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Quantum-inspired algorithm solves 268 million-site quasicrystal simulation in a heartbeat

Quantum technologies like quantum computers are built from quantum materials. These types of materials exhibit quantum properties when exposed to the right conditions. Curiously, engineers can also trigger quantum behavior by manipulating a material’s structure; for example, by stacking layers of graphene on top of each other and twisting them to create a moiré pattern, which suddenly turns them into a superconductor.

The layers can be arranged in increasingly complex ways all the way to quasicrystals and super-moiré materials. The fundamental problem is that scientists must first calculate the properties of potential new materials to predict if they could be useful. Quasicrystals, for example, are so complex they can require processing more than a quadrillion numbers—far beyond the capacity of the world’s most powerful supercomputers.

Now researchers at Aalto University’s Department of Applied Physics have shown how a quantum-inspired algorithm makes solving these colossal, non-periodic quantum materials possible in a heartbeat. The research is published in the journal Physical Review Letters as an Editor’s suggestion.

Spatiotemporal light pulses could secure optical communication by masking data

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have developed a new approach to secure optical communication that hides information in the physical structure of light, making it difficult for unauthorized parties to intercept or decode. The study addresses a growing challenge: advances in quantum computing are expected to weaken many of today’s encryption methods. While most security solutions rely on complex mathematical algorithms, this research adds protection earlier in the process—during the transmission of the signal itself.

The research was led by Dr. Judith Kupferman and Prof. Shlomi Arnon from the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The findings were published in Optical and Quantum Electronics.

The researchers propose a communication method based on specially shaped light pulses, known as spatiotemporal optical vortices. These light beams are designed so that their key features are not visible in standard measurements.

Scientists Make Breakthrough on 40-Year-Old 2D Physics Puzzle

Why do patterns emerge as surfaces grow, whether in crystals, flames, or living systems? Physicists have long turned to the Kardar–Parisi–Zhang (KPZ) equation, proposed in 1986, as a unifying description of these processes. This theory captures how randomness and nonlinear effects shape growth across vastly different systems, from spreading bacterial colonies to data-driven algorithms.

Now, researchers at the University of Würzburg have taken a major step toward confirming just how universal this idea really is. After earlier success in one dimension, they have demonstrated for the first time that KPZ behavior also governs growth in two-dimensional systems, a milestone that had remained experimentally out of reach.

AI chatbot teaches AI ‘student’ to love owls, even after data is scrubbed

Large language models (LLMs) can teach other algorithms unwanted traits, which can persist even when training data has been scrubbed of the original trait, according to new research published in Nature. In one example, a model seems to transmit a preference for owls to other models via hidden signals in data. The findings demonstrate that more thorough safety checks are needed when producing LLMs.

LLMs can generate datasets to train other models through a process called distillation, in which a “student” model is taught to mimic the outputs of a “teacher” model. While this process can be used to produce cheaper versions of an LLM, it is unclear which properties of the teacher model are transferred to the student.

Alex Cloud and colleagues used GPT-4.1, which was prompted to have traits unrelated to a core task (a preference for owls or certain trees, for instance), to train a student model with output consisting only of numerical data, with no references to the trait. When the resulting student was subsequently prompted, it mentioned the teacher’s favorite animal or tree over 60% of the time, compared to 12% for a student trained by a teacher with no favorite animal or tree. This effect was also observed when the student was trained on a teacher’s output that contained code instead of numbers.

Physicists Just Linked This 160 Year-Old Math Problem To Black Holes

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The Riemann Hypothesis is an open problem in maths which – if proved correct – would show us a pattern in prime numbers. The zeta function, a central part of the hypothesis, has been linked to quantum mechanics, and recently a group of physicists linked it to gravitational equations associated with black holes. What does this mean, exactly? Let’s take a look.

Paper: https://link.springer.com/article/10… mugs, posters and more: ➜ https://sabines-store.dashery.com/ 💌 Support me on Donorbox ➜ https://donorbox.org/swtg 👉 Transcript with links to references on Patreon ➜ / sabine 📝 Transcripts and written news on Substack ➜ https://sciencewtg.substack.com/ 📩 Free weekly science newsletter ➜ https://sabinehossenfelder.com/newsle… 👂 Audio only podcast ➜ https://open.spotify.com/show/0MkNfXl… 🔗 Join this channel to get access to perks ➜ / @sabinehossenfelder 📚 Buy my book ➜ https://amzn.to/3HSAWJW #science #sciencenews #physics #maths The Riemann hypothesis is a significant open problem in mathematics, deeply intertwined with number theory and its implications for physics. This video explores how the riemann zeta function, a central element of the hypothesis, connects to fundamental concepts like black hole physics and quantum gravity. Discover the ongoing mathematical research that seeks to solve this enduring mystery…

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#science #sciencenews #physics #maths.

The Riemann hypothesis is a significant open problem in mathematics, deeply intertwined with number theory and its implications for physics. This video explores how the riemann zeta function, a central element of the hypothesis, connects to fundamental concepts like black hole physics and quantum gravity. Discover the ongoing mathematical research that seeks to solve this enduring mystery.

Continue reading “Physicists Just Linked This 160 Year-Old Math Problem To Black Holes” | >

Elon Musk’s xAI sues over Colorado’s AI antidiscrimination law, claiming it’s a threat to Grok’s free speech

Senate Bill 205, passed in 2024, is one of the nation’s first attempts to regulate ‘high-risk’ AI systems and protect consumers from ‘algorithmic discrimination’ — or disparate treatment or impacts on protected classes under Colorado law.

In the complaint, which was filed in federal court in Denver, Musk’s lawyers contend that the law is ‘unconstitutionally vague’ and ‘invites arbitrary enforcement’ because it fails to define some key terms. They also contend that Colorado’s law would cause Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, to ‘abandon its disinterested pursuit of truth and instead promote the State’s ideological views on various matters, racial justice in particular,’ which they say violates the First Amendment.

‘Unless the implementation and enforcement of SB24-205 is enjoined, it will violate xAI’s constitutional rights and cause irreparable constitutional harm, impose enormous burdens on xAI and the AI industry, and substitute Colorado’s political preferences for the national economic and security imperative of American AI dominance,’ the complaint reads in part…

…State Rep. Briana Titone, D-Arvada, one of Senate Bill 205’s lead sponsors, told The Sun that Musk’s lawsuit seems like a ‘fishing expedition’ that misinterprets the core of the law.

‘This is where the disconnect is. SB 205 is about consequential decisions, not about freedom of speech,’ Titone said. ‘It’s completely detached from it. And they’re trying to use this argument for a law that has nothing to do with what he’s saying. We’re not restricting speech. Our bill does not say that Grok still can’t be a dick.’

The lawsuit was filed at a time when the Trump administration looks to preempt state regulation of AI models through executive fiat.

Continue reading “Elon Musk’s xAI sues over Colorado’s AI antidiscrimination law, claiming it’s a threat to Grok’s free speech” | >

Association of Perinatal HIV Exposure and HIV Disease Severity With BP in Youth

RESEARCH ARTICLE: association of perinatal HIV exposure and HIV disease severity with BP in youth.

BACKGROUND: HIV infection is associated with cardiovascular events in adults. We compared mean blood pressure (BP) obtained at study visits between youth with/without perinatally acquired HIV infection and evaluated whether HIV disease severity was associated with BP. METHODS: BP was compared between participants with/without HIV in the Adolescent Master Protocol of the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study. Marginal repeated measures analyses using generalized estimating equations evaluated the association of HIV disease severity with BP index (mean BP/95th percentile BP) and abnormal BP. RESULTS: 447 youth with HIV and 226 youth without HIV were included. Youth with HIV were more often Black non-Hispanic (66% versus 54%), had greater household income (54% versus 35%), and lower measures of adiposity than those without.

Critical flaw in wolfSSL library enables forged certificate use

A critical vulnerability in the wolfSSL SSL/TLS library can weaken security via improper verification of the hash algorithm or its size when checking Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) signatures.

Researchers warn that an attacker could exploit the issue to force a target device or application to accept forged certificates for malicious servers or connections.

WolfSSL is a lightweight TLS/SSL implementation written in C, designed for embedded systems, IoT devices, industrial control systems, routers, appliances, sensors, automotive systems, and even aerospace or military equipment.

Striatal Dopamine Transporter and Rest Tremor in Parkinson DiseaseA Clinical Validation

【】 Full article: (Authored by Nader Butto, from Petah Tikva, Israel.)

This work presents a vortex-based geometric interpretation of atomic structure, in which electrons are described as localized vortex excitations embedded in a structured vacuum, offering a physically intuitive framework for understanding shells, subshells, orbitals, quantum numbers, and electron configurations without altering the formal structure of quantum mechanics. QUANTUM_NUMBERS vortex_geometry ElectronConfiguration.

1. Introduction

The atomic structure of matter represents one of the foundational achievements of modern physics and chemistry. Early experimental investigations by Rutherford established the nuclear model of the atom [1], while Bohr introduced the concept of discrete electronic energy levels to explain atomic spectra [2]. Sommerfeld subsequently extended this picture by incorporating angular momentum quantization and relativistic corrections [3]. These developments paved the way for the formulation of quantum mechanics, which replaced classical electron orbits with a wave-based description of electronic states.

The quantum-mechanical framework, formalized through the work of Schrödinger, Pauli, Born, and Dirac, provides a mathematically rigorous and highly successful description of atomic behavior [4]-[7]. Within this formalism, electrons are described by wavefunctions whose squared modulus gives the probability density of finding an electron in a given region of space. Atomic orbitals arise as solutions of the Schrödinger equation and are characterized by a set of quantum numbers that determine their energy, angular momentum, spatial orientation, and spin. This approach accurately predicts atomic spectra, selection rules, and chemical periodicity.

Math Professor Wrote Wrong Equation on the Board to Test a Black Student—But He Was a Genius Student

What if creativity wasn’t magic—but math?
In this video, we explore the mathematics of creativity through psychology, philosophy, and science. From Dean Keith Simonton’s law of large numbers, Margaret Boden’s theory of combinational creativity, Zipf’s Law, Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000-hour curve, and even cellular automata—we break down how imagination follows hidden equations.

Whether you’re a student, teacher, scientist, engineer, or philosopher, this video will change how you think about art, science, and human innovation.

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro: Is Creativity Random?
00:34 – The Law of Large Numbers
01:42 – Zipf’s Law of Ideas
02:33 – Combinational Creativity (Boden)
03:15 – Time & Growth (Gladwell)
03:58 – Edge of Chaos (Complexity Theory)
04:48 – The Formula for Creativity.

📌 Subscribe for more videos on philosophy, science, and abstract thinking.

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