Science News
A new design for quantum computers
Phys.org - 15 Feb 2024 19:21
Creating a quantum computer powerful enough to tackle problems we cannot solve with current computers remains a big challenge for quantum physicists. A well-functioning quantum simulator--a specific type of quantum compu...
A star like a Matryoshka doll: New theory for gravastars
Phys.org - 15 Feb 2024 20:32
The interior of black holes remains a conundrum for science. In 1916, German physicist Karl Schwarzschild outlined a solution to Albert Einstein's equations of general relativity, in which the center of a black hole cons...
Study shows promise of transceiver-based sensing for active monitoring of fiber networks
Phys.org - 15 Feb 2024 23:55
Researchers have successfully used a coherent transceiver prototype to detect polarization changes that preceded a cable break in a live network. The work, which is one of the first demonstrations of field-based measurem...
Scientists Say New Hybrid Beef Rice Could Cost Just a Dollar per Pound
Singularity Hub - 15 Feb 2024 23:22
Here's a type of fusion food you don't see every day: fluffy, steamed grains of rice, chock-full of beef cells. It sounds Frankenstein. But the hybrid plant-animal concoction didn't require any genetic engineering--just ...
Brain Mastery Over Echoes Enhances Speech Clarity
Neuroscience News - 15 Feb 2024 23:00
Researchers have uncovered the human brain's remarkable ability to segregate direct speech from echoes, a challenge that has long perplexed audio engineers. It was discovered through magnetoencephalography (MEG) that des...
Lasers smaller than a human hair emit doughnut-shaped light
New Scientist - 15 Feb 2024 23:00
Incredibly thin, hollow wires made from gallium and nitrogen can produce laser beams that are hollow with a ring-shaped cross-section, and that could be used to create optical fibres out of thin air
New nuclei can help shape our understanding of fundamental science on Earth and in the cosmos
Phys.org - 15 Feb 2024 22:49
In creating five new isotopes, an international research team working at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University has brought the stars closer to Earth.
Ancient Viruses Shaped Our Brains
Neuroscience News - 15 Feb 2024 22:39
Ancient viruses played a pivotal role in the development of myelin, crucial for complex vertebrate brains. The discovery of "RetroMyelin," a retrovirus-derived element essential for myelin production across mammals, amph...
Why We Learn Better From People We Like
Neuroscience News - 15 Feb 2024 22:13
Our brains favor learning from individuals we like over those we dislike, a phenomenon crucial for memory integration. Through experiments involving everyday objects, the study demonstrated that our ability to connect in...
Russia's space weapon: Is it nuclear and does it pose a threat?
New Scientist - 15 Feb 2024 21:30
US officials have warned of a new international security threat - a mysterious Russian space weapon that may possess nuclear capabilities. Here's what you need to know
Reforestation initiatives in Africa may damage grassland and savannah
New Scientist - 15 Feb 2024 21:00
Tree-planting projects in Africa may damage grasslands and savannahs by introducing too much shade. By preventing smaller plants from photosynthesising, this would have knock-on effects for the rest of the ecosystem
Scientists report first look at electrons moving in real-time in liquid water
Phys.org - 15 Feb 2024 21:00
In an experiment akin to stop-motion photography, scientists have isolated the energetic movement of an electron while "freezing" the motion of the much larger atom it orbits in a sample of liquid water.
Uncovering the physics of how electrons screen against conductivity-killer in organic semiconductors
Phys.org - 15 Feb 2024 19:43
California's Silicon Valley and Utah's Silicon Slopes are named for the element most associated with semiconductors, the backbone of the computer revolution. Anything computerized or electronic depends on semiconductors,...
Giant, synchronized swarms of locusts may become more common with climate change
Live Science - 15 Feb 2024 18:44
Locust swarms can arise from several locations at once. Research has linked these dramatic events to bouts of heavy rain and wind -- and that's not good news under climate change.
'Microbiome of death' uncovered on decomposing corpses could aid forensics
Live Science - 15 Feb 2024 18:41
By analyzing the comings and goings of bacteria and fungi on decomposing bodies, researchers believe they can determine when a person died.
1,800-year-old 'Iron Legion' Roman base discovered near 'Armageddon' is largest in Israel
Live Science - 15 Feb 2024 18:39
The Roman military base once housed more than 5,000 soldiers.
2 waves of mass murder struck prehistoric Denmark, genetic study reveals
Live Science - 15 Feb 2024 18:23
Two waves of mass death hit prehistoric Denmark, with farmers wiping out hunter-gatherers and pastoralists later wiping out the farmers.
A new record for atom-based quantum computers: 1,000 atomic qubits and rising
Phys.org - 15 Feb 2024 18:10
Making quantum systems more scalable is one of the key requirements for the further development of quantum computers because the advantages they offer become increasingly evident as the systems are scaled up. Researchers...
New thermometry method reveals that compressing a gas may lead to cooling
Phys.org - 15 Feb 2024 18:01
An international research team from Innsbruck and Geneva has developed a new thermometry method to measure temperatures for low-dimensional quantum gases. With this method it was found that compressing a gas may lead to ...
Abortion medication is as safe over telehealth as in a doctor's office
New Scientist - 15 Feb 2024 18:00
The largest study of telehealth abortions to date has found that the medications are just as safe and effective if they are obtained via online services instead of through a face-to-face doctor's appointment
The right microbes on plant roots can make your tea taste better
New Scientist - 15 Feb 2024 18:00
Changing the microbial community on the roots of tea plants can improve the flavour and nutritional content of tea leaves, leading to a better-tasting cuppa
Telehealth abortions are as safe and effective as in-person, large study shows
Live Science - 15 Feb 2024 18:00
An analysis of more than 6,000 telehealth abortion recipients in the U.S. suggests that receiving the abortion drugs via a virtual doctor's appointment is as safe and effective as doing so in person.