating a collaborative environment, make him exceptionally well suited to lead the observatory through its next phase of construction and toward operations.”

Jaffe joins the GMT at a pivotal time, as it aims to secure the funding necessary to complete the telescope with just over $1bn from private funds having been pledges so far. The collaboration recently added Northwestern University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to its international consortium taking the number of members to 16 universities and research institutions.

In June 2025 the GMT, which is already 40% completed, received NSF approval confirming that the observatory will advance into its “major facilities final design phase”, one of the final steps before becoming eligible for federal construction funding.

Yet it faces competition from another next-generation telescope – the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) that will use a segmented primary mirror consisting of 492 elements of zero-expansion glass for a 30 m-diameter primary mirror.

The TMT team chose Hawaii’s Mauna Kea peak as its location. However, protests by indigenous Hawaiians, who regard the site as sacred, have delayed the start of construction with officials identifying the island of La Palma, belonging to Spain’s Canary Islands, as an alternative site in 2019.

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Space is rapidly becoming the world’s most congested frontier. What was once a domain of scientific exploration is now a crowded commercial arena, a global infrastructure layer critical to communications, navigation, climate monitoring and defense. Yet this dependence is threatened by a growing, largely invisible hazard: orbital debris. The European Space Agency’s Zero Debris Technical […]

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China has published coordinated papers outlining dual missions to the solar system’s edge, suggesting the long-studied project is nearing formal approval.

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India has been involved in nuclear energy and power for decades, but now the country is  turning to small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) as part of a new, long-term push towards nuclear and renewable energy. In December 2025 the country’s parliament passed a bill that allows private companies for the first time to participate in India’s nuclear programme, which could see them involved in generating power, operating plants and making equipment.

Some commentators are unconvinced that the move will be enough to help meet India’s climate pledge to achieving 500 GW of non-fossil-fuel based energy generation by 2030. Interestingly, however, India has now joined other nations, such as Russia and China, in taking an interest in SMRs. They could help stem the overall decline in nuclear power, which now accounts for just 9% of electricity generated around the world – down from 17.5% in 1996.

Last year India’s finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a nuclear energy mission funded with 200 billion Indian rupees ($2.2bn) to develop at least five indigenously designed and operational SMRs by 2033. Unlike huge, conventional nuclear plants, such as pressurized heavy-water reactors (PHWRs), most or all components of an SMR are manufactured in factories before being assembled at the reactor site.

SMRs, typically generate less than 300 MW of electrical power but – being modular – additional capacity can be brought on quickly and easily given their lower capital costs, shorter construction times, ability to work with lower-capacity grids and lower carbon emissions. Despite their promise, there are only two fully operating SMRs in the world – both in Russia – although two further high-temperature gas-cooled SMRs are currently being built in China. In June 2025 Rolls-Royce SMR was selected as the preferred bidder by Great British Nuclear to build the UK’s first fleet of SMRs, with plans to provide 470 MW of low-carbon electricity.

Cost benefit analysis

An official at the Department of Atomic Energy told Physics World that part of that mix of five new SMRs in India could be the 200 MW Bharat small modular reactor, which are based on pressurized water reactor technology and use slightly enriched uranium as a fuel. Other options are 55 MW small modular reactors and the Indian government also plans to partner with the private sector to deploy 220 MW Bharat small reactors.

Despite such moves, some are unconvinced that small nuclear reactors could help India scale its nuclear ambitions. “SMRs are still to demonstrate that they can supply electricity at scale,” says Karthik Ganesan, a fellow and director of partnerships at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a non-profit policy research think-tank based in New Delhi. “SMRs are a great option for captive consumption, where large investment that will take time to start generating is at a premium.”

Ganesan, however, says it is too early to comment on the commercial viability of SMRs as cost reductions from SMRs depend on how much of the technology is produced in a factory and in what quantities. “We are yet to get to that point and any test reactors deployed would certainly not be the ones to benchmark their long-term competitiveness,” he says. “[But] even at a higher tariff, SMRs will still have a use case for industrial consumers who want certainty in long-term tariffs and reliable continuous supply in a world where carbon dioxide emissions will be much smaller than what we see from the power sector today.”

M V Ramana from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, who works in international security and energy supply, is concerned over the cost efficiency of SMRs compared to their traditional counterparts. “Larger reactors are cheaper on a per-megawatt basis because their material and work requirements do not scale linearly with power capacity,” says Ramana.  This, according to Ramana, means that the electricity SMRs produce will be more expensive than nuclear energy from large reactors, which are already far more expensive than renewables such as solar and wind energy.

Clean or unclean?

Even if SMRs take over from PHWRs, there is still the question of what do with its nuclear waste. As Ramana points out, all activities linked to the nuclear fuel chain – from mining uranium to dealing with the radioactive wastes produced – have significant health and environmental impacts. “The nuclear fuel chain is polluting, albeit in a different way from that of fossil fuels,” he says, adding that those pollutants remain hazardous for hundreds of thousands of years. “There is no demonstrated solution to managing these radioactive wastes – nor can there be, given the challenge of trying to ensure that these materials do not come into contact with living beings,” says Ramana.

Ganesan, however, thinks that nuclear energy is still clean as it produces electricity with much a lower environmental footprint especially when it comes to so-called “criteria pollutants”: ozone; particulate matter; carbon monoxide; lead; sulphur dioxide; and nitrogen dioxide.  While nuclear waste still needs to be managed, Ganesan says the associated costs are already included in the price of setting up a reactor. “In due course, with technological development, the burn up will significantly higher and waste generated a lot lesser.”

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The “Joining” seems to connect people via radio waves. Let’s dig into the physics at play.