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Creating a quantum computer powerful enough to tackle problems we cannot solve with current computers remains a big challenge for quantum physicists. A well-functioning quantum simulator—a specific type of quantum computer—could lead to new discoveries about how the world works at the smallest scales.

Quantum scientist Natalia Chepiga from Delft University of Technology has developed a guide on how to upgrade these machines so that they can simulate even more complex quantum systems. The study is now published in Physical Review Letters.

“Creating useful quantum computers and is one of the most important and debated topics in quantum science today, with the potential to revolutionize society,” says researcher Natalia Chepiga. Quantum simulators are a type of quantum computer. Chepiga explains, “Quantum simulators are meant to address open problems of quantum physics to push our understanding of nature further. Quantum computers will have wide applications in various areas of social life, for example, in finances, encryption, and data storage.”

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Cells need energy to function. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg can now explain how energy is guided in the cell by small atomic movements to reach its destination in the protein. Imitating these structural changes of the proteins could lead to more efficient solar cells in the future.

The sun’s rays are the basis for all the energy that creates life on Earth. Photosynthesis in plants is a prime example, where solar energy is needed for the plant to grow. Special proteins absorb the sun’s rays, and the energy is transported as electrons inside the protein, in a process called . In a new study, researchers show how proteins deform to create efficient transport routes for the charges.

“We studied a protein, photolyase, in the fruit fly, whose function is to repair damaged DNA. The DNA repair is powered by solar energy, which is transported in the form of electrons along a chain of four tryptophans (amino acids). The interesting discovery is that the surrounding protein structure was reshaped in a very specific way to guide the electrons along the chain,” explains Sebastian Westenhoff, Professor of Biophysical Chemistry.

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Gold nanocrystals have shown promise in reversing neurological deficits in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Gold nanocrystals show promise to reverse neurological deficits in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s disease (PD).

In the clinical trials, this nanomedicine exhibited the ability to solve energy-related disorders in patients’ brains.

These clinical studies were done by researchers from the UT Southwestern Medical Center, and the nanocrystals were administered to the patients regularly for 12 weeks.

Continue reading “Study: Gold nanocrystals may reverse Parkinson’s neurological deficit” | >

Ford is open to partnering with the competition on affordable EVS to get a leg up on Chinese EV makers. Jim Farley, Ford’s CEO, said if you cannot compete with the Chinese, “then 20% to 30%” of your revenue is at risk.

Speaking at a Wolfe Research conference Wednesday, Farley explained, “As the CEO of a company that had trouble competing with the Japanese and the South Koreans, we have to fix this problem.”

Ford’s leader explained that the company “decided pretty quickly to bet on smaller EV platform.” He said since the middle of 2023, “We have assumed that we have to basically sell an EV at a hybrid premium. There is no more money for customers than that.”

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Tesla is now starting to account for “battery age” in its estimated range calculation for its electric vehicles.

I have long been advocating for prioritizing accurate range prediction over a longer range in curbing range anxiety.

Don’t get me wrong, a longer range can be useful, but if you know what where you are going, the main thing is that you know you can get there and your range doesn’t start dropping faster than anticipated.

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Researchers at the Nanyang Technical University (NTU) in Singapore are leading the way in the development of soft electronics and have now set up a high-tech laboratory where they can rapidly prototype new devices with ultrathin and stretchable electronics.

Conventional electronics products are hard and rigid since they rely on silicon as their primary substrate. These products work well at industrial scales or even for personal use products.

BUT, rigidity becomes a major hurdle when they have to be used in conjunction with the human body.

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The natural ends of chromosomes appear alarmingly like broken DNA, much as a snapped spaghetti strand is difficult to distinguish from its intact counterparts. Yet every cell in our bodies must have a way of differentiating between the two because the best way to protect the healthy end of a chromosome also happens to be the worst way to repair damaged DNA.

Consider the , which is responsible for maintaining protective telomeres at the natural ends of chromosomes. Were telomerase to seal off a broken strand of DNA with a , it would prevent further repair of that break and delete essential genes.

Now, a new study in Science describes how cells avoid such mishaps. These findings show that telomerase can indeed run amok, adding telomeres to damaged DNA, and would do so were it not for the ATR kinase, a key enzyme that responds to DNA damage.

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Remote surgery in orbit.

Earth-bound surgeons remotely controlled a small robot aboard the International Space Station over the weekend, conducting the first-ever such surgery in orbit—albeit on rubber bands.

The experiment, deemed a “huge success” by the participants, represents a new step in the development of space surgery, which could become necessary to treat medical emergencies during multi-year manned voyages, such as to Mars.

The technology could also be used to develop remote-control surgery techniques on Earth, to serve isolated areas.

Continue reading “Space surgery: Doctors on ground operate robot on ISS for first time” | >