A Martian aurora, how the universe fades away, Heisenberg on holiday, physics of fake coins

In this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast I look at what’s new in the world of physics with the help of my colleagues Margaret Harris and Matin Durrani.

We begin on Mars, where NASA’s Perseverance Rover has made the first observation of an aurora from the surface of the Red Planet. Next, we look deep into the future of the universe and ponder the physics that will govern how the last stars will fade away.

Then, we run time in reverse and go back to the German island of Helgoland, where in 1925 Werner Heisenberg laid the foundations of modern quantum mechanics. The island will soon host an event celebrating the centenary and Physics World will be there.

Finally, we explore how neutrons are being used to differentiate between real and fake antique coins and chat about the Physics World Quantum Briefing 2025.