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Blog – Page 3594

A surprise observation of negative mass in exciton–polaritons has added yet another dimension of weirdness to these strange light-matter hybrid particles.

Dr. Matthias Wurdack, Dr. Tinghe Yun and Dr. Eliezer Estrecho from the Department of Quantum Sciences and Technology (QST) were experimenting with exciton polaritons when they realized that under certain conditions the dispersion became inverted—equating to a negative .

To add to the surprise, the unexpected cause has turned out to be losses.

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Writer, a generative AI platform for enterprises, has released a report revealing that almost half (46%) of senior executives (directors and above) suspect their colleagues have unintentionally shared corporate data with ChatGPT. This troubling statistic highlights the necessity for generative AI tools to safeguard companies’ data, brand, and reputation.

The State of Generative AI in the Enterprise report found that ChatGPT is the most popular chatbot in use amongst enterprises, with CopyAI (35%) and Anyword (26%) following closely behind as the second and third most commonly used. However, many companies have banned the use of generative AI tools in the workplace, with ChatGPT being the most frequently banned (32%), followed by CopyAI (28%) and Jasper (23%).

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Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, the birthplace of modern astrophysics, announced on May 10 the appointment of Dr. Amy Steele as its new Director of Astronomy and Research.

Coming to Yerkes from the Trottier Space Institute in Montréal, Quebec, Canada, Steele studies the building blocks of planets living around stars like our sun that have reached the final phase of their lives. She will begin her role in June, reporting to Yerkes’ Montgomery Foundation Deputy Director and Head of Science and Education Dr. Amanda Bauer.

“The opportunity to lead the direction of astronomy and research at Yerkes is a dream come true for me as an astronomer,” Steele said. “It is an honor to be able to work alongside an adventurous and passionate team who share the same love for this observatory and communion with the night sky. I am truly excited to collaborate with my colleagues and the Yerkes Future Foundation to inspire astronomers young and old, near and far, to follow their curiosity and chase their dreams.”

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Two cases of highly contagious, drug-resistant ringworm infections have been detected in New York City — the first such cases reported in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.

The infection was first identified in a 47-year-old woman who had developed a bad case of ringworm, also known as tinea, while traveling in Bangladesh.

A rash had erupted across most of her body and typical antifungal creams did nothing to alleviate it.

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Astronomers have created a stunning mosaic of baby star clusters hiding in our galactic backyard. The montage, published Thursday, reveals five vast stellar nurseries less than 1,500 light-years away. To come up with their atlas, scientists pieced together more than 1 million images taken over five years by the European Southern Observatory in Chile. The observatory’s infrared survey telescope was able to peer through clouds of dust and discern infant stars never seen before. Researchers say the observations will help them better understand how stars evolve from dust.

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Helion Energy has announced that Microsoft will become its first customer, in a deal that aims to supply 50 MW of fusion power by 2028.

Assembled electromagnetic coils that will be used in Helion’s 7th fusion prototype, Polaris. (Photo: Business Wire)

Helion Energy is a privately held fusion energy company founded in 2013 by Dr. David Kirtley and Dr. John Slough, both of whom are experts in plasma physics. The company is headquartered in Washington, USA, and is focused on developing a practical, clean, and abundant source of fusion energy.

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Canada’s largest oilsands companies under the umbrella of the Pathways Alliance are accused of greenwashing and making false environmental claims. via @torontostar

Greenpeace Canada alleges the consortium’s ad campaign, “Let’s clear the air,” is greenwashing — when a company makes false or misleading claims about the environmental attributes of their business.

“Our request to the Competition Bureau regarding the Pathways Alliance’s misleading ad campaign was accepted and has set off an official inquiry into the dubious advertising practices of the Pathways Alliance,” Greenpeace Canada’s senior researcher and writer, Nola Poirier, said in a statement. “We think the public deserves to be told the truth about the environmental harm caused by fossil fuel production, not fed misleading sound bites by industry.”

Mark Cameron, vice-president external relations at Pathways Alliance, said the campaign acknowledges the oilsands represents a significant share of Canada’s emissions and collaborative efforts must be made across the industry and with government to deliver “responsibly produced oil.”

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