Lifeboat Foundation

New research confirms the Standard Model’s predictions about the Higgs boson while suggesting future data may reveal unknown aspects of particle physics.

The Higgs boson was discovered in the detectors of the Large Hadron Collider a dozen or so years ago. It has proved to be a particle so difficult to produce and observe that, despite the passage of time, its properties are still not known with satisfactory accuracy. Now we know a little more about its origin, thanks to the just-published achievement of an international group of theoretical physicists with the participation of the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Higgs Boson Discovery

A new optical system for neural networks has been developed by the Max Planck Institute, offering a simpler and more energy-efficient alternative to current methods.

This system uses light transmission to perform computations, reducing the complexity and energy demands associated with traditional neural networks.

Optical Neural Networks

Superconductors are materials capable of conducting electricity without any resistance when they are cooled below a specific temperature known as the critical temperature. These materials are used in various applications such as power grids, maglev trains, and medical imaging equipment. High-temperature superconductors, which operate at higher critical temperatures than conventional superconductors, hold great promise for enhancing these technologies. Nonetheless, the underlying mechanisms of their superconductivity are not yet fully understood.

Copper oxides or cuprates, a class of high-temperature superconductors, exhibit superconductivity when electrons and holes (vacant spaces left behind by electrons) are introduced into their crystal structure through a process called doping. Interestingly, in the low-doped state, with less-than-optimal electrons required for superconductivity, a pseudogap ­­–a partial gap in the electronic structure– opens. This pseudogap is considered a potential factor in the origin of superconductivity in these materials.

A long-term study since 1929 has revealed significant insights into barley’s evolution, showing its adaptation to different environments and the substantial impact of natural selection. This research underscores the limitations of evolutionary breeding and highlights the need for further exploration to enhance crop yields.

Utilizing one of the world’s oldest biological experiments, which commenced in 1929, researchers have revealed how barley, a major crop, has been influenced by agricultural pressures and its evolving natural environment. These findings highlight the significance of long-term studies in comprehending the dynamics of adaptive evolution.

The survival of cultivated plants after their dispersal across different environments is a classic example of rapid adaptive evolution. For example, barley, an important neolithic crop, spread widely after domestication over 10,000 years ago to become a staple source of nutrition for humans and livestock throughout Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa over just a few thousand generations. Such rapid expansion and cultivation have subjected the plant to strong selective pressures, including artificial selection for desired traits and natural selection by being forced to adapt to diverse new environments.

A new study has demonstrated the three-dimensional quantum Hall effect in acoustic waves using a Weyl acoustic crystal, marking the first observation of one-dimensional edge states and opening avenues for advanced acoustic device development.

The quantum Hall effect (QHE) stands as a landmark discovery in condensed matter physics, paving the way for the exploration of topological physics. Advancing QHE into three dimensions presents an exciting yet formidable challenge. The complication stems from the fact that, in three dimensions, Landau levels evolve into bands along the magnetic field direction, which obstructs the formation of bulk gaps.

Recently, a feasible scheme has been proposed in Weyl semimetals, whose Fermi arc states on opposite surfaces are connected through the bulk Weyl points to form a complete Fermi loop, and under the magnetic field, one-dimensional edge states are induced on the boundary of the opposite surface. However, the unique edge states have yet to be experimentally observed.

Scientists discover that interplanetary shocks that strike Earth’s magnetic field head-on cause more powerful ground-level electric currents, threatening pipelines and submarine cables.

Auroras are caused by particles from the sun hitting the Earth’s magnetic field — but these impacts also cause geomagnetically induced currents at ground level, which can damage infrastructure that conducts electricity. Scientists studying these currents to protect critical infrastructure have carried out the first research which compares interplanetary shocks to real-time measurements of geomagnetically induced currents, showing that the angle of the shocks’ impact is key for forecasting possible damage to infrastructure: shocks that hit the magnetic field at an angle produce less powerful currents.

The impact of interplanetary shocks on infrastructure.

Archaeologists in Mexico have discovered a mysterious subterranean structure with painted walls hidden beneath a Maya ball court.

The team found the building while excavating the ball court, the playing space for the ritual ball game played by the Maya and other Mesoamerican peoples.

NASA ’s OSIRIS-REx mission returned a sample from asteroid Bennu, revealing it contains key solar system materials and possible signs of a watery past. This discovery provides valuable insights into the early solar system’s conditions and the potential origins of life.

A deep dive into the sample of rocks and dust returned from near-Earth asteroid Bennu by NASA’s University of Arizona-led OSIRIS-REx mission has revealed some long-awaited surprises.

Bennu contains the original ingredients that formed our solar system, the OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team found. The asteroid’s dust is rich in carbon and nitrogen, as well as organic compounds, all of which are essential components for life as we know it. The sample also contains magnesium sodium phosphate, which was as a surprise to the research team, because it wasn’t seen in the remote sensing data collected by the spacecraft at Bennu. Its presence in the sample hints that the asteroid could have splintered off from a long-gone, tiny, primitive ocean world.

A Cincinnati-based aerospace company has successfully represented a new, cutting-edge hypersonic dual-mode ramjet. The engine could enable high-speed flight and longer range across numerous multi-mission aircraft.

GE Aerospace took 11 months to develop the ramjet, which could increase in airflow compared to previously flight-tested hypersonic technology demonstrators.

“The rapid progression from design to testing underscores our commitment to driving innovation in hypersonic technologies,” said Amy Gowder, president and CEO of Defense & Systems at GE Aerospace.