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Preserving particle physics data ensures future discoveries from collider experiments

A lot of the science from our accelerators is published long after collisions end, so storing experimental data for future physicists is crucial.

About a billion pairs of particles collide every second within the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). With them, a petabyte of collision data floods the detectors and pours through highly selective filters, known as trigger systems. Less than 0.001% of the data survives the process and reaches the CERN Data Center, to be copied onto long-term tape.

This archive now represents the largest scientific data set ever assembled. Yet, there may be more science in it than we can extract today, which makes data preservation essential for future physicists.

Topology reveals the hidden rules of amorphous materials: Softness arises from hierarchical structures

Why do glass and other amorphous materials deform more easily in some regions than in others? A research team from the University of Osaka, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Okayama University, and the University of Tokyo has uncovered the answer.

By applying a mathematical method known as persistent homology, the team demonstrated that these soft regions are governed by hidden hierarchical structures, where ordered and disordered coexist.

Crystalline solids, such as salt or ice, have atoms neatly arranged in repeating patterns. Amorphous materials, including glass, rubber, and certain plastics, lack this . However, they are not completely random: they possess medium-range order (MRO), subtle atomic patterns that extend over a few nanometers.

A new twist on Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle can sharpen quantum sensors

For almost a century, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle has stood as one of the defining ideas of quantum physics: a particle’s position and momentum cannot be known at the same time with absolute precision. The more you know about one, the less you know about the other.

In a new study published in Science Advances, our team demonstrates how to work around this restriction, not by breaking physics but by reshaping uncertainty itself.

The result is a breakthrough in the science of measurement that could power a new generation of ultra-precise quantum sensors operating at the scale of atoms.

Gradient-doped crystal design enhances laser performance in dual-end pumping configuration

Recently, the research groups led by Prof. Zhang Qingli and Prof. Jiang Haihe from Hefei institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have jointly developed a high-symmetry gradient-doped Nd:YAG laser crystal designed for dual-end pumping configurations. This innovation significantly mitigates thermal effects and enhances laser performance.

Key Bottleneck Broken: Quantum Computer Chips Clear Major Manufacturing Hurdle

A startup has proven its silicon quantum chips can be manufactured at scale without losing precision. UNSW Sydney startup Diraq has demonstrated that its quantum chips are not only effective in controlled laboratory conditions but also maintain performance when manufactured in real-world production

Astronomers Spot “Impossible” Fifth Image Unlocking Dark Matter Secrets

Astronomers studying a rare Einstein Cross stumbled upon an impossible “fifth image” that shouldn’t exist — and it revealed something extraordinary.

Careful analysis showed the strange light pattern could only be explained by the presence of a vast, hidden halo of dark matter bending the galaxy’s glow.

Discovery of a Cosmic Anomaly.

Microsoft warns of new XCSSET macOS malware variant targeting Xcode devs

Microsoft Threat Intelligence reports that a new variant of the XCSSET macOS malware has been detected in limited attacks, incorporating several new features, including enhanced browser targeting, clipboard hijacking, and improved persistence mechanisms.

XCSSET is a modular macOS malware that acts as an infostealer and cryptocurrency stealer, stealing Notes, cryptocurrency wallets, and browser data from infected devices. The malware spreads by searching for and infecting other Xcode projects found on the device, so that the malware is executed when the project is built.

“The XCSSET malware is designed to infect Xcode projects, typically used by software developers, and run while an Xcode project is being built,” explains Microsoft.

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