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We’re way behind several species when it comes to regeneration, and scientists are keen to discover the secrets of these other animals so we can learn from them – including, in a new study, the marine worm Platynereis dumerilii.

These worms are experts in regeneration – they can survive losing a large chunk of their bodies – and now we have a better idea of how they’re doing it: specialized cells near a wound are reverting to their original stem cell-like form, before adapting again to replace lost tissue.

Regeneration in most species is handled by stem cells, which develop into whatever type of cells are needed. However, when the end segment of Platynereis is removed, multiple populations of other cells are recruited to swiftly restore the missing body section.

Einstein’s theory of general relativity describes the inevitability of singularities, which are obscured by black holes according to Penrose’s cosmic censorship conjecture.

Recent studies indicate that quantum mechanics might reinforce this idea, proposing a quantum Penrose inequality that relates entropy to space-time metrics in the vicinity of black holes.

General Relativity and Singularities.

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Scientists have discovered that future robots might be able to gauge how you are feeling by just touching human skin. According to a new study published in the journal IEEE Access, researchers used skin conductance as a way to figure out how an individual was feeling. Skin conductance is a measure of how well skin conducts electricity, which usually changes in response to sweat secretion and nerve activity, signifying different human emotional states.

Traditional emotion-detection technologies such as facial recognition and speech analysis, are often prone to error, especially in suboptimal audio-visual conditions. However, scientists believe that skin conductance offers a potential workaround, providing a non-invasive way to capture emotion in real-time.

For the study, the emotional responses of 33 participants were measured by showing them emotionally evocative videos and measuring their skin conductance. The findings revealed distinct patterns for different emotions: fear responses were the longest-lasting, suggesting an evolutionary alert mechanism; family bonding emotions, a blend of happiness and sadness, showed slower responses; and humour triggered quick but fleeting reactions.

Superradiance in optical cavities involves atoms emitting light collectively when interacting with cavity photons, a phenomenon not yet observed in free space due to synchronization challenges.

Researchers have used theoretical simulations to probe these effects under various conditions, revealing significant differences in behavior between cavity and free-space systems.

Superradiance in Optical Cavities.

Physicists uncovered a fascinating link between the Large Hadron Collider and quantum computing. They found that top quarks produced at the LHC exhibit a property called “magic,” essential for quantum computation.

This discovery could revolutionize our understanding of quantum mechanics and its applications, bridging the gap between quantum theory and particle physics.

Quantum Computing and the Power of “Magic”