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Blog – Page 6

Rigid, lizard-like tails are simple, but mammal-style tails may be lighter and better for space. Researchers studied how tails aid midair maneuverability in animals and robots, focusing on inertial appendages that generate body rotation.

Inspired by lizards and geckos, roboticists have designed rigid, single-plane tails to enhance stability and control in aerial and terrestrial robots. Some robotic tails aid in landing, flight reorientation, and high-speed turns. However, vertebrate (like cats and squirrels) tails are more complex, consisting of multiple vertebrae that allow for diverse movements.

By analyzing mammalian tails, researchers found that increasing bone segments within the same length enhances rotational ability. To evaluate tail effectiveness, they developed simulations optimizing tail trajectories for precise body rotations. Unlike previous models that assumed rigid structures, their approach considers deformability and realistic control constraints.

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Researchers have been working for decades to understand the architecture of the subatomic world. One of the knottier questions has been where the proton gets its intrinsic angular momentum, otherwise referred to as its spin.

Nuclear physicists surmise that the proton’s spin most likely comes from its constituents: quarks bound together by gluons carrying the strong force. But the details of the quark and gluon contributions have remained elusive.

Now, a new investigation from an international collaboration of physicists compiles evidence from observational results and analysis using lattice quantum chromodynamics (QCD) to present a compelling argument regarding how much of the proton’s spin comes from its gluons.

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A joint research team has developed an innovative quantum-classical computing approach to design photochromic materials—light-sensitive compounds—offering a powerful tool to accelerate material discovery. Their findings were published in Intelligent Computing.

Building on their previous work in the same journal, the researchers introduced a computational-basis variational quantum deflation method as the foundation of their approach.

To validate its effectiveness, the team conducted a case study in photopharmacology, screening 4,096 diarylethene derivatives. They identified five promising candidates that exhibited two critical properties: large maximum absorbance wavelengths and high oscillator strengths. These characteristics are crucial for applications such as light-controlled drug delivery in photopharmacology.

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For centuries, the I-Ching, or Book of Changes, has fascinated scholars, mystics, and seekers alike. It is often considered a mere divination tool, a mystical means of interpreting the world through the casting of hexagrams.

But what if the I-Ching is something more? What if it operates as a structured probability space, exhibiting patterns and behaviors reminiscent of quantum mechanics?

Our latest research suggests that the I-Ching might not be a random oracle but instead a system governed by deep mathematical structures.

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An electrospray engine applies an electric field to a conductive liquid, generating a high-speed jet of tiny droplets that can propel a spacecraft. These miniature engines are ideal for small satellites called CubeSats that are often used in academic research.

Since engines utilize more efficiently than the powerful, chemical rockets used on the launchpad, they are better suited for precise, in-orbit maneuvers. The thrust generated by an electrospray emitter is tiny, so electrospray engines typically use an array of emitters that are uniformly operated in parallel.

However, these multiplexed electrospray thrusters are typically made via expensive and time-consuming semiconductor cleanroom fabrication, which limits who can manufacture them and how the devices can be applied.

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