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Finally! Physicists Create an Exotic Quantum State of Matter That Works at Room Temperature

The laws of physics at the quantum level can break free from the standard confines of solids, liquids, and gases, and researchers just observed an exotic quantum state of matter – a particular way of particles organizing and behaving themselves.

What’s more, it was engineered at room temperature, without the extreme cooling that quantum states usually require.

The results of the experiments, carried out by an international team of researchers, have been published in Science Advances. They point the way to more practical uses of quantum technology in advanced computing systems and sensors.

Truth is the most dangerous fantasy our species ever invented

For centuries, the Western intellectual tradition has pursued a single, seductive dream: that the truth is out there, waiting to be discovered. But what if this quest has led humanity into great danger? In this provocative essay, philosopher Manuel Delaflor challenges the Enlightenment ideal of objective truth, arguing that our models don’t represent reality but rather that they create it. The result is a radical rethinking of knowledge, meaning, and what it means to know anything at all.

Just a few days ago, a colleague cornered me after a talk on the plausibility of artificial consciousness. “But, surely,” she said, “we can at least agree on what we mean by reality?” Her earnestness was touching. It reminded me of my younger self, back when I believed that philosophy’s great project, “making sense of it all,” was not only possible but inevitable. We just needed the right facts, better arguments, clearer thinking, more rigorous definitions.

How space weather powers auroras in the sky and threatens power grids on the ground

An aurora is one of nature’s most spectacular light shows: It looks like green or red curtains rippling across the night sky. When viewed from the ground, this colorful display might seem far away and disconnected from anything happening on Earth’s surface.

But while these beautiful displays are part of a much larger process known as “space weather”—changes in Earth’s space environment caused by activity from the sun—they’re closely connected to electric currents that can flow through the ground under your feet.

Space weather can create a spectacle in the sky, while also driving electric currents that can damage power grids and other technological systems on the ground. Space physicists like us want to understand how space weather can affect infrastructure on Earth.

Why can’t human editors identify AI?

Lately, there’s been a spate of revelations about AI users slipping slop-assisted work past human editors.

First there was Shy Girl, the horror novel pulled by its publisher once they realized it had been largely AI-generated. Editors failed to see the slop, and many readers were duped too. Emily Hughes, author of Horror for Weenies, published an excellent reflection on the deeper issues at play, as well as the personal embarrassment of falling for it. But it’s likely now that all of us have been tricked at some point, and it’s not just because the software is improving. As Hughes wrote, “remember that LLMs write like that because people write like that.” In other words, the slop is coming from inside the house.

Then there was more discourse around Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle’s admission on X that she frequently leans on AI software in her writing process. McArdle’s usage struck many (myself included) as being well beyond what’s acceptable for a professional writer. AI has been integrated into so many digital processes that keeping writing completely clean may be actually impossible. And even AI skeptics will give a pass to using software for some of our most thankless chores. But McArdle goes much farther than this, using digital tools to generate pushback on my column thesis, suggest trims when I’m over my word count, sharpen podcast interview questions, and perform a final fact check on columns and editorials.

Distinct endogenous retroviruses are expressed in mutational subtypes of clear cell renal cell carcinoma and are linked to improved clinical outcomes

Meli et al. conduct a comprehensive characterization of transposable element expression in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) mutational subtypes. They identify two specific endogenous retroviruses that are upregulated in PBRM1-mutant ccRCC and whose expression may contribute to selective immune checkpoint blockade response in distinct clinical settings.

SpaceX launches mystery mission for US Space Force in gorgeous sunset liftoff from California (video, photos)

SpaceX just launched a classified mission for the U.S. military.

A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base this evening (Nov. 6) at 7:48 p.m. EST (4:48 p.m. local California time; 48 GMT on Nov. 7), rising into the sky as the sun sank toward the Pacific.

Researchers uncover hidden cause of aging in perovskite solar cells

A research team at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has found a previously overlooked cause of aging in perovskite solar cells exposed to light. The team has also developed a solution that effectively extends the cells’ lifetime, an important step toward bringing the technology to market.

The study was conducted by Yang Guang, an assistant professor in the PolyU Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, together with a team from Zhejiang University, and has been published in the journal Watt. Professor Nam-Gyu Park of Sungkyunkwan University, Korea, a pioneer in perovskite photovoltaics, commended the work in a Research Highlight in the same journal.

Perovskite solar cells are efficient, low-cost, lightweight and versatile, and are widely seen as one of the most promising next-generation solar technologies. However, their performance gradually declines after long exposure to sunlight, a process known as photodegradation. Solar panels must work reliably outdoors for many years, so photodegradation has long been a major barrier to large-scale perovskite solar cell commercialization.

‘Stupendously large’ primordial black holes ruled out as a dark matter source

Primordial black holes are hypothetical objects that could have formed directly from dense clumps of matter in the very early universe. If they exist, their dramatic origins would set them apart from the black holes we see today, which form when massive stars collapse. Some theories suggest that “stupendously large” primordial black holes could account for a significant share of the universe’s elusive dark matter.

Yet new calculations by Nicholas Leister at the Mainz Institute for Theoretical Physics and colleagues show that even if these immense objects do exist, they can’t make up any meaningful fraction of dark matter.

Their research has been published in Physical Review Letters.

A Massive Brain-Scan Study Just Complicated a Popular Theory About Emotional Control

After a breakup, a friend might remind you that you’ve made it through difficult times before. Their advice makes sense, and you want to believe you’ll feel happy again. You might still return home from that conversation feeling just as upset.

Looking at a situation differently can sometimes bring relief. Scientists call the attempt to change our feelings by reinterpreting events cognitive reappraisal.

But does seeing the brain make that effort also reveal how well it works?