Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
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Data security on the internet is under threat: in the future, quantum computers could decode even encrypted files sent over the internet in no time. Researchers worldwide are, therefore, experimenting with quantum networks that will enable a paradigm shift in the future when globally connected to form the quantum internet.

Such systems would be able to guarantee tap-proof communication through quantum mechanical phenomena such as superposition and entanglement, as well as cryptographic quantum protocols. However, the is still in its infancy: high costs coupled with high energy consumption and a high level of complexity for the necessary technologies have prevented quantum networks from scaling easily.

Two researchers at the Institute of Photonics at the Leibniz University Hannover want to remedy this situation. Using frequency-bin coding, they have developed a novel method for entanglement-based quantum key distribution. This quantum mechanical encryption technique uses different light frequencies, i.e. colors, to encode the respective quantum states. The method increases security and resource efficiency.

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Carnegie Mellon University’s Professor Curtis Meyer and his research colleagues explore an uncharted world inside protons and neutrons. For the first time, researchers have provided measurements describing a maximum boundary for a subatomic particle known as a hybrid meson in a journal paper published in Physical Review Letters. The measurements show scientists a path forward in a search for these elusive particles that provide a new look at the force that holds all matter together.

“The stage is set for future discoveries,” said Meyer, senior associate dean for CMU’s Mellon College of Science and the Otto Stern Professor of Physics. “We’re at an exciting phase where we’re able to analyze a great deal of data. This paper is the first to address one of the experiment’s foundational questions.”

Applying a symmetry property of the strong force, the team set the upper limit on the photoproduction cross sections of a hybrid meson known as the spin-exotic π1 (1600).

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The commonplace phenomenon of liquid drops falling from a surface is—perhaps surprisingly—not yet fully understood by scientists. Understanding the complex interactions between the forces involved here would be helpful in industry, where structured packings in cooling towers must be designed to encourage droplet formation in fluid flow but coatings mixed to maintain a pristine, smooth surface.

Furthermore, the design of meshes used to harvest from fog or dew, where this is limited, relies on an understanding of how the water condenses on the fibers and drops into collection tanks.

Atefeh Pour Karimi, a Ph.D. student at the Institute of Heat and Mass Transfer, Aachen University, Germany, and her supervisors and collaborators have analyzed the dynamics of this type of flow in detail and published their findings in The European Physical Journal Special Topics.

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Laser diodes are semiconductors that generate light and amplify it using repeated reflection or “optical feedback.” Once the light has achieved desirable optical gain, laser diodes release it as powerful laser beams.

Photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers (PCSELs) are advanced where the optical gain is typically distributed laterally to the propagating light within a photonic crystal (PC) structure. They differ from traditional lasers by separating gain, feedback, and emission functions, offering scalable single-mode power and innovative designs. This leads to enhanced performance and new application possibilities.

In a paper that was published in the IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics on 20 November 2024, researchers have developed a method to numerically simulate the interaction of light waves within PCSELs.

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A recent study in an animal model provides direct evidence for the role of the vagus nerve in gut microbiome-brain communication, addressing a critical gap in the field.

The research—led by Kelly G. Jameson, as a Ph.D. student in the Hsiao Lab at UCLA—demonstrates a clear causal relationship between and vagal nerve activity. The work is published in the journal iScience.

While the has long been thought to facilitate communication between the gut microbiome—the community of microorganisms living in the intestines—and the brain, direct evidence for this process has been limited. Researchers led by Jameson observed that mice raised without any gut bacteria, known as , exhibited significantly lower activity in their vagus nerve compared to mice with a normal gut microbiome. Notably, when these germ-free mice were introduced to gut bacteria from normal mice, their vagal nerve activity increased to normal levels.

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Researchers from SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research) at Osaka University have discovered that temperature-controlled conductive networks in vanadium dioxide significantly improve the sensitivity of silicon devices to terahertz.

Terahertz radiation refers to the electromagnetic waves that occupy the frequency range between microwaves and infrared light, typically from about 0.1 to 10 terahertz (THz). This region of the electromagnetic spectrum is notable for its potential applications across a wide variety of fields, including imaging, telecommunications, and spectroscopy. Terahertz waves can penetrate non-conducting materials such as clothing, paper, and wood, making them particularly useful for security screening and non-destructive testing. In spectroscopy, they can be used to study the molecular composition of substances, as many molecules exhibit unique absorption signatures in the terahertz range.

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A team of scientists has unlocked a new frontier in quantum imaging, using a nanoscale.

The term “nanoscale” refers to dimensions that are measured in nanometers (nm), with one nanometer equaling one-billionth of a meter. This scale encompasses sizes from approximately 1 to 100 nanometers, where unique physical, chemical, and biological properties emerge that are not present in bulk materials. At the nanoscale, materials exhibit phenomena such as quantum effects and increased surface area to volume ratios, which can significantly alter their optical, electrical, and magnetic behaviors. These characteristics make nanoscale materials highly valuable for a wide range of applications, including electronics, medicine, and materials science.

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A large-scale brute force password attack using almost 2.8 million IP addresses is underway, attempting to guess the credentials for a wide range of networking devices, including those from Palo Alto Networks, Ivanti, and SonicWall.

A brute force attack is when threat actors attempt to repeatedly log into an account or device using many usernames and passwords until the correct combination is found. Once they have access to the correct credentials, the threat actors can then use them to hijack a device or gain access to a network.

According to the threat monitoring platform The Shadowserver Foundation, a brute force attack has been ongoing since last month, employing almost 2.8 million source IP addresses daily to perform these attacks.

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Brave Browser is getting a new feature called ‘custom scriptlets’ that lets advanced users inject their own JavaScript into websites, allowing deep customization and control over their browsing experience.

The new feature is coming in Brave Browser version 1.75 for the desktop and is very similar to the popular TamperMonkey and GreaseMonkey browser extensions, which allow users to create “user scripts” that modify the functionality of specific websites.

“Starting with desktop version 1.75, advanced Brave users will be able to write and inject their own scriptlets into a page, allowing for better control over their browsing experience,” explained Brave in the announcement.

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