Eminent physicist John Wheeler says he has only enough time left to work on one idea: that human consciousness shapes not only the present but the past as well.
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Dec 24, 2021
Participatory Universe
Posted by Dan Kummer in categories: particle physics, quantum physics
John Wheeler, who is mentor to many of today’s leading physicists, and the man who coined the term “black hole”, suggested that the nature of reality was revealed by the bizarre laws of quantum mechanics. According to the quantum theory, before the observation is made, a subatomic particle exists in several states, called a superposition (or, as Wheeler called it, a ‘smoky dragon’). Once the particle is observed, it instantaneously collapses into a single position (a process called ‘decoherence’).
Dec 24, 2021
Japan university finds Alzheimer’s drug effective in treating ALS
Posted by Dan Kummer in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience
Japan’s Yamagata University said Friday it has found that a drug being developed for the treatment of Alzheimer’s is also effective in treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The drug has been found capable of curbing the abnormal agglomeration of protein that causes the progressive neurodegenerative disease, the state-run university in northeastern Japan said.
People with ALS lose their ability to walk, talk, eat and eventually breathe as the disease kills motor neurons, causing muscles to weaken and eventually paralyze.
Dec 24, 2021
Bayesian parameter estimation using conditional variational autoencoders for gravitational-wave astronomy
Posted by Dan Kummer in category: space
A method for estimating the source properties of gravitational-wave events shows a speed-up of six orders of magnitude over established approaches. This is a promising tool for follow-up observations of electromagnetic counterparts.
Dec 24, 2021
A new method for testing the performance of quantum computers, designed by Sandia, is faster and more accurate than conventional tests
Posted by Dan Kummer in categories: computing, quantum physics
The so-called “mirror-circuit” testing method will help scientists advance the technology behind these super powerful processors. https://bit.ly/3snkgR8
Dec 24, 2021
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope rolls out for Christmas launch
Posted by Dan Kummer in category: space
The James Webb Space Telescope is finally on the launchpad. The space observatory, safely tucked inside an Ariane 5 rocket, is expected to launch on December 25.
The rocket and its precious cargo rolled out to the Arianespace ELA-3 launch complex at Europe’s Spaceport located near Kourou, French Guiana on Wednesday.
The rollout took about two hours to complete, according to NASA.
Dec 24, 2021
Entanglement between superconducting qubits and a tardigrade
Posted by Dan Kummer in categories: biological, chemistry, quantum physics
Quantum and biological systems are seldom discussed together as they seemingly demand opposing conditions. Life is complex, “hot and wet” whereas quantum objects are small, cold and well controlled. Here, we overcome this barrier with a tardigrade — a microscopic multicellular organism known to tolerate extreme physiochemical conditions via a latent state of life known as cryptobiosis. We observe coupling between the animal in cryptobiosis and a superconducting quantum bit and prepare a highly entangled state between this combined system and another qubit. The tardigrade itself is shown to be entangled with the remaining subsystems. The animal is then observed to return to its active form after 420 hours at sub 10 mK temperatures and pressure of $6\times 10^{-6}$ mbar, setting a new record for the conditions that a complex form of life can survive.
Dec 24, 2021
Israel starts fourth phase of ambitious national drone initiative
Posted by Dan Kummer in categories: business, drones, robotics/AI
Israel is nearing the halfway mark of its national drone initiative – an ambitious pilot program seeking to test and prepare operational capacities for UAV use in daily life and business, and place participating companies at the forefront of rapidly approaching aerial services.
According to an official statement, the purpose of the trials is to “integrate the use of drones in routine activities such as transportation of basic products, first aid; (and) deploying a drone attached to a vehicle for real-time monitoring of traffic movement with AI-based elements that can provide forecasts, and much more.”
Dec 24, 2021
AMD Ensures Growth for CPU Sales: Inks New Wafer Contract with GF
Posted by Chima Wisdom in categories: business, computing
AMD seems confident about its CPU sales growth.
Hampered by undersupply, AMD has just shown how it can increase sales of its CPUs by at least 33% in the coming years.
AMD, late on Thursday, published details of another amendment to its wafer supply agreement (WSA) with GlobalFoundries. The document primarily emphasizes AMD’s confidence in the growth of its CPU business as orders to GlobalFoundries are essentially multiplex orders to TSMC. However, the new WSA may contain some interesting details too.
Dec 24, 2021
The World’s Fastest Plane’s Successor Will Reach Over 4,600 Miles
Posted by Gemechu Taye in categories: robotics/AI, surveillance, transportation
Lockheed Martin’s new hypersonic plane is expected to travel at Mach 6.
The Lockheed Martin SR-72, which is rumored to be the world’s fastest plane, is expected to make a test flight in 2025, eight years after its private proposal in 2013.
SR-72 will be the successor of the SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest manned aircraft which smashed speed records in 1974 and was retired by the U.S. Air Force back in 1998.
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