Science • Engineering • Discovery04 September 2026 · International Edition

Cover Story · Physics & Earth Science

Quantum sensors are beginning to map the hidden architecture of Earth

A new generation of instruments can detect minute changes in gravity — and reveal what lies beneath cities, volcanoes and ice sheets.

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A field physicist operates a precision gravimeter beneath urban infrastructureISOGKP visual conceptPrecision gravity sensing connects fundamental physics with the hidden structures beneath cities.

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Main Stories

The ideas and advances shaping the week.

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Science

Discoveries in Science

From the smallest particles to the largest structures in the cosmos.

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PhysicsSpace & AstronomyMajor DiscoveriesFundamental Science

Engineering

Engineering Frontiers

The systems, materials and machines redefining what can be built.

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Civil & StructuralMechanicalElectrical & ElectronicsAerospaceRoboticsEnergyMaterials

Technology

Technology & The Future

Clear-eyed reporting on the technologies shaping the next decade.

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Artificial IntelligenceRoboticsComputingQuantum TechnologyDigital TwinsAdvanced Manufacturing

Health & Biomedicine

Health & Biomedicine

Research changing how we understand, diagnose and repair the human body.

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MedicineBiomedical EngineeringNeuroscienceGeneticsMedical AIBiotechnology

Earth & Climate

Earth & Climate

Evidence, hazards and solutions for a changing planet.

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ClimateEarth ScienceNatural HazardsEnvironmentEnergy TransitionResilience

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ISOGKP Analysis

Context beyond the headlines.

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Systems Thinking

Urban resilience does not depend on a single structure — it emerges from the behaviour of the whole system.

Why the next generation of infrastructure standards must account for interdependence, recovery time and cascading failure — not only design loads.

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4

systems that shape urban resilience

  1. Transport connectivity
  2. Distributed energy
  3. Water continuity
  4. Communication access

Research

Papers Worth Reading This Week

A concise guide to notable peer-reviewed research.

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Research Spotlight

Inside the laboratory making aircraft structures listen to themselves

A multidisciplinary team embeds hair-thin optical fibers into composite wings, detecting damage as it forms — without grounding the aircraft.

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Explained

Explained

Complex ideas, made precise.

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01

The fundamentals

What is a digital twin — and when is it more than a 3D model?

A useful digital twin is not a picture. It is a continuously updated relationship between a physical system, its measurements and a model that can make testable predictions.

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Engineering Case Study 02 / 06

Infrastructure · Japan

A 60-year-old viaduct gets a nervous system

Wireless sensors, edge computing and a probabilistic model transformed maintenance from scheduled inspection to continuous risk assessment.

1,240sensing points
18%maintenance reduction
24/7condition insight
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Reader Interest

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Knowledge Hub Selection

Five enduring reads for seeing science and engineering as one connected enterprise.