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Jun 23, 2020

The programming language that wants to rescue the world from dangerous code

Posted by in category: futurism

Rust, a language developed by Mozilla with enthusiastic backers across the software community, wants to save developers from making their biggest mistakes.

Jun 23, 2020

After 136 Earthquakes in 24 Hours, Philippines Volcano Enters ‘Period of Unrest’

Posted by in category: government

“The local government units and the public are strongly reminded that entry into the 4-km radius permanent danger zone must be strictly prohibited due to the further possibilities of sudden and hazardous steam-driven or phreatic eruptions,” the institute warned.

The Phivolcs said that it has recorded 136 volcano-tectonic earthquakes—earthquakes caused by the movement of magma beneath the surface of the Earth—on the western flanks during the 24-hour observation period.

It added that four of these earthquakes recorded between 1 a.m. to 2.06 a.m. on Monday were felt in La Carlota City and Bago City in Negros Occidental province and Canlaon City in Negros Oriental province.

Jun 23, 2020

7.4 magnitude earthquake felt off coast of Mexico

Posted by in category: futurism

A 7.4 magnitude earthquake was felt off the southern coast of Mexico in the state of Oaxaca, prompting a forecast of potential tsunami waves, the country’s National Seismological Service reported Tuesday afternoon.

The quake occurred at 10:29 a.m. central time, with an epicenter near El Coyul, 6.8 miles southwest of Santa María Zapotitlán in Oaxaca. The damage in the state is considered light to moderate according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

The USGS estimates the earthquake itself could result in as many as 100 fatalities and $100 million in damage.

Jun 23, 2020

Scientists produce first open source all-atom models of COVID-19 ‘spike’ protein

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, chemistry

The virus SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the known cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The “spike” or S protein facilitates viral entry into host cells.

Now a group of researchers from Seoul National University in South Korea, University of Cambridge in UK, and Lehigh University in USA, have worked together to produce the first open-source all-atom models of a full-length S . The researchers say this is of particular importance because the S protein plays a central role in viral entry into cells, making it a main target for vaccine and antiviral drug development.

Continue reading “Scientists produce first open source all-atom models of COVID-19 ‘spike’ protein” »

Jun 23, 2020

Elon Musk sends cryptic email to Tesla employees about going ‘all out’

Posted by in categories: Elon Musk, sustainability, transportation

Elon Musk has sent a somewhat cryptic email to Tesla employees about going “all out” for the end of the quarter to have a “good outcome.”

On Monday afternoon, Musk sent a short email to all Tesla employees.

In the email obtained by Electrek, the CEO addressed the importance of the last week of the quarter:

Jun 23, 2020

Fugaku, world’s fastest supercomputer, searches for coronavirus treatment

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, supercomputing

Japanese machine can perform more than 415 quadrillion computations a second and has already worked out how breath droplets spread.

Jun 23, 2020

ELON MASK

Posted by in category: futurism

Click on photo to start video.

I love this man.

Jun 23, 2020

Speeding-Up Quantum Computing Using Giant Atomic Ions – 100 Million Times Larger Than Normal Atoms

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

Trapped Rydberg ions can be the next step towards scaling up quantum computers to sizes where they can be practically usable, a new study in Nature shows.

Different physical systems can be used to make a quantum computer. Trapped ions that form a crystal have led the research field for years, but when the system is scaled up to large ion crystals this method gets very slow. Complex arithmetic operations cannot be performed fast enough before the stored quantum information decays.

A Stockholm University research group may have solved this problem by using giant Rydberg ions, 100 million times larger than normal atoms or ions. These huge ions are highly interactive and, therefore, can exchange quantum information in less than a microsecond.

Jun 23, 2020

‘Janus’ nanorods convert light to heat that can destroy pollutants in water

Posted by in categories: chemistry, engineering, health, nanotechnology, particle physics, sustainability

With a new nanoparticle that converts light to heat, a team of researchers has found a promising technology for clearing water of pollutants.

Trace amounts of contaminants such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals and perfluorooctanoic acid in drinking water sources have posed significant health risks to humans in recent years. These micropollutants have eluded conventional treatment processes, but certain chemical processes that typically involve ozone, hydrogen peroxide or UV light have proven effective. These processes, however, can be expensive and energy-intensive.

A new nanoparticle created by Yale University engineers as part of an effort for the Rice-based Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT) could lead to technologies that get around those limitations. The particle is described in a study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Jun 23, 2020

Fifty perfect photons for ‘quantum supremacy’

Posted by in categories: quantum physics, supercomputing

Fifty is a critical number for quantum computers capable of solving problems that classic supercomputers cannot solve. Proving quantum supremacy requires at least 50 qubits. For quantum computers working with light, it is equally necessary to have at least 50 photons. And what’s more, these photons have to be perfect, or else they will worsen their own quantum capabilities. It is this perfection that makes it hard to realize. Not impossible, however, which scientists of the University of Twente have demonstrated by proposing modifications of the crystal structure inside existing light sources. Their findings are published in Physical Review A.

Photons are promising in the world of , with its demands of entanglement, superposition and interference. These are properties of qubits, as well. They enable building a computer that operates in a way that is entirely different from making calculations with standard bits that represent ones and zeroes. For many years now, researchers have predicted quantum computers able to solve very , like instantly calculating all vibrations in a complex molecule.

The first proof of quantum supremacy is already there, accomplished with and on very complicated theoretical problems. About 50 quantum building blocks are needed as a minimum, whether they are in the form of photons or qubits. Using photons may have advantages over qubits: They can operate at room temperatures and they are more stable. There is one important condition: the photons have to be perfect in order to get to the critical number of 50. In their new paper, UT scientists have now demonstrated that this is feasible.