Independent researcher Giancarlo Lelli derived a 15-bit elliptic curve key on a publicly accessible quantum computer, Project Eleven said.
Get the latest international news and world events from around the world.
For the first time, scientists pinpoint the brain cells behind depression
Scientists have identified two specific types of brain cells that behave differently in people with depression, offering a clearer picture of what is happening inside the brain. By analyzing donated brain tissue with advanced genetic tools, the researchers found changes in neurons linked to mood and stress, as well as in immune-related microglia cells. These differences point to disruptions in key brain systems and reinforce that depression is rooted in biology, not just emotions.
First direct nanomagnet measurement finds switching attempts far slower than long-assumed
A compass always points north—or does it? Magnets normally maintain a stable direction of magnetization, pointing from south to north (S→N). However, this direction can change under strong magnetic fields or heat. For example, a compass placed near a strong magnet may no longer point in the right direction.
Magnets can also lose their magnetism when exposed to high levels of heat. This isn’t just relevant to wayfinding during your camping trips—if the magnets in hard drives and memory storage devices are affected, it could mean losing all of your precious data.
Researchers at Tohoku University sought to better understand the intricate ways in which this thermally-activated switching occurs in nanomagnets, and successfully measured it experimentally for the very first time. The results are published in Communications Materials.
The Zombie Argument (from David Chalmers)
I am writing a book! If you want to know when it is ready (and maybe win a free copy), submit your email on my website: https://www.jeffreykaplan.org/
I won’t spam you or share your email address with anyone.
Physicalism & Dualism: • What Philosophers Mean by \.
New cellular target prevents hepatitis E infection
An international team of researchers has identified a promising new approach for treating infections with the Hepatitis E virus (HEV). At the center of the study is the drug Apilimod, which specifically blocks the entry of the virus into human liver cells, thereby preventing infection at an early stage. The compound targets a mechanism of the host cell, reducing the likelihood that the virus will develop resistance.
Apilimod has already been clinically evaluated, which could accelerate its development into a drug against hepatitis E. The study, led by the Department of Molecular and Medical Virology at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, was published in the journal eGastroenterology on March 31, 2026.
Autoantibody map uncovers body-wide immune attacks across Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and MS
Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil discovered that neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis, are more complex than previously thought. Their analysis of nearly 600 blood samples from patients with and without these diseases revealed that neurodegenerative processes extend beyond the central nervous system, affecting various targets throughout the body.
“We conducted a systemic analysis based on autoantibodies—defense proteins [immunoglobulins] that mistakenly attack the body’s healthy cells, tissues, or organs instead of external pathogens. In this study, we saw that, contrary to what was previously thought, these diseases don’t involve an antibody attacking only a specific region of the connection between neurons [synapse], like a thief breaking in through a door. It’s a systemic attack, like machine-gunning an entire house,” explains Júlia Nakanishi Usuda, first author of the study.
The study, published in the journal iScience, identified more than 9,000 autoantibodies from public databases. Based on the results, the researchers suggest that, rather than focusing on isolated molecular targets, treatment strategies for these diseases should focus on blocking the autoimmune response systemically. While the data science study still needs to be confirmed through in vitro and in vivo testing, it reinforces a new paradigm for treating neurodegenerative diseases.