For years, quantum computing has been the tech world’s version of “almost there”. But now, engineers at MIT have pulled off something that might change the game. They’ve made a critical leap in quantum error correction, bringing us one step closer to reliable, real-world quantum computers.
In a traditional computer, everything runs on bits —zeroes and ones that flip on and off like tiny digital switches. Quantum computers, on the other hand, use qubits. These are bizarre little things that can be both 0 and 1 at the same time, thanks to a quantum property called superposition. They’re also capable of entanglement, meaning one qubit can instantly influence another, even at a distance.
All this weirdness gives quantum computers enormous potential power. They could solve problems in seconds that might take today’s fastest supercomputers years. Think of it like having thousands of parallel universes doing your math homework at once. But there’s a catch.
Recent findings from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument suggest the possibility of new physics that extends beyond the current standard model of cosmology. Using the lab’s new Aurora exascale computing system, the research team conducted high-resolution simulations of the universe’s evoluti
A recent study published in Nature Astronomy has revealed that the dwarf galaxies orbiting around Andromeda, our neighboring galaxy, are distributed in such an uneven way that it calls into question the most widely accepted cosmological theories. According to the researchers, this asymmetric arrangement is so extreme that it is almost impossible to explain with current models of the universe.
Andromeda, also known as M31, is the spiral galaxy closest to the Milky Way and, like our galaxy, is surrounded by a group of smaller dwarf galaxies that orbit around it. What has surprised scientists is that these dwarf galaxies are not evenly distributed.
Of the 37 observed dwarf galaxies, all but one are located on one side of Andromeda—specifically, the side facing the Milky Way. This uneven arrangement is as if, when throwing a handful of stones around a tree, almost all of them landed on just one side.
Astronomers are unraveling the mystery behind Ansky, a black hole system emitting powerful, repeating X-ray bursts called QPEs. These outbursts may result from a small object colliding with a gas disk, sending debris flying at near-light speeds. New Glimpse Into Mysterious X-Ray Outbursts For t
Astronomers using NASA’s IXPE satellite have finally cracked a cosmic mystery—how X-rays are produced in the energetic jets of supermassive black holes like the blazar BL Lacertae. The blazar BL Lacertae—a type of active galaxy powered by a supermassive black hole with bright, fast-moving jets ai
*GUEST BIO:* Janna Levin is a theoretical physicist and cosmologist specializing in black holes, cosmology of extra dimensions, topology of the universe, and gravitational waves.
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It’s hard to interpret the strange results of quantum mechanics, though many have tried. Interpretations range from the outlandish—like the multiple universes of Many Worlds, to the almost mundane, like the very mechanical Pilot Wave Theory. But perhaps we’re converging on an answer, because some are arguing that these two interpretations are really the same thing.
The concept of nothing once sparked a 1000-year-long war, today it might explain dark energy and nothingness even has the potential to destroy the universe, explains physicist Antonio Padilla
