Lifeboat Foundation

For the first time, EPFL researchers have directly observed molecules engaging in hydrogen bonds within liquid water, capturing electronic and nuclear quantum effects that had previously been accessible only through theoretical simulations.

Water is synonymous with life, but the dynamic, multifaceted interaction that brings H₂O molecules together – the hydrogen bond – remains mysterious. These hydrogen bonds form as hydrogen and oxygen atoms from neighboring water molecules connect, exchanging electronic charge in the process.

This charge-sharing is a key feature of the three-dimensional ‘H-bond’ network that gives liquid water its unique properties, but quantum phenomena at the heart of such networks have thus far been understood only through theoretical simulations.

Scientists are rethinking the timing of Betelgeuse’s supernova, as new research suggests the star may have a hidden companion, known as Betelbuddy. This companion could be responsible for Betelgeuse’s unusual brightening and dimming patterns.

The discovery opens up new possibilities, including the idea that Betelbuddy might be a young star or even something more exotic, like a neutron star. Researchers are working to confirm Betelbuddy’s existence, which could dramatically change what we know about Betelgeuse and its eventual explosion.

Betelgeuse and Betelbuddy.

An ultramassive black hole is a black hole that has a mass of more than 10 billion times the mass of the sun. Black holes are regions of space where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape. They are usually formed when massive stars collapse at the end of their life cycle.

Ultramassive black holes are rare and elusive, and their origins are unclear. Some scientists believe they were formed from the extreme merger of massive galaxies billions of years ago when the universe was still young.

This finding, published in Science, was demonstrated by researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, the Cluster of Excellence Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior at the University of Konstanz, Germany, Tel Aviv University, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.

Would you be able to instantly recognize your location and find your way home from any random point within a three-kilometer radius, in complete darkness, with only a flashlight to guide you?

Continue reading “Study shows bats have acoustic cognitive maps” »

Why are there atomic clocks but no nuclear clocks? After all, an atom’s nucleus is typically surrounded by many electrons, so in principle it should be less susceptible to outside noise (in the form of light). A nucleus, for high-atomic number atoms, contains more particles than does the element’s electrons. It holds nearly the entire mass of the atom while taking up only about 1/100,000th of the atom’s space. While the first atomic clock was invented in 1949, no nuclear clock has yet been feasible.

UCLA chemists have found a big problem with a fundamental rule of organic chemistry that has been around for 100 years—it’s just not true. And they say, It’s time to rewrite the textbooks.

A U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) multi-disciplinary team developed a new paradigm for the control of quantum emitters, providing a new method for modulating and encoding quantum photonic information on a single photon light stream.

To effectively adapt to change, living organisms rely on their ability to rapidly detect and process sensory information in their surroundings. The sensory information available at a given time continuously changes, which means that it can typically only be observed partially and for a limited amount of time.

Enough landmines are buried underground worldwide to circle Earth twice at the equator, but the identification and removal of these explosives is costly and time-consuming.