Michael Banks

Michael Banks - Five Way Interview Michael Banks is a science writer and author and is currently news editor of Physics World magazine. As well as Physics World, he has writte...

Interview: Science writer and news editor Michael Banks tells us why physics appealed to him, the importance of relating physics to everyday life, and where to keep your toothbrush safe from toilet flush aerosols. popsciencebooks.blogspot.com/2025/10/mich... #interviews #physics #everydayscience

Books on bookshelf

Signed copy of book

Front cover of Physics Around the Clock

Signing copy of book

Writing a book is full of ups and downs, but seeing (and signing) a copy in your local bookshop is firmly in the “up” category

Books on bookshelf

Signed copy of book

Front cover of Physics Around the Clock

Signing copy of book

Writing a book is full of ups and downs, but seeing (and signing) a copy in your local bookshop is firmly in the “up” category

10 things you (probably) don't know about the physics of your morning routine Have you ever wondered how to brew the perfect cup of coffee? Discover the physics behind your morning routine.

From whistling kettles to the 'wet-dog' shake, here's 10 things you (probably) don’t know about the physics of your morning routine: thehistorypress.co.uk/article/10-t...

Babies’ cries can make humans physically hotter, research finds When in distress, babies produce chaotic wails which have pronounced effects on humans, including changes in facial temperature

I cover the acoustic roughness of infant cries and the emotional response it can foster in my first book The Secret Science of Baby, but interesting it can even cause changes in facial temperature! www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

Physics Around the Clock - Michael Banks ***** One of the easiest ways to make science accessible is to tie it to everyday life - and this is something Michael Banks does well in his expl...

Review: Physics Around the Clock: Michael Banks ***** 11 September 2025 - Makes scientific concepts approachable by tying into aspects of everyday life. While some is predictable, many surprising delights included. popsciencebooks.blogspot.com/2025/09/phys... #bookreview #popularscience

Cover of Physics Around the Clock

Cover of Physics Around the Clock

Cover of Physics Around the Clock

First 📚 copies have arrived… 🚚 Out 11 September (UK). lnk.to/PhysicsAroun...

Cover of Physics Around the Clock

Cover of Physics Around the Clock

Cover of Physics Around the Clock

First 📚 copies have arrived… 🚚 Out 11 September (UK). lnk.to/PhysicsAroun...

Wonder how much that would retail for?

Proof copy of Physics Around the Clock

Final #proofs of PHYSICS AROUND THE CLOCK have landed.

Out in the 🇬🇧 on 11 September and the 🇺🇸 in spring 2026.

Did I say it was available to pre-order?

US astronomy facing 'extinction level' event following Trump's 2026 budget request – Physics World US president Trump sets out his budget request for 2026, which if passed, will see science hit like never before, as Peter Gwynne reports

Former US presidential science advisor Neal Lane fears the cuts will put people off from careers in science, even in the unlikely event that all the cuts get reversed. “That’s a loss for all Americans.” ⚛️🧪 physicsworld.com/a/us-astrono...

Trump's economic policy is certainly off the charts...

Sign the Petition Protect authors’ livelihoods from the unlicensed use of their work in AI training

Thank you to everyone who has signed our petition, 6,000+! Authors deserve to have a livelihood and compensation from their work, if you haven't signed do so now 👇

CERN releases plans for the "most extraordinary instrument ever built" – Physics World The Future Circular Collider would study the Higgs boson in unprecedented detail

The three-volume feasibility study calls for the Future Circular Collider to smash together electrons with positrons to study the Higgs boson in unprecedented detail before installing a proton "discovery machine" to search for new particles ⚛️🧪 physicsworld.com/a/cern-relea...

The physics of opening swing-top bottles revealed – Physics World While the physics of uncorking a bottle of champagne has been well documented, less is known about the mechanisms at play when opening a swing-top bottle of beer. Physicist Max Koch from the Universit...

Physicists reveal the physics behind a swing-top bottle's "pop and slosh"🧪⚛️ physicsworld.com/a/the-physic...

I sympathize with the fear, especially as it is evidently now not just about losing funding. But I don't think there has ever been a case historically where keeping silent ended well. As I've said repeatedly, it should be societies, institutions and professional bodies doing this, not individuals.

The Unbelievable Scale of AI’s Pirated-Books Problem Meta pirated millions of books to train its AI. Search through them here.

Meta considered licensing books to train AI—but opted instead to pirate LibGen, a database that currently contains more than 7.5 million books and 81 million research papers, Alex Reisner writes.

Search LibGen, the Pirated-Books Database That Meta Used to Train AI Millions of books and scientific papers are captured in the collection’s current iteration.

Meta used at least 16 of my books, and numerous articles, to help train the AI it will use to make billions.

Authors, search your name here:

www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...

My second book - PHYSICS AROUND THE CLOCK - will be published on 11 September 🥳
It’s all about the physics you encounter every day – whether when making a cup of coffee or tea, having a shave or taking the dog out for a walk in the rain.

The secret's out! 🚀

The 2025 Christmas Lectures, supported by CGI, will be presented by Dr Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock, and will be about outer space and all the scientific wonders beyond planet Earth.

We can't wait until December! Find out more: rigb.org/christmas-lectures

Physics Around the Clock by Michael Banks | Waterstones Buy Physics Around the Clock by Michael Banks from Waterstones today! Click and Collect from your local Waterstones or get FREE UK delivery on orders over £25.

Binding it all together is physics and what physical theories or experimental techniques can reveal about our everyday situations.

Now available to pre-order

www.waterstones.com/book/physics...

The book follows a typical day, beginning at breakfast and the morning routine and then moving through daytime activities, including sports, gardening and looking after pets, before ending with evening pursuits such as enjoying a take-away or (bubbly) drink and watching a film.

My second book - PHYSICS AROUND THE CLOCK - will be published on 11 September 🥳
It’s all about the physics you encounter every day – whether when making a cup of coffee or tea, having a shave or taking the dog out for a walk in the rain.

US science rues ongoing demotion of research under President Trump – Physics World US science continues to be hit hard by budget and staff cuts

Two months into Donald Trump’s second presidency and many parts of US science – across government, academia, and industry – continue to be hit hard by the new administration’s policies 🧪 physicsworld.com/a/us-science...

Home - Big Toilet Project Are you a parent or adult responsible for toilet training a child? We need your help to understand toilet training better! Get involved with the Big Toilet Project to be part of the world’s biggest...

Need help toilet training your child, or know someone who does? Join our research project, get help and help others. www.bigtoiletproject.org

Seen a paper changed without notification? Study reveals the growing trend of 'stealth corrections' – Physics World Researchers claim scientific integrity is threatened when post-publication changes are made without a public notice

Interesting study looking at the growing trend of "stealth corrections" - changes made to a published paper without any public notification - in the scientific literature 🧪 physicsworld.com/a/seen-a-pap...

Elon Musk is a proven danger to good science, but the Royal Society won’t say so. That’s why I resigned | Kit Yates It is vital to act, and I urge colleagues to do so. How can we stand by and laud this man while he undermines scientific integrity? asks academic and author Kit Yates

🚨I promised I'd say more on the Royal Society and Elon Musk, so here it is. 🚨

I've resigned my position as Associate Editor at Royal Society's journal Open Science in protest at their lack of action over Elon Musk.

My op-ed in @theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

A healthy surge in signatures overnight - over *1600* members of the scientific community have now signed to express their dismay at the Royal Society's inaction over Musk's contravention of their code of conduct.

Please keep signing and sharing: forms.gle/pmyzLXcgpQaJ...

This is a serious point - I will elaborate when I have more time. But one thing new authors should be very aware of is that “pastoral care” does not seem to be a priority for publishers or agents. And it should be.

US science in chaos as impact of Trump's executive orders sinks in – Physics World US science hit by staff layoffs, slashed budgets, axed diversity programmes and cancelled conferences

Donald Trump’s second term as US President has begun with staff layoffs, slashed budgets, axed diversity programmes and cancelled conferences in what some see as a new "dark ages" 🧪⚛️ physicsworld.com/a/us-science...