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Scientists discover new way to keep quantum spins coherent longer

A new study shows that electron spins—tiny magnetic properties of atoms that can store information—can be protected from decohering (losing their quantum state) much more effectively than previously thought, simply by applying low magnetic fields.

Normally, these spins quickly lose coherence when they interact with other particles or absorb certain types of light, which limits their usefulness in technologies like or atomic clocks. But the researchers discovered that even interactions that directly relax or disrupt the spin can be significantly suppressed using weak magnetic fields.

This finding expands our understanding of how to control and opens new possibilities for developing more stable and precise quantum devices.

Pinning Down a Ghost Particle: Neutrino Mass Measured with Unprecedented Precision

Scientists from the KATRIN experiment have achieved the most precise upper limit ever recorded for the mass of the mysterious neutrino – clocking in at less than 0.45 electron volts.

This breakthrough not only tightens the constraints on one of the universe’s most elusive particles but also challenges and extends the boundaries of the Standard Model of physics.

Breaking new ground in neutrino mass measurement.

Torn by Gravity: How a Cosmic Tug-of-War Is Pulling a Nearby Galaxy Apart

Astronomers have discovered that the Small Magellanic Cloud, a nearby dwarf galaxy, is being torn apart by the gravitational pull of its larger neighbor, the Large Magellanic Cloud.

By tracking thousands of massive stars, researchers found that the galaxy lacks rotational motion and shows signs of disruption, which could dramatically shift our understanding of how galaxies interact and evolve. This discovery offers a rare real-time look into the cosmic tug-of-war that may have shaped galaxies in the early universe.

Gravitational Tug-of-War Between Galaxies.

A Tiny Piece of Mouse Brain Has Finally Been Mapped in Mindblowing Detail

Trying to grasp the brain’s complexity is a little like trying to comprehend the vastness of space – it feels way beyond our scope of understanding.

By mapping a small part of a mouse brain down to an amazing level of detail, new research could help us grasp the magnitude of the neurological cosmos inside our heads.

Though the volume of brain matter analyzed was barely the size of a grain of sand, the researchers still had to describe the relationships between 84,000 neurons via half a billion synapse connections and 5.4 kilometers (3.4 miles) of neural wiring.

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