On Wednesday we spent the day with physics teachers at the 51st Stirling Physics Teachers’s Meeting, enjoying, talks, parallel sessions, exhibitions, and sharing of the latest on the Curriculum Improvement Cycle. A warm thank you to everyone who contributed and participated.

Fantastic day spent at the IOP Stirling Physics Teachers meeting. My last as chair, and as always great to chat to other physics teachers. I have so many ideas to take back into the classroom, showing the importance of subject-specific CPD. #iteachphysics @iopscotland.bsky.social #chatphysics

Today is exam day for Nat 5, Higher, and Advanced Higher physics, and we want to wish all the candidates our very best—with today’s endeavours and future studies and careers in physics.

Yesterday we met with physicists from across Scotland at the #SUPA Annual Gathering at #UWS. SUPA is an alliance of eight schools and connect over 1,200 physicists, including academics, research staff, and post-graduate students.

We are inviting young people, aged 11–16 from across the UK and Ireland to consider how physics can help to make us ready for the future. The top prize of £1,000/€1.200 awaits. Go to theeurekas.co.uk and start your entry.

Scots children urged to enter annual physics contest

The Institute of Physics (IoP) has launched the 2026 edition of The Eurekas to encourage young people to think about world-changing science.

heraldscotland.com

The Glasgow Science Festival 2026 programme is live! “Cheers for 20 Years” marks two decades of inspiring science across the city. There are talks, workshops and hands-on events from 4–14 June, including the #physics of quantum, space and energy. Explore it here:

@iop.org research (www.iop.org/strategy/sci...) shows that the UK is a global leader in #metamaterials science, but we need to do more to translate that excellence into patents and products. Join the Scottish special interest group launch this Thursday: technologyscotland.scot/events/metam...

We are excited for the 2nd Annual Meeting of the Edinburgh Centre for Biomedical Physics. The three main sessions will be: detectors, imaging, and analysis; molecular mechanisms of disease; and physics of infection. Register today!

Biomedical Physics at Edinburgh

This workshop is the second annual meeting of the Edinburgh Centre for Biomedical Physics, http://biomedical-physics.ed.ac.uk. The aim of the Centre and this workshop is to bring together researchers ...

indico.ph.ed.ac.uk

The planned ~30% cuts to UKGov funding of astrophysics, particle physics & nuclear will not only be devastating for University physics departments across the whole UK, it's also impacting treasured institutions like our Royal Observatory here in #Edinburgh 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🔭🧪 www.heraldscotland.com/news/2604118...

Fears grow for Edinburgh observatory as funding cuts could put future at risk

Fears are growing for Edinburgh’s Royal Observatory after warnings that potential UK funding cuts could put its future at risk.

heraldscotland.com

We’re delighted to welcome Keith Small as the new lead for IOP Scotland. Wishing him every success in this role as he helps shape and support the physics community across Scotland.

On #WorldQuantumDay, we celebrate #Glentanglement: Scotland’s quantum valley. Our collective strength in quantum technologies uses advanced #physics knowledge to help develop and commercialise the capabilities in Scotland which will shape our future. technologyscotland.scot/glentangleme...

Glentanglement

Scotland is home to a world leading cluster in the development and application of quantum technologies – welcome to Glentanglement®! Glentanglement® represents Scotland’s collective strength in quant...

technologyscotland.scot

A new virtual tour of the launch site at #SaxaVordSpaceport in Shetland is now live: saxavord.darkstarlabs.io This reinforces the scale and ambition behind Scotland’s growing #space sector and the central role #physics plays in making launch, propulsion, and satellite technologies possible.

It’s #InternationalDayOfHumanSpaceflight, and 65 years to the day after Yuri Gagarin became the first human to escape the surly bonds of Earth, our Policy Manager @mrdegsy.bsky.social is at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh to hear from British astronaut Helen Sharman as part of #EdSciFest

It’s a wrap from Summerhall. Standing room only, as over 150 folk - most of whom were not physicists - came out on a sunny Friday evening to hear a fabulous discussion about #particles, fundamental #physics and the joy of discovery chaired by @robinince.bsky.social and featuring five experts.

IOP Scotland and @edinburghppe.bsky.social are delighted to welcome particle physicists from around the UK and beyond to Edinburgh to discuss all things about astroparticle and high-energy particle physics, opened by Prof Philip Best, Head of @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social Physics #APPHEPP26 @iop.org

Three days of bringing together the UK’s High Energy Particle Physics and Astroparticle Physics communities—with talks from experts from across the UK and around the world, along with opportunities to share your work through talks and a dedicated poster session. One week to go. Who else is excited?

Last chance to sign up for this year’s Stirling Physics Teachers’ Meeting with our early bird registration deal. iop.eventsair.com/stirling-2026

Last week, one of our committee members gave a talk to and guided a group of primary school pupils through physics activities.

There is a decline in proportion of women at Higher Education in physics in Scotland—with 25% of physics PhD students, 19.8% of lecturers, and 6% of professors being women. Join us on this #InternationalWomensDay to close these gaps. #IWD

Kat Culyer has been central in organising Girls Into Physics and Engineering Days for IOP Scotland, to encourage more girls and non-binary students to consider physics and engineering for their futures. She is a true inspiration on this #InternationalDayOfWomenAndGirlsInScience. #WomenInSTEM

There is still time to register for the Spring Conference. Closing date is extended to February 13. Bring a plus-one and join us in Waterford! #SpringConf2026

Dr Richard Brock will be the first keynote speaker at the 51st Stirling Physics Teachers’ Meeting on May 27, where he will explore the potential benefits and drawbacks of using stories in physics lessons. To register, please visit iop.eventsair.com/stirling-2026. #StirlingMeeting26

Prof Giles Hammond will give a talk on how observations of gravitational waves have reshaped our understanding of black holes and neutron stars since 2015. Join us for free at University of Glasgow (Lecture Theatre 257, Kelvin Building) on February 12, 6 pm. what3words: ///being.sake.frogs

We have relaunched our Public Engagement Grant Scheme. This offers up to €1,000 to individuals and organisations based in Ireland and Northern Ireland, for physics-based events and activities. Apply today!

One of the highlights at IOP Ireland’s Spring Conference is the Rosse Medal Science Communication Competition. For more information about this and to sign up, use the QR code or go to www.iop.eventsair.com/sw2026.

Pitch your original research to a panel of judges and a non-specialist audience. Fill out the application at iop.org/3mw and submit your entry to scotland@iop.org, no later than February 28.

Derek Young, our Policy Manager, is at the inaugural #HolyroodEnergySummit. Scotland has the most #physics related employment and economic output of the UK and Ireland, largely due to the energy sector, and will need physics knowledge and skills to achieve a just transition @holyroodmag.bsky.social

We would like to take a moment to celebrate the nine young people who were awarded the #ExcellenceInPhysicsAward this week at #ScienceAndTheParliament, for their National Qualification achievements. Today is when tomorrow's physics starts.

The IOP Scotland team is out today at the 25th annual #ScienceAndTheParliament event where the Scottish science community is questioning MSPs on their plans to use knowledge and technology, including that derived from #physics, to tackle climate change and improve health.