Physics World

Were not, of course, looking at the countrys footballing prowess or examining the controversial and staggering sums being spent on staging the World Cup. Instead, the latest Physics World Special Report examines the challenges and opportunities for physicists in Brazil the fifth biggest nation by size and the worlds seventh-largest economy. Physics... in the country is thriving, with the Brazilian government having more than quadrupled the amount of money invested in research and development since the turn of the century. Our Special Report, which you can read free online , kicks off with an interview with Marco Antonino Raupp, the physicist who spent two years as Brazils science minister before being replaced in a government reshuffle on 17 March 2014 just after we had gone to press. In the interview , Raupp underlines the importance of Brazil taking part in the world science scene and adds that the challenge for the country is to improve the quality of Brazilian researchers so as to increase the impact of Brazil on world science. Elsewhere in the Special Report , which was based largely on visits to Brazil by myself and my colleague Susan Curtis, you can find out about construction of the Sirius X-ray synchrotron-radiation source, the opening of the first overseas offshoot of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics, and the impact of Brazils National Observatory the countrys oldest scientific institution. Theres also an interview with Vanderlei Bagnato head of the innovation agency at the University of So Paulo and a look at Brazils attempts to improve the education and career prospects of Brazilian physicists. Brazil was a fascinating place to visit and Id like to thank the many people who hosted visits to the labs and facilities mentioned in the report. For the record, here is a full list of contents. News Catch up with Brazils attempts to join the CERN and the European Southern Observatory, and find out about its plans to build a giant underground lab beneath the Andes and its attempts to send more ...Read More