AIP

The American Institute of Physics is producing coverage of the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics, reporting on the laureates and the awarded research. Details of the winners and their discoveries are the focus of attention as the announcement draws interest from the global physics community and science followers worldwide.

A new historical piece from the American Institute of Physics examines the overlooked role of typists in physics, arguing they were essential to how scientific knowledge circulated among researchers before digital tools. By preparing manuscripts, preprints and letters, typists shaped the speed and reach of intra-scientific communication, and historians are revisiting their contribution to the discipline.

The US is pushing to reduce its dependence on Taiwan for advanced semiconductors, but analysts argue Taipei will remain a central player in the AI chip supply chain. Taiwan's dominant chipmaking capabilities are seen as difficult to replace quickly, keeping the island at the heart of the global AI hardware story even as Washington invests in domestic production.

The United States is working to reduce its dependence on Taiwan for advanced semiconductors, driven by supply-chain and security concerns around China. Despite efforts to expand chip manufacturing at home and in allied countries, analysts argue Taipei will remain a 'central' player in the AI chip supply chain, given TSMC's unmatched lead in cutting-edge chip production and the difficulty of replicating its ecosystem elsewhere.