Department of Physics Archives

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

What goes on inside the battery of your iPhone?

Having a picture of the inner workings of these lithium-rich batteries not only helps scientists understand what’s actually going on subatomically, but it may lead to improvements of the materials used in batteries, and better designs for future battery technologies., says Arun Bansil, university distinguished professor of physics at Northeastern.

by Tanner Stening - contributor June 21, 2021

James Halverson, an assistant professor of physics in the College of Science, uses artificial intelligence to untangle knots and uncover the secrets of the universe. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Why you need a computer to understand strings and knots

Some questions are simply too big for humans to answer alone. “How does the universe work?” is a good example. James Halverson and Brent Nelson, physicists at Northeastern, are getting a little extra help from artificial intelligence to uncover the secrets of why we exist.

by Emily Arntsen August 26, 2020

‘A network is crucial to describe how infectious disease spreads, and this is what we do’

On Thursday, Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern, joined Alessandro Vespignani, who directs the Network Science Institute, to discuss where we are now in the COVID-19 crisis, where we’re headed, and what policymakers can do to prepare for the next pandemic.

by Laura Castañón May 14, 2020

This map, created by Alessandro Vespignani and his team, predicts the number of infections in different parts of the U.S., assuming

Models can predict how COVID-19 will spread. What goes into them, and how can we use what they tell us?

On Thursday, Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern, will sit down for a conversation with Alessandro Vespignani, the director of Northeastern’s Network Science Institute, who is leading one of the major efforts to model this disease.

by Laura Castañón May 13, 2020

Subway customers wear masks on a crowded car heading downtown, on March 17, 2020, in New York. AP Photo by John Minchillo

The coronavirus was in the US in January. We need to understand how we missed it.

SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, was circulating in major U.S. cities as early as January, says Alessandro Vespignani, director of Northeastern’s Network Science Institute. And if we want to keep our communities safe going forward, we need to understand how we missed a virus that was right under our noses.

by Laura Castañón April 26, 2020

Data visualation by: Albert-László Barabási. BarabasiLab 2019

Network scientists identify 40 new drugs to test against COVID-19

Researchers at Northeastern mapped the way proteins within human cells behave after a cell is hijacked by the virus to find new and existing drugs that might be able to fight COVID-19. The team is now working with other experimental researchers to begin testing those drugs.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa April 2, 2020

Shot of shoppers on spread-out chairs to prevent coronavirus spread

‘Social distancing’ is only the first step toward stopping the COVID-19 pandemic

After days of closures and requests—or orders—to stay home, many people caught in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic are wondering if these efforts will be enough. Network scientist Alessandro Vespignani says the answer depends on the ways that local, regional, and federal governments use the time.

by Laura Castañón March 24, 2020

Faculty Expert

Matteo Chinazzi

Research Associate

Closing borders can delay, but can’t stop the spread of COVID-19, new report says

Travel restrictions will not stop the spread of COVID-19, but observing quarantines and avoiding public events gives us a chance to slow the epidemic, says Matteo Chinazzi, a research scientist in the Network Science Institute. “Closing airports will buy you time, but it’s not enough.”

by Emily Arntsen March 6, 2020

Physicists may have accidentally discovered a new state of matter. The possibilities are endless.

“Imagination is the limit,” says Swastik Kar, an associate professor of physics. “It could change the way we can detect and communicate signals. It could change the way we can sense things and the storage of information, and possibilities that we may not have even thought of yet.”

by Laura Castañón February 26, 2020