Dear SPMS Family,

We are pleased to invite you to the SPMS Odyssey Public Lecture & Fireside Chat, an exciting academic event featuring two distinguished physicists, including a 2016 Physics Nobel Laureate.

📅 Date: Tuesday, 13 January 2026
🕔 Time: 5.00pm – 6.30pm
📍 Venue: SPMS LT 3
Light refreshments will be provided.

Public Lecture: Upper Limit of Crop Yields Determined from Thermodynamics
Speaker: Prof Wu Congjun (Westlake University)
How far can crop yields be pushed, even in principle? In this lecture, Prof Wu explores how fundamental thermodynamic constraints — rather than biological mechanisms alone — impose universal upper bounds on the efficiency of converting solar energy into chemical energy in crops. This perspective leads to striking predictions about yield ceilings and offers a physicist’s lens on an important real-world problem at the interface of physics, biology, and sustainability.

Fireside Chat
Guest Speaker: Prof Duncan Haldane
2016 Nobel Prize in Physics | Princeton University
Following the lecture, Prof Wu will be joined by Prof Duncan Haldane for a fireside chat, where they will reflect on their research journeys, the role of fundamental theory in modern physics, and broader questions about scientific curiosity, interdisciplinarity, and discovery.


🎟 Registration is required.
Please register by submitting this form.

We hope to see you there!

🚀✨ Get ready to flex your physics skills with PLANCKS 2026! ✨🚀

📣 The PLANCKS Preliminary 2026 is here!
🌍 A chance to represent Singapore on the global stage in Eindhoven, the Netherlands this May (21-25 MAY 2026)!

The Physics League Across Numerous Countries for Kick-ass Students (PLANCKS) is an exam-based physics competition for bachelor’s and master’s students.

💡 Open to:
Physics, Engineering, and related majors ⚛️🔧

🔭 🏆 Highlights:

-Compete in teams of 3-4 🧠
-Win amazing prizes 🎒🎁
-Attend the Physics Festival themed organised with Singapore Youth Quantum Collective ⚛️✨
-Guest talks, panel discussions, and networking lunch and dinner 🗣️🤝
-Immerse yourself in the wonders of physics 🔬

🎉 PLANCKS Preliminary & Festival Dates:
🗓️ 7th - 8th February 2026
2026.02.07
• 13:00 - 18:00 (Competition)
2026.02.08
• 10:30 - 19:00 (Physics Festival)

📍Venue: Nanyang Technological University (NTU) SPMS LT1 - 2

🌟 Don’t miss this opportunity 🔬✨

📢 Sign up here by 6 Feb ! 🌠

We are excited to announce that registration for the Odyssey Forensic Science Workshop 2026 is now open! 🔓

Organised in collaboration with the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) Singapore, this workshop offers an immersive introduction to the science behind crime investigation. The workshop is targeted at all undergraduate students, regardless of whether you have experience in science or not. Participants will explore how physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics intersect in real forensic work. 🧪🩸🧬

📅 Event Details
• Date: 5 March 2026 (Thursday of Recess Week)
• Time: 0900 – 1900 (registration starts at 0815)
• Venue: NTU LT22
• Eligibility: Open to all NTU undergraduates (all majors welcome!)
• Team Size: 2–3 students per team
• Slots: Limited to 50 participants 🎟

📝 Registration
Register now through the form: https://forms.office.com/r/QVVrxufVMy
Registration closes on 13 February 2026 or once slots are filled.
Confirmed participants will receive pre-reading materials and preparation guides.

Hi SPMS Family!

MH4310 Coding Theory has not been offered in 2 AYs (AY 24/25 and AY25/26) as the professor in charge is on leave of absence. This has resulted in the AY22/23 batch of math students not being able to take the course during their undergraduate studies at SPMS, and we are hoping to restart the course this coming AY to avoid repeating this unfortunate scenario for subsequent batches.

Coding theory is the study of designing mathematical mechanisms to ensure data fidelity in the presence of perturbation causing errors.
MH4310 Coding Theory is available as an MPE for the Pure and Applied Math tracks (for batch AY23/24 and before), and counts towards the Computational Mathematics and Modelling as well as Pure Mathematics specialisations (for batch AY24/25 and after).

If you are interested in taking this course in AY 26/27 (Sem 1/2), please fill up this petition to get SPMS to find another faculty member to teach the course.

Thank you!

The NUS Sudoku Contest 2026 is officially here! Whether you're a speed-solver or just love a good mental workout, join us for a morning of intense, engaging, and challenging puzzles.

🗓️ Event Details:
Date: Saturday, March 28, 2026
Time: 08:30 – 13:00
Location: LT27, NUS
Who: Open to all undergraduates and graduates in Singapore!

🚀 SIGN UP NOW
https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=DQSIkWdsW0yxEjajBLZtrQAAAAAAAAAAAAN__tlbsD5UQzc5TlFDWkJZVFlVVlU3UjhYMkUzRFNQQy4u&route=shorturl

Don’t miss out on the chance to gain exposure to new puzzle types and connect with the local math community. See you there!

Application for the Odyssey Research Programme 2026 will begin next Tuesday, on 17 March. Stay tuned for the email!

Applications for the Odyssey Research Programme 2026 close on 31 March 2026!
Sign up using this form!

Hello! We are looking for 3 physics and 3 mathematics students who have done Odyssey to showcase their posters at MAS Atrium on 16 May, 11am–2pm. Remuneration of $12/h will be provided. Please DM me (@jamie_meows) if you are interested, and state whether you have your own poster with you (priority will be given to those holding on to their posters)

Dear SPMS Students,

We are excited to invite you to an exclusive study trip to Switzerland from 27 July to 1 August 2026. This trip offers a unique opportunity to explore some of the world's leading scientific institutions, including:

🔬 CERN – World’s largest particle physics laboratory
🏫 ETH Zurich – Home to many famous physicists, including Albert Einstein and John von Neumann
🧲 Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) – Switzerland’s largest research institute for natural and engineering sciences
⚛️ Swiss Plasma Centre (SPC) – One of the world's leading centres for plasma physics and nuclear fusion research

This is a rare chance to gain first-hand exposure to groundbreaking research and innovation while experiencing Switzerland’s vibrant academic and scientific culture.

In previous years, this trip was opened to PHMS students only, but we are opening it up to the whole SPMS undergraduate cohort this year, so don't miss your chance! Since you have participated in the Odyssey Research Programme before, please indicate this under 'research records' when submitting the form below.

SPMS will sponsor each selected student $2500 for travel and accommodation expenses, to be reimbursed before the trip. The trip is estimated to cost $4000. If you are interested, please register your interest by 1 May (Friday), 23:59 via this form. More details on the itinerary will be shared in an information session to selected participants.

For inquiries, feel free to reach out to us via email at spmsodysseycomm@e.ntu.edu.sg, or DM Jamie on Telegram at @jamie_meows. Thank you.

Also, please apply for this by tomorrow if you are interested to share your research to prospective undergraduates!

SPMS is currently preparing the upcoming issue of NTU Physics INSIGHTS magazine, and would like to invite some Odyssey students to contribute articles showcasing their undergraduate research project in physics.

For reference, please see this link for last year's INSIGHTS magazine.

This is a good opportunity to promote yourself beyond SPMS. If you would like to contribute, please dm me at @jamie_meows