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Mar 13, 2022

This Month in Physics History

Posted by in categories: mathematics, particle physics, quantum physics

Many people say that Einstein failed because he was simply ahead of his time. The knowledge and tools needed to complete a unified theory simply hadn’t been developed before Einstein died in 1955.

Today, many physicists are taking up his quest. The most promising approach appears to be string theory, which requires 10 or more dimensions and describes all elementary particles as vibrating strings, with different modes of vibration producing different particles.

String theory has not yet made any testable predictions, and some scientists worry that string theorists have, like Einstein in his later years, strayed too far from physical reality in their obsession with beautiful mathematics. But many others believe string theory does indeed hold the key to completing Einstein’s quest, and researchers are hoping to find ways to test some of the predictions of string theory.

Mar 13, 2022

AI Overcomes Stumbling Block on Brain-Inspired Hardware

Posted by in categories: information science, robotics/AI

Algorithms that use the brain’s communication signal can now work on analog neuromorphic chips, which closely mimic our energy-efficient brains.

Mar 13, 2022

If You Could, Would You Live Forever? David Sinclair on Extending Lifespan

Posted by in category: life extension

This starts with Tyson’s deathism quote, but I’m still a fan. I do wonder if he’ll take a treatment when he sees everyone else rejuvenating around him.

Mar 12, 2022

Delta-omicron hybrid variant identified for the first time

Posted by in category: futurism

Scientists say they will need to conduct studies to find out the severity of the new variant.

Mar 12, 2022

Time crystals on a quantum computer reach a record size

Posted by in categories: computing, quantum physics

To classify as a DTC, a system also needs to be truly many-body, and its coherence times (that is, the time over which fragile quantum states persist without being destroyed by interactions with their environment) must be long enough that its periodic variations are not mistaken for a short-term system change. Finally, one must be able to prepare the system in arbitrary initial states and show that all of them result in similar DTC behaviour.

A major milestone

The Melbourne team’s work, which is described in Science Advances, builds on earlier reports of DTCs that used quantum processors based on nine nuclear spins in diamond and 20 superconducting qubits. As in these previous experiments, the team turned a quantum computer into an experimental platform — a quantum simulator – in which all the requirements of DTCs could be met.

Mar 12, 2022

Scientists May Have Found a Way to Treat All Cancers…

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

A universal cure for cancer would be a truly historic achievement in medicine, and it seems that scientists may have found it… by accident.

Go to http://Brilliant.org/SciShow to try out Brilliant’s Daily Challenges. The first 200 subscribers get 20% off an annual Premium subscription.

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Mar 12, 2022

Stanford University uses AI computing to cut DNA sequencing down to five hours

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, genetics, robotics/AI

A Stanford University-led research team has set a new Guinness World Record for the fastest DNA sequencing technique using AI computing to accelerate workflow speed.

The research, led by Dr Euan Ashley, professor of medicine, genetics and biomedical data science at Stanford School of Medicine, in collaboration with Nvidia, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Google, Baylor College of Medicine, and the University of California, achieved sequencing in just five hours and two minutes.

The study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, involved speeding up every step of genome sequencing workflow by relying on new technology. This included using nanopore sequencing on Oxford Nanopore’s PromethION Flow Cells to generate more than 100 gigabases of data per hour, and Nvidia GPUs on Google Cloud to speed up the base calling and variant calling processes.

Mar 12, 2022

Study sheds light on axion dark matter

Posted by in categories: cosmology, particle physics

Scientists from Durham University and Kings College London have presented a theoretical review in a new study strongly supporting the search for axion dark matter.

The identity of dark matter, which makes up 85% of the matter in the universe, is one of the big unanswered questions in particle physics.

Scientists know of its existence because of its gravitational pull effects on stars and galaxies but what kind of particle it is, still remains a mystery.

Mar 12, 2022

Shedding light on axion dark matter

Posted by in categories: cosmology, particle physics

Dark matter is one of the biggest mysteries in the universe. Scientists have not yet observed dark matter directly. But, studies have confirmed its existence due to its gravitational pull effects on stars and galaxies. However, what kind of particle it remains elusive.

In a new study, scientists examined how axions can be described mathematically. They then presented how they relate to the fundamental symmetries of the Standard Model of particle physics.

Scientists from Durham University and Kings College London have presented a theoretical review in a new study strongly supporting the search for axion dark matter.

Mar 12, 2022

Solar+food in ethanol fields could fully power the United States

Posted by in categories: food, sustainability

Converting the nation’s 40 million acres of ethanol corn farms into solar-plus-food facilities would generate 1.5 times our nation’s electricity needs, while also powering a 100% electrified passenger vehicle fleet.