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Exotic superconducting states could exist in a wider range of materials than previously thought, according to a theoretical study by two RIKEN researchers published in Physical Review B.

Superconductors conduct electricity without any resistance when cooled below a that is specific to the . They are broadly classified into two types: conventional superconductors whose superconducting mechanism is well understood, and whose mechanism has yet to be fully determined.

Superconductors have intrigued scientists since their first experimental demonstration at the beginning of the 20th century. This is not just because they have numerous applications, including great promise for , but also because superconductors host a rich range of fundamental physics that has allowed physicists to gain a deeper understanding of material science.

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The rapid advancement of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) has heightened the demand for high-speed, energy-efficient memory devices. Traditional memory technologies often struggle to balance performance with power consumption.

Spintronic devices, which leverage electron spin rather than charge, present a promising alternative. In particular, TMD materials are attractive due to their unique electronic properties and potential for miniaturization.

Researchers have proposed the development of gate-controllable TMD spin valves to address these challenges. By integrating a gate mechanism, these devices can modulate spin transport properties, enabling precise control over memory operations. This approach aims to enhance tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) ratios, improve spin current densities, and reduce during read and write processes. The study is published in the Journal of Alloys and Compounds.

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This allows them to see how bacteria activate different genes in response to their environment, offering insights into microbial behavior, antibiotic resistance, and infection strategies.

How Bacteria Organize Their Activities

How do bacteria — whether beneficial ones in our bodies or harmful disease-causing strains — coordinate their activities? A recent study has provided new insights by combining advanced genomic-scale microscopy with an innovative technique to track which genes bacteria activate in different conditions and environments. Published recently in the journal Science, this breakthrough is set to advance bacterial research significantly.

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Scientists explored Human Accelerated Regions (HARs), genetic regulators that tweak existing genes rather than introducing new ones. Using cutting-edge techniques, they mapped nearly all HAR interactions, revealing their role in brain development and neurological disorders like autism and schizophrenia.

Decoding the Genetic Evolution of the Human Brain

A new Yale study offers a deeper understanding of the genetic changes that shaped human brain evolution and how this process differed from that of chimpanzees.

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Scientists have discovered a remarkable new form of symbiosis — a bacterium that lives inside a single-celled organism (a ciliate) and provides it with energy. Unlike mitochondria, which use oxygen, this microbe powers its host by breathing nitrate.

Initially found in a freshwater lake, researchers set out to determine how widespread these microbes are. To their surprise, they uncovered them in diverse environments worldwide, from lakes and groundwater to even wastewater. This discovery challenges our understanding of microbial partnerships and reveals how these tiny organisms play a hidden yet significant role in global ecosystems.

A New Symbiotic Discovery

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WASHINGTON — A Texas state agency awarded $47.7 million in grants to five space companies to support projects like construction of facilities and development of spacecraft in the state.

The Texas Space Commission announced Feb. 10 that it awarded the grants to Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, SpaceX and Starlab Space. The grants are part of the commission’s Space Exploration and Aeronautics Research Fund (SEARF) program.

“Today’s awards will support Texas companies as we grow commercial, military and civil aerospace activity across the state,” Gwen Griffin, chair of the board of the commission, said in a statement.

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Enter laser-plasma accelerators (LPAs). LPAs use high-intensity lasers to strike a target, generating charged particle beams that reach comparable speeds to those produced using traditional accelerators – but in a fraction of the distance. Scientists are exploring LPAs as a compact, cost-effective way to generate proton beams, but several technical challenges have hindered their progress.

One challenge arises from the high-intensity laser, which destroys the targets after each pulse, requiring a new target for every shot. Another issue is the beam divergence – proton beams produced by LPAs typically spread out like a floodlight rather than maintaining a narrow focus. Both the need for target replacement and the beam divergence significantly reduce the efficiency of LPA systems.

In this recent study, researchers made an unexpected breakthrough, simultaneously resolving multiple problems although they had only aimed to address one.

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Scientists have just discovered the largest structure ever found in the universe, and it’s changing everything we thought we knew about space! Quipu, a superstructure spanning 1.3 billion light-years, is bending light, distorting cosmic expansion, and even affecting the Cosmic Microwave Background. What does this mean for our understanding of dark matter, energy, and galaxy evolution? Watch this video to explore Quipu’s secrets and their impact on the universe! 🚀✨ paper link: https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.19236 MUSIC TITLE : Starlight Harmonies MUSIC LINK : https://pixabay.com/music/pulses-starlight-harmonies-185900/ Visit our website for up-to-the-minute updates: www.nasaspacenews.com Follow us Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nasaspacenews Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpacenewsNasa Join this channel to get access to these perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEuhsgmcQRbtfiz8KMfYwIQ/join #NSN #NASA #Astronomy#SpaceDiscovery #Quipu #LargestStructure #Astronomy #Cosmos #BiggestThingInSpace #DarkMatter #GalaxyClusters #SpaceScience #NASA #Astrophysics #CosmicWeb #ScienceNews #MindBlowing #Intergalactic #BlackHoles #Physics #TimeAndSpace #Superstructure #Galaxies #Universe #Science #Exoplanets #MilkyWay #Astronomers #XrayMapping #SpaceTech #BeyondTheStars #FutureOfSpace #CosmicEvolution …

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The FAST (Fusion by Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) project has been launched in Japan with the aim of achieving fusion-based power generation by the end of the 2030s.

FAST, to be sited in Japan, aims to generate and sustain a plasma of deuterium-tritium (D-T) reactions, demonstrating an integrated fusion energy system that combines energy conversion including electricity generation and fuel technologies. The project will employ a tokamak configuration, chosen for its well-established data and scalability. The project brings together top researchers from prominent institutions, along with industrial and international partners from Japan, the UK, the USA and Canada.

Targeting a power generation demonstration by the end of the 2030s, FAST will address remaining technical challenges enroute to commercial fusion power plants. The FAST Project Office notes that power generation refers to producing energy from fusion reactions, but does not imply net positive power production where electricity output exceeds electricity consumption.

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