Physicists have made a groundbreaking breakthrough in using quantum computers to simulate the phenomenon of string breaking in particle collisions. Two teams of researchers have successfully used quantum computers to mimic the process of string breaking, which is a crucial process in understanding particle collisions. This achievement is a significant step towards using quantum computers…
Earth on The Soothsayer
The US government’s recent announcement to revoke visas for Chinese students studying in “critical fields” has sent shockwaves through the scientific community. The policy, aimed at averting “theft of U.S. research, intellectual property, and technologies,” could affect tens of thousands of students and decimate research groups. The move has sparked fear and uncertainty among international…
The United Nations scientific and cultural agency UNESCO has finalized a set of ethical principles to govern neurotechnologies, including brain-reading devices that can alter the nervous system’s activity to influence functions such as speech, touch, and movement. The recommendations focus on protecting users from technology misuse that could infringe on their human rights, including their…
A clinical trial in China has reported impressive results for CAR-T cell therapy in treating solid tumors, a type of cancer that is difficult to treat. The trial, which tested the treatment on patients with advanced gastric cancer or gastro-oesophageal junction cancer, found that 35% of patients responded to the treatment, compared to just 4%…
A recent surge in automated web scraping by AI-driven bots has overwhelmed online repositories and scholarly publishers, causing disruptions and service outages. The bots, which are gathering data to train generative AI tools, have become a significant headache for researchers and publishers, with many organizations struggling to block them. The rise of open-source AI chatbots…
Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery of an ancient protein that can function in mirror-image forms, a rare property known as ‘ambidexterity.’ This finding could be a relic of a time when life based on mirror-image molecules existed on Earth. Researchers believe that this protein’s ability to bind DNA in both left- and right-handed versions…
A recent study published in Science has found that the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which caused the Black Death, has evolved to be less fatal but possibly more transmissible. This genetic change, which reduces the amount of the pla gene associated with disease severity, could lead to greater disease spread in smaller populations. The study used…
Researchers are embarking on a six-week study to understand the mysteries of hail storms, which cause tens of billions of dollars in damage annually in the United States. The study, known as ICECHIP, aims to uncover the conditions that create the most damaging hail and help people prepare for damage from incoming hail. The findings…
Researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China have developed the world’s first infrared contact lenses, allowing humans to see infrared light without the need for bulky night-vision goggles. The lenses use nanoparticles to convert near-infrared light into visible light, enabling users to see rich, multi-colored infrared images. While the technology has its…
The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has been facing unprecedented cuts in research grants and contracts, largely driven by the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a entity led by billionaire Elon Musk. Top NIH officials have revealed that DOGE representatives have been directing them to terminate specific projects, sparking concerns about political interference…