Ma began brainstorming how best to approach that question, together with Alex Lombardi, a cryptographer at Princeton University, and John Wright, a quantum computing researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. “It was just so fascinating and so mind-bending that I was immediately hooked,” Wright said. After thinking about the question for a while and… Continue reading Cryptographers Discover a New Foundation for Quantum Secrecy
Category: Quantum Stuff
The Simplest Math Problem Could Be Unsolvable
At first glance, the problem seems ridiculously simple. And yet experts have been searching for a solution in vain for decades. According to mathematician Jeffrey Lagarias, number theorist Shizuo Kakutani told him that during the cold war, “for about a month everybody at Yale [University] worked on it, with no result. A similar phenomenon happened… Continue reading The Simplest Math Problem Could Be Unsolvable
How to Make Hybrid Work a Success, according to Science
Certain aspects of scientific life do not lend themselves to working from home. Archaeologist Adrià Breu, who studies neolithic pottery at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain, can’t dig for artefacts in his kitchen, and Claudia Sala’s experiments in molecular microbiology at the Toscana Life Sciences Foundation in Siena, Italy, oblige her to commute to… Continue reading How to Make Hybrid Work a Success, according to Science
How Japan’s ‘Moon Sniper’ Mission Hit Its Mark
When Japan’s solar-powered SLIM spacecraft made a lopsided-but-successful touchdown on the moon in mid-January, most news coverage focused on the feat as a historic first for the nation—only the fifth after the U.S., the former Soviet Union, China and India to ever achieve a soft lunar landing. But the most historic aspect of SLIM—which stands… Continue reading How Japan’s ‘Moon Sniper’ Mission Hit Its Mark
Most Life on Earth is Dormant, After Pulling an ‘Emergency Brake’
Researchers recently reported the discovery of a natural protein, named Balon, that can bring a cell’s production of new proteins to a screeching halt. Balon was found in bacteria that hibernate in Arctic permafrost, but it also seems to be made by many other organisms and may be an overlooked mechanism for dormancy throughout the… Continue reading Most Life on Earth is Dormant, After Pulling an ‘Emergency Brake’
Can Psychedelics Improve Mental Health?
During traumatic periods and their aftermath, our brains can fall into habitual ways of thinking that may be helpful in the short run but become maladaptive years later. For the brain to readjust to new situations later in life, it needs to be restored to the malleable state it was in when the habits first… Continue reading Can Psychedelics Improve Mental Health?
Will Better Superconductors Transform the World?
If superconductors — materials that conduct electricity without any resistance — worked at temperatures and pressures close to what we would consider normal, they would be world-changing. They could dramatically amplify power grids, levitate high-speed trains and enable more affordable medical technologies. For more than a century, physicists have tinkered with different compounds and environmental… Continue reading Will Better Superconductors Transform the World?
Game Theory Can Make AI More Correct and Efficient
Imagine you had a friend who gave different answers to the same question, depending on how you asked it. “What’s the capital of Peru?” would get one answer, and “Is Lima the capital of Peru?” would get another. You’d probably be a little worried about your friend’s mental faculties, and you’d almost certainly find it… Continue reading Game Theory Can Make AI More Correct and Efficient
How Solar Eclipse Glasses Work and Why You Need a Pair
How Do Solar Eclipse Glasses Work? Solar eclipse glasses prevent catastrophic eye damage when observing the sun. Here’s how they work By Stephanie Pappas Solar eclipse glasses are a must when looking at a partial solar eclipse. This article is part of a special report on the total solar eclipse that will be visible from… Continue reading How Solar Eclipse Glasses Work and Why You Need a Pair
Males Aren’t Larger Than Females in Most Mammalian Species
Males Aren’t Larger Than Females in Most Mammalian Species A new study corrects a biased assumption promoted by Charles Darwin 150 years ago and repeated ever since By Rachel Nuwer In The Descent of Man, Charles Darwin posits that in most species of mammals, males are larger than females. Although Darwin did not cite evidence… Continue reading Males Aren’t Larger Than Females in Most Mammalian Species