Single Atom Acts as a Quantum Computer and Simulates Molecules A quantum computer has used a single atom to model the complex dynamics of organic molecules interacting with light By Davide Castelvecchi & Nature magazine A view inside the trapped-ion quantum computer that carried out a first-of-its-kind simulation of molecular chemistry. The University of Sydney/Sciencebrush.design… Continue reading A Single Atom Has Achieved a Breakthrough in Quantum Simulation
The West’s Shifting Stance on Russia Repeats History
After the summit in Alaska between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. and Western policy toward Russia is again resembling its contours in times of past strain. Since World War II, the West has faced numerous challenges in deterring nuclear use, containing risks, and seeking limited cooperation. At times, depending on the nature… Continue reading The West’s Shifting Stance on Russia Repeats History
Interview: Demons & Magic
Podcast: Download MYS382: Are demons just fallen angels—or something more? Jimmy Akin joins Alexander Eth of Glitch Bottle to unpack Catholic teaching on magic, exorcism, grimoires, and the “clerical necromantic underworld.” Can holiness itself drive demons out? Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by Email | Watch this episode and subscribe on… Continue reading Interview: Demons & Magic
Self-Assembly Gets Automated in Reverse of ‘Game of Life’
Alexander Mordvintsev showed me two clumps of pixels on his screen. They pulsed, grew and blossomed into monarch butterflies. As the two butterflies grew, they smashed into each other, and one got the worst of it; its wing withered away. But just as it seemed like a goner, the mutilated butterfly did a kind of… Continue reading Self-Assembly Gets Automated in Reverse of ‘Game of Life’
Think Medium: The Case for ‘Minilateralism’ to Boost Naval Shipbuilding
This commentary was originally published by War on the Rocks on September 10, 2025. “My center is giving way, my right is retreating, excellent situation, I attack.” French Gen. Ferdinand Foch pronounced these desperate words in September 1914 as German troops massed 25 miles from Paris for their final assault. The same words could be… Continue reading Think Medium: The Case for ‘Minilateralism’ to Boost Naval Shipbuilding
Vitamin D May Slow Cells’ Aging by Protecting DNA
Vitamin D May Slow Cells’ Aging Vitamin D supplements may help prevent the loss of telomeres, DNA sequences that shrink with aging, a large study shows. But the health effects aren’t yet clear By Stephanie Pappas edited by Jeanna Bryner A new study suggests vitamin D supplements might slow cellular aging by protecting telomeres. Olga… Continue reading Vitamin D May Slow Cells’ Aging by Protecting DNA
India-UK Trade Deal Is as Much Politics as Economics
This commentary was originally published by East Asia Forum on September 9, 2025. The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), signed on July 24, 2025, has been described as a bold effort by both governments to open their economies and deepen strategic alignment. But look more closely, and what emerges is a more complex… Continue reading India-UK Trade Deal Is as Much Politics as Economics
‘World Models,’ an Old Idea in AI, Mount a Comeback
The latest ambition of artificial intelligence research — particularly within the labs seeking “artificial general intelligence,” or AGI — is something called a world model: a representation of the environment that an AI carries around inside itself like a computational snow globe. The AI system can use this simplified representation to evaluate predictions and decisions… Continue reading ‘World Models,’ an Old Idea in AI, Mount a Comeback
Exodus: Affordability Crisis Sends Americans Packing From Big Cities
This is the first in a two-part series on America’s return to the hinterlands. For much of the past century, in both the United States and elsewhere, the inexorable trend has been for people to move from rural areas and towns to ever larger cities, particularly those with vibrant downtown cores such as New York,… Continue reading Exodus: Affordability Crisis Sends Americans Packing From Big Cities
How One Astronomer Uncovered Nearly 200 Moons—Around Just One Planet
A mere decade ago astronomers knew of just 62 moons around Saturn. Today the ringed planet boasts a staggering 274 official satellites. That’s more than any other world in the solar system—and far too many for most people to keep track of. Astronomer Edward Ashton is no exception, even though he has helped discover 192… Continue reading How One Astronomer Uncovered Nearly 200 Moons—Around Just One Planet