Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
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Blog – Page 1170

We use multi-year observations of cross-track winds (u) from the CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP) and the Gravity Field and Steady State Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) to calculate third-order structure functions in the thermosphere as a function of horizontal separation (s). They are computed using the mean (〈δu3〉) and the median (〈δ⁢u3〉med) left(langle \delta {u^3\rangle }_text{med}\right)$ and implemented over non-polar satellite paths in both hemispheres. On height averages, 〈δu3〉 is shown to scale with s2 for s ≃ 80–1,000 km, in agreement with equivalent estimates in the lower atmosphere from aircraft observations. Conversely, 〈δ⁢u3〉med langle \delta u^{3\rangle }_text{med}$ follows an s3 power law for almost the whole s range, consistent with the two-dimensional turbulence scaling law for a direct enstrophy cascade.

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Earth gets second sun In 1.3 million years, Earth will have a kind of second sun because the star Gliese 710 will approach 1.1 light years from Earth and we would see it the same size as Jupiter. The bad thing is that this cosmic alteration can cause an episode on our planet like the one that wiped out the dinosaurs.

Auf dem Wüstenplanet „Tatooine “aus der „Star Wars ”-Filmreihe geht die Sonne zweimal auf. Etwas ähnliches steht in 13 Millionen Jahren auch unserem Planeten bevor: Dann bekommt die Erde eine zusätzliche Sonne – wenn auch nur vorübergehend.

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Quantum sensing can outperform classical sensing by placing the sensor in an initial state that optimally measures the target. However, choosing this optimal state requires having some preknowledge, such as knowing the orientation of a magnetic field in order to measure its strength. A new experiment overcomes this limitation using two entangled quantum bits (qubits), which are manipulated in a way that is equivalent to a qubit traveling back in time [1]. Through this “time travel,” the qubits can be placed in an optimal state without any preknowledge.

“Our work addresses a specific kind of problem that plagues many sensing setups: you have to know which direction to point the sensor,” explains Kater Murch from Washington University in St. Louis. When measuring a magnetic field with a spin qubit, for example, the spin’s rotation will return information about the field strength only if you point it in the optimal direction. Point it in a nonoptimal direction and you’ll get zero information about the field, wasting the measurement.

Murch and his colleagues have devised a protocol in which the probe qubit is entangled with a second qubit, called the ancilla. Following previous work, they show that the entanglement is mathematically equivalent to the ancilla traveling back in time to place the probe in an optimal state [2]. They further show that measuring the ancilla and the probe in a particular sequence can recover information about the field strength in all cases—so no measurement data are wasted as they can be in other protocols. The researchers foresee using this entanglement scheme in situations where a field—or another observable—is changing over time.

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A new quantum-system-on-chip enables the efficient control of a large array of qubits, advancing toward practical quantum computing.

Researchers at MIT and MITRE have developed a scalable, modular quantum hardware platform, incorporating thousands of qubits on a single chip, promising enhanced control and scalability. Utilizing diamond color centers, this new architecture supports extensive quantum communication networks and introduces an innovative lock-and-release fabrication process to efficiently integrate these qubits with existing semiconductor technologies.

Quantum Computing Potential

Imagine being able to quickly solve extremely complex problems that might take the world’s most powerful supercomputer decades to crack. This is the promise of quantum computers.

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Some thoughts/speculations on panpsychism.

I have long suspected that panpsychism represents the most likely explanation of how consciousness works. My evidence for this claim is laid out below. That said, I am not an expert in philosophy of mind, so take this with a grain of salt. I am certainly open to constructive critiques, questions, and discussion as well!

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