Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have developed a novel Ising machine that utilizes surface acoustic waves as an effective carrier of dense information flow. This approach enables fast, energy-efficient solutions to complex optimization problems, offering a promising alternative to conventional computing methods based on von-Neumann architecture. The findings are published in the journal Communications Physics.

Traditional computers can stumble when tackling combinatorial optimization problems —tasks of scheduling logistic operations, financial portfolio optimization and high frequency trading, optimizing communication channels in complex wireless networks, or predicting how proteins fold among countless structural possibilities.

In these cases, each added node—an additional logistic hub, network user, or molecular bond causes the number of possible configurations to explode exponentially. In contrast to linear or polynomial growth, an exponential increase in the number of possible solutions makes even the most powerful computers and algorithms lack the computational power and memory to evaluate every scenario in search of vanishingly small subsets representing satisfactorily optimal solutions.

The collective motion of bacteria—from stable swirling patterns to chaotic turbulent flows—has intrigued scientists for decades. When a bacterial swarm is confined in small circular space, stable rotating vortices are formed. However, as the radius of this confined space increases, the organized swirling pattern breaks down into a turbulent state.

This transition from ordered to chaotic flow has remained a long-standing mystery. It represents a fundamental question not only in the study of bacterial behavior but also in classical fluid dynamics, where understanding the emergence of turbulence is crucial for both controlling and utilizing complex flows.

In a recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on March 14, 2025, a research team led by Associate Professor Daiki Nishiguchi from the Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan, has revealed in detail how bacterial swarms transition from organized movement to chaotic flow. Combining large-scale experiments, computer modeling, and mathematical analysis, the team observed and explained previously unknown intermediate states that emerge between order and turbulence.

A new study probing quantum phenomena in neurons as they transmit messages in the brain could provide fresh insight into how our brains function.

In this project, described in the Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal, theoretical physicist Partha Ghose from the Tagore Centre for Natural Sciences and Philosophy in India, together with theoretical neuroscientist Dimitris Pinotsis from City St George’s, University of London and the MillerLab of MIT, proved that established equations describing the classical physics of brain responses are mathematically equivalent to equations describing quantum mechanics. Ghose and Pinotsis then derived a Schrödinger-like equation specifically for neurons.

Our brains process information via a vast network containing many millions of neurons, which can each send and receive chemical and electrical signals. Information is transmitted by nerve impulses that pass from one neuron to the next, thanks to a flow of ions across the neuron’s cell membrane. This results in an experimentally detectable change in electrical potential difference across the membrane known as the “action potential” or “spike”

Quantum physics just took a leap from theory to reality! Empa researchers have, for the first time, successfully built a long-theorized one-dimensional alternating Heisenberg model using synthetic nanographenes.

By precisely shaping these tiny carbon structures, they’ve unlocked new ways to manipulate quantum states, confirming century-old predictions. This breakthrough could be a stepping stone toward real-world quantum technologies, from ultra-fast computing to unbreakable encryption.

Recreating a Century-Old Quantum Model.

The race toward scalable quantum computing has reached a pivotal moment, with major players like Microsoft, Google, and IBM pushing forward with breakthroughs. Microsoft’s recent announcement of its Majorana 1 chip marks a significant milestone, while Google’s Willow chip and IBM’s long-term quantum roadmap illustrate the industry’s diverse approaches to achieving fault-tolerant quantum systems. As the quantum computing industry debates the timeline for practical implementation, breakthroughs like Majorana 1 and Willow suggest that major advancements may be closer than previously thought. At the same time, skepticism remains, with industry leaders such as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang cautioning that meaningful commercial quantum applications could still be decades away.

Microsoft is redefining quantum computing with its new Majorana 1 chip, a significant breakthrough in the pursuit of scalable and fault-tolerant quantum systems. This quantum processor is built on a novel topological architecture that integrates Majorana particles, exotic quantum states that enhance qubit stability and reduce errors. Unlike conventional qubit technologies, which require extensive error correction, Microsoft’s approach aims to build fault tolerance directly into the hardware, significantly improving the feasibility of large-scale quantum computing. Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, highlighted the significance of this milestone in his LinkedIn post, We’ve created an entirely new state of matter, powered by a new class of materials, topoconductors. This fundamental leap in computing enables the first quantum processing unit built on a topological core.

While many experts in the quantum industry are concerned about the hype surrounding the technology, some are suggesting quantum tech might not be hyped enough. According to one respected deep-tech investor, quantum computing is still underestimated and is only a few years away from commercial use.

Karthee Madasamy, founder of Silicon Valley venture fund MFV Partners, told Nikkei Asia he sees strong momentum in quantum computing, likening it to how ChatGPT surprised the world.

“People are going to underestimate [quantum computing] … It’s like ChatGPT,” he told Nikkei Asia. “Until ChatGPT, nobody was thinking about natural language … Now everybody’s like, ‘It’s going to kill this world.’”

Chinese hyperscaler gets green light for $2.2 billion investment.

Servers at a facility run by Beijing Haoyang (Source photo from Beijing Haoyang website and 123rf)

James Fodor discusses what he is researching, mind uploading etc.

As of 2020, James Fodor, is a student at the Australian National University, in Canberra, Australia. James’ studies at university have been rather diverse, and have at different times included history, politics, economics, philosophy, mathematics, computer science, physics, chemistry, and biology. Eventually he hopes to complete a PhD in the field of computational neuroscience.

James also have a deep interest in philosophy, history, and religion, which he periodically writes about on his blog, which is called The Godless Theist. In addition, James also has interests in and varying levels of involved in skeptical/atheist activism, effective altruism, and transhumanism/emerging technologies. James is a fan of most things sci-fi, including Star Trek, Dr Who, and authors such as Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov.

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Researchers develop QNodeOS, the first operating system for quantum networks, bridging hardware and software gaps.

00:00 Intro.
00:20 José Delgado’s beginnings with BCIs.
00:42 Use of BCI to reduce aggression.
00:57 How the brain and nerve cells work.
03:00 Stimulation of brain areas (motor cortex)
03:51 How Utah arrays works!
05:16 Measurement of voltage peaks (spikes)
06:06 How the Neuralink N1 works!
08:20 How the Stentrode by Synchron works!
09:40 The future of exoskeletons.
09:53 Are we becoming machines ourselves?