Donald Trump’s second term as US President is shaping up to be different from his first, with the appointment of three key science-advisory positions. Michael Kratsios, a tech expert, has been nominated to lead the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and serve as the President’s science adviser. David Sacks, a tech…
research on The Soothsayer / page 12
Scientists have finally solved the mystery of a giant pterosaur fossil found in Germany, which was initially thought to be a distinct species. After conducting a detailed analysis, researchers concluded that the fossil is actually a larger version of the Rhamphorhynchus species, which lived during the Jurassic Period. The study reveals how pterosaurs may have…
Physicists in the US, Europe, and Korea have successfully produced a long-lasting light-driven magnetic state in an antiferromagnetic material, a breakthrough that could lead to the development of faster and more compact memory and processing devices. The researchers used intense pulses of terahertz-frequency light to control the transition of the material into a metastable magnetic…
Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery in understanding the progression of Huntington’s disease, a fatal genetic condition that affects movement, balance, and cognition. The study found that a faulty DNA-repair mechanism in neurons leads to the accumulation of repeat errors, which eventually causes the neurons to die. This knowledge has led scientists to identify DNA-repair…
Astronomers have discovered a mysterious cosmic flash, dubbed the Platypus, which may link two types of cosmic flares and offer a new way to understand the origins of supermassive black holes. The event, observed in a dwarf galaxy 6.5 billion light-years from Earth, has characteristics of both tidal disruption events and luminous fast-blue optical transients….
Physicists in Germany have made a groundbreaking discovery by developing a new way to define the standard unit of electrical resistance. The new technique, based on the quantum anomalous Hall effect, does not require the use of applied magnetic fields, making it a significant improvement over the current method. This breakthrough could lead to the…
Scientists have made a breakthrough in cancer treatment by disguising tumours to look like pig organs, tricking the immune system into attacking the cancerous cells. This innovative approach has shown promising results in monkeys and humans, with some tumours shrinking or even disappearing. However, further testing is needed to confirm the efficacy of this novel…
Researchers at Stanford University and Columbia University have made groundbreaking discoveries in using nanocrystals to measure tiny forces on tiny length scales. The breakthroughs, published in Nature, could revolutionize biomedical research, enabling scientists to study forces involved in processes such as stem cell differentiation. The techniques, which utilize the optical properties of nanocrystals, have the…
The European Commission is proposing ways to boost dual-use research, which has met resistance from some universities and researchers. The push comes amid increasing militarization of European research, driven by the geopolitical context. The EU is exploring ways to harness the potential of dual-use research, including introducing it into the main civilian-research programme. Forecast for…
A recent study by Rahul Shastri and colleagues has made significant strides in understanding how quantum batteries can be charged faster and more efficiently. By harnessing decoherence, a phenomenon typically seen as a challenge in quantum systems, the researchers have developed a method that speeds up the charging process while maintaining stability. This breakthrough could…