Computers that use photons rather than electrons to manipulate data promise greater speed and energy efficiency, and the technology is developing rapidly
Category: computing – Page 3
Supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, physicists have revealed the presence of a previously unobserved type of subatomic phenomenon called a fractional exciton. Their findings confirm theoretical predictions of a quasiparticle with unique quantum properties that behaves as though it is made of equal fractions of opposite electric charges bound together by mutual attraction.
The discovery was supported by NSF through multiple grants and laboratory work performed at the NSF National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, Florida. The results are published in Nature and show potential for developing new ways to improve how information is stored and manipulated at the quantum level, which could lead to faster and more reliable quantum computers.
“Our findings point toward an entirely new class of quantum particles that carry no overall charge but follow unique quantum statistics,” says Jia Li, leader of the research team and associate professor of physics at Brown University. “The most exciting part is that this discovery unlocks a range of novel quantum phases of matter, presenting a new frontier for future research, deepening our understanding of fundamental physics and even opening up new possibilities in quantum computation.”
Physicists at Harvard have developed a powerful new laser-on-a-chip that emits bright pulses in the mid-infrared spectrum – an elusive and highly useful light range for detecting gases and enabling new spectroscopic tools.
The device, which packs capabilities of much larger systems into a tiny chip, doesn’t need any external components. It merges breakthrough photonic design with quantum cascade laser tech and could soon revolutionize environmental monitoring and medical diagnostics by detecting thousands of light frequencies in one go.
Breakthrough in compact mid-infrared laser technology.
An unprecedented dataset of high resolution anatomical images of individual cells in mouse visual cortex, mapped on to their responses. This integrated view of function and structure lays a foundation for discovering the computational bases of cortical circuits.
Motion artifact–controlled micro–brain sensors between hair follicles for persistent augmented reality brain–computer interfaces
Posted in augmented reality, computing, information science, neuroscience | Leave a Comment on Motion artifact–controlled micro–brain sensors between hair follicles for persistent augmented reality brain–computer interfaces
Modern brain–computer interfaces (BCI), utilizing electroencephalograms for bidirectional human–machine communication, face significant limitations from movement-vulnerable rigid sensors, inconsistent skin–electrode impedance, and bulky electronics, diminishing the system’s continuous use and portability. Here, we introduce motion artifact–controlled micro–brain sensors between hair strands, enabling ultralow impedance density on skin contact for long-term usable, persistent BCI with augmented reality (AR). An array of low-profile microstructured electrodes with a highly conductive polymer is seamlessly inserted into the space between hair follicles, offering high-fidelity neural signal capture for up to 12 h while maintaining the lowest contact impedance density (0.03 kΩ·cm−2) among reported articles. Implemented wireless BCI, detecting steady-state visually evoked potentials, offers 96.4% accuracy in signal classification with a train-free algorithm even during the subject’s excessive motions, including standing, walking, and running. A demonstration captures this system’s capability, showing AR-based video calling with hands-free controls using brain signals, transforming digital communication. Collectively, this research highlights the pivotal role of integrated sensors and flexible electronics technology in advancing BCI’s applications for interactive digital environments.
We’re closer than ever to being able to upload our minds and become “digitally immortal.” But should we?
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What if our minds could live after our bodies have died? What if mortality became obsolete? Steven Kotler, award-winning journalist and executive director of the Flow Research Collective, has studied these seemingly sci-fi ideas, and it turns out that they’re not so fictional, after all. In fact, mind-uploading technology is expected to be available as early as 2045.
“Digital immortality” would have its upsides; we could preserve the minds of modern geniuses and have their guidance through future conflicts. Or, alternatively, things could get dark, as we have never before interfered with such complex evolutionary processes. Kotler explains that the ability to store human personalities and consciousness on computers poses profound ethical and societal questions.
By developing and using this mind-uploading technology, we are simultaneously redefining what it means to be a human being, pushing the boundary between life, death, and whatever is in between. It seems, whether we’re ready or not, that it is going to happen soon.
The skin is the largest organ in the human body. It makes up around 15 percent of our body weight and protects us from pathogens, dehydration and temperature extremes. Skin diseases are therefore more than just unpleasant – they can quickly become dangerous for affected patients. Although conditions such as skin cancer, chronic wounds and autoimmune skin diseases are widespread, we often still don’t fully understand about why they develop and how we can treat them effectively.
To find answers to these questions, Empa researchers are working together with clinical partners on a model of human skin. The model will allow scientists to simulate skin diseases and thus better understand them. This is not a computer or plastic model. Rather, researchers from Empa’s Laboratory for Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles and its Laboratory for Biointerfaces aim to produce a living “artificial skin” that contains cells and emulates the layered and wrinkled structure of human skin. The project is part of the Swiss research initiative SKINTEGRITY.CH.
In order to recreate something as complex as skin, suitable building materials are needed. This is where Empa researchers have recently made progress: They have developed a hydrogel that meets the complex requirements while being easy to manufacture. The basis: gelatin from the skin of cold-water fish.
A team of engineers at Georgia Institute of Technology’s Wearable Intelligent Systems and Healthcare Center, working with colleagues affiliated with several institutions in South Korea, has developed a microscale brain–computer interface that is small enough to be placed between hair follicles on a user’s head.
In their paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes how they made their interface, how it attaches to other hardware to allow readings to be captured and how well it worked during testing.
Over the past several decades, brain–computer interfaces have been developed that are capable of reading brain waves and responding to them in useful ways. These devices can be used to control a cursor on a computer screen, for example, or to choose buttons to press. Such devices are still in limited use, however, mainly due to their bulky nature. In this new effort, the researchers have developed a sensor so small it can be placed on the scalp between hair follicles.
A trio of animal physiologists at the University of Tübingen, in Germany, has found that at least one species of crow has the ability to recognize geometric regularity. In their study published in the journal Science Advances, Philipp Schmidbauer, Madita Hahn and Andreas Nieder conducted several experiments that involved testing crows on their ability to recognize geometric shapes.
Recognizing regularity in geometric shapes means being able to pick out one shape that is different from others in a group—picking out a plastic star, for example, when it is placed among several plastic moons. Testing for the ability to recognize geometric regularity has been done with many animals, including chimps and bonobos. Until now, this ability has never been observed in any creature except for humans.
Because of that, the team started with a bit of skepticism when they began testing carrion crows. In their work, the testing was done using computer screens—the birds were asked to peck the outlier in a group; if they chose correctly, they got a food treat. The team chose to test carrion crows because prior experiments have shown them to have exceptional intelligence and mathematical capabilities.
Quantum superposition is a phenomenon in which a tiny particle can be in two states at the same time — but only if it is not being directly observed.