Understanding the time-resolved dynamics of antiferromagnetic skyrmion interactions remains a challenge, limiting control over their collective behaviour. Now their ultrafast dynamics is visualized in real time in thin-film multilayers.

ErTe₃ hosts two charge-density-wave orders and the origin of the weaker one remains unclear. Tracking its recovery after light excitation now points to nucleation and growth as the underlying mechanism.

Dualities between different models are an important tool in theoretical many-body physics. Here a constructive recipe is given for topological interfaces between dual models that are transparent to wavepackets but alter their properties.

Analysis of the mechanical properties of mitotic chromosomes is key for understanding the robustness of chromosomes during cell division. It is now shown that chromosomes are highly mechanically heterogeneous.

Altermagnetism has been experimentally demonstrated in fermionic systems, but not yet in photonic systems. Now it is observed in a magnetophotonic crystal.

Elastic stresses are believed to play a role in the vitrification process in glasses, but measuring them is challenging. Imposing elastic boundary conditions is now shown to provide a way to probe elastic effects within glassy samples.

A well-known fluid dynamical instability may hold the key to understanding shape changes and spatial organization in certain biological systems.

Owing to its exceptional characteristics, diamond finds many applications in metrology. Anita Chandran introduces us to the glittering world of natural and synthetic diamonds.

Conventional physics publications systematically omit the failed experiments and informal collaborations that contribute to physicists’ knowledge. We propose an inverse seminar format to narrow the gap between published and actual physics.

Separating long-term trends in the Earth system from instrumental drift is challenging. Yolanda Shea, Peter Pilewskie, and Rajendra Bhatt describe the push for gold-standard references in space.

Recent advances in quantum materials have shifted the focus from charge transport to a broader range of electronic degrees of freedom. In this Focus issue, we highlight different facets of electronic degrees of freedom and their potential applications.