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Blog – Page 179

Northwestern University engineers have achieved quantum teleportation over fiber optic cables already carrying Internet traffic, an advance that could simplify the infrastructure needed for quantum computing and advanced sensing technologies, the university is reporting.

The study, published in Optica, demonstrates that quantum communication can coexist with classical Internet signals in the same cable.

“This is incredibly exciting because nobody thought it was possible,” said Prem Kumar, an electrical engineering professor at Northwestern and the study’s lead researcher. “Our work shows a path towards next-generation quantum and classical networks sharing a unified fiber optic infrastructure. Basically, it opens the door to pushing quantum communications to the next level.”

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Smartwatch bands from popular brands have been found to contain high concentrations of toxic for forever chemicals, also known as PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances). These synthetic chemicals do not break down easily in the environment and build in our bodies over time, hence earning them the nickname of forever chemicals.

PFAS are used in various consumer products, including non-stick cookware, water-resistant clothes, carpets, mattresses, food wraps, and more. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to serious health problems, including increased risks of certain cancers, hormone disruption, weakened immune systems, and developmental delays in children. These chemicals can leach into water, soil, and food, making them a growing public health concern worldwide.

A new study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters has found that smartwatch bands made of fluoroelastomers contain a very high concentration of a forever chemical known as perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA).

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Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a method to generate bright, twisted light using technology similar to an Edison light bulb. This breakthrough overcomes the challenges of producing twisted light with sufficient brightness using traditional methods like electron or photon luminescence.

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Stanford and Seoul National University researchers have developed an artificial sensory nerve system that can activate the twitch reflex in a cockroach and identify letters in the Braille alphabet.

The work, reported May 31 in Science, is a step toward creating artificial skin for prosthetic limbs, to restore sensation to amputees and, perhaps, one day give robots some type of reflex capability.

“We take skin for granted but it’s a complex sensing, signaling and decision-making system,” said Zhenan Bao, a professor of chemical engineering and one of the senior authors. “This artificial sensory nerve system is a step toward making skin-like sensory neural networks for all sorts of applications.”

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Employment and production typically move from agriculture to manufacturing to services, as part of a natural progression that comes with rising income. In Asia, factories have propelled economies, but a transition to modern services could be a new source of growth and productivity. Our blog explains.

Manufacturing has been the engine of growth in Asia, but a transition to modern, tradable services could be new source of growth and productivity.

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