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Entanglement-enhanced optical lattice clock achieves unprecedented precision

Optical lattice clocks are devices that measure the passing of time via the frequency of light that is absorbed or emitted by laser-cooled atoms trapped in a repeating pattern of light interference known as optical lattice.

These clocks are significantly more precise than classical clocks and could pick up subtle physical phenomena. They could also be used to test the predictions of various physics theories and could help to improve the performance of existing timekeeping, sensing and communication systems.

Researchers at JILA National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado recently introduced a new strontium atom-based optical lattice clock that achieved unprecedented precision.

Nanowire platform reveals elusive astrocytes in their natural state

Scientists have engineered a nanowire platform that mimics brain tissue to study astrocytes, the star-shaped cells critical for brain health, for the first time in their natural state.

Astrocytes are the brain’s most abundant and mysterious cells, responsible for regulating communication between neurons and helping to maintain the blood-brain barrier. They are also highly dynamic shape-shifters, something they do not do on typical petri dishes, leaving major gaps in our understanding of how they operate.

“Frustratingly, little is known about the stunning diversity of astrocyte morphology and we also don’t know much about the molecular machinery behind these shape shifts,” said co-senior author Ishan Barman, a Johns Hopkins University bioengineer. “They won’t take on these shapes on glass, so the question for us was how do we replicate the in vivo shape but in vitro?”

Century-old cosmic ray mystery is close to being solved

Michigan State University astrophysicists are closing in on one of space science’s biggest mysteries: where the galaxy’s most energetic particles come from. Their studies uncovered a pulsar wind nebula behind a mysterious LHAASO signal and set important X-ray constraints on other potential sources.

Scientists Identify the Evolutionary “Purpose” of Consciousness

Summary: Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum explore why consciousness evolved and why different species developed it in distinct ways. By comparing humans with birds, they show that complex awareness may arise through different neural architectures yet serve similar purposes.

New research examines why consciousness evolved by comparing humans with birds.

What evolutionary purpose does consciousness serve, and what insights can birds offer about its origins? These questions are at the heart of two new studies from researchers at Ruhr University Bochum.

Quantifying cerebrospinal fluid dynamics: A review of human neuroimaging contributions to CSF physiology and neurodegenerative disease

The accompanying diagram presents a comprehensive anatomical overview of the human brain, integrating both lateral surface morphology and a midsagittal section to illustrate the spatial organization of cortical and subcortical structures. Major gyri, sulci, and lobar divisions are delineated alongside deep nuclei, commissural pathways, and the ventricular system. The transparent rendering of the ventricles highlights their relationship to surrounding neural tissue and emphasizes the topology of cerebrospinal fluid pathways. This visualization serves as a structural reference point for understanding functional domains such as sensorimotor processing, higher-order cognition, limbic integration, and autonomic regulation. Collectively, the diagram provides a detailed framework for interpreting neuroanatomical connectivity and its relevance to neural function.

#study:

Cerebrospinal Fluid Mechanics and Its Coupling to Cerebrovascular Dynamics: https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annur…#45;034321

CSF dynamics throughout the ventricular system using 4D flow MRI: associations to arterial pulsatility, ventricular volumes, and age: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12987-024-00570-4

Fundamental functional differences between gyri and sulci: implications for brain function, cognition, and behavior: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38665307/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

Brain ventricles as windows into brain development and disease: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S089662732…hatgpt.com

Continue reading “Quantifying cerebrospinal fluid dynamics: A review of human neuroimaging contributions to CSF physiology and neurodegenerative disease” | >

Watch: Humanoid robots sort boxes in real-time warehouse demo

Yay 😁 Robotic utopia here we come!

Mentee Robotics, an Israeli company started by Mobileye co-founder Amnon Shashua, has released a new video of its V3 MenteeBot working in a real warehouse.

The company shared an unedited 18-minute test where two humanoid robots work together in space.

Many in the industry now see long, continuous footage like this as a strong sign of real capability. Mentee says the test was fully autonomous and done without any remote control.

Simple solvent makes polycotton fabric completely recyclable

What we think of as polyester fabric is most often actually a blend of polyester and cotton, which has proven very difficult to recycle. A new solvent, however, breaks the blend down into its two components, leaving both almost completely reusable.

Made up of menthol and benzoic acid, the solution was developed by PhD student Nika Depope, Dr. Andreas Bartl and colleagues at the Vienna University of Technology.

Although both substances are solid at room temperature, they take on a “deep eutectic solvent” form when heated to a temperature of 216 ºC (421 ºF). When polycotton (polyester/cotton blend) textiles are immersed in that liquid, it causes the polyester to dissolve and separate from the cotton fibers within just five minutes.

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