Today’s physics news: Royal Society calls for A-level overhaul to tackle decline in science students, NASA funding, ultracold atoms and more

In today’s news round-up:  Royal Society calls for A-level overhaul to tackle decline in science students, NASA spacecraft sweeps past comet, ultracold atoms could reveal the dark sector, Irish science funding hangs in electoral balance and NASA funding stays flat in president’s budget request

Royal Society calls for A-level overhaul to tackle decline in science students
Scientists can play key role in revitalising the UK’s financial outlook, says chair of education committee
Guardian
BBC
Independent
THE

Nasa spacecraft sweeps past comet
Nasa’s Stardust spacecraft has swept past Comet Tempel 1, to see how much it has changed since a probe last visited the object in 2005.
BBC

Ultracold atoms could reveal the dark sector
Nobel laureate plans experiment to probe ‘dark content of the vacuum’
Physics World

Irish science funding hangs in electoral balance
Director-general of Science Foundation Ireland argues the case for continued investment in research.
Nature

NASA funding stays flat in president’s budget request
The president’s proposed 2012 budget freezes the agency’s spending at 2010 levels
New Scientist