Lifeboat Foundation

The field of experimental quantum communication promises ways of efficient and unconditional secure information exchange in quantum states. The possibility of transferring quantum information forms a cornerstone of the emerging field of quantum communication and quantum computation. Recent breakthroughs in quantum computation with superconducting circuits trigger a demand for quantum communication channels between superconducting processors separated in space at microwave length frequencies. To pursue this goal, Kirill G. Fedorov, and a team of scientists in Germany, Finland and Japan demonstrated unconditional quantum teleportation to propagate coherent microwave states by exploring two-mode squeezing and analog feedforward across a distance of 0.42 m. The researchers achieved a teleportation fidelity of F= 0.689±0.004, which exceeded the asymptotic no-cloning threshold, preventing the use of classical error correction methods on quantum states. The quantum state of the teleported state was preserved to open the avenue towards unconditional security in microwave quantum communication.

Quantum teleportation (QT).

The promise of quantum communication is based on the delivery of efficient and unconditionally secure ways to exchange information by exploring the quantum laws of physics. Quantum teleportation (QT) is an exemplary protocol that stands out to allow the disembodied and safe transfer of unknown quantum states using quantum entanglement and classical communication as resources. Recent progress in quantum computation with superconducting circuits has led to quantum communication between spatially separated superconducting processes functioning at microwave length frequencies. Methods to achieve this communication task includes the propagation of two-mode squeezed (TMS) microwaves to entangle remote qubits and teleport microwave states to interface between remote superconducting systems. Fedorov et al. demonstrated the deterministic QT of coherent microwave states by exploring two-mode squeezing and analog feedforward across a distance of 0.

The rhythms of activity in all biological organisms, both plants and animals, are closely linked to the gravitational tides created by the orbital mechanics of the sun-Earth-moon system. This truth has been somewhat neglected by scientific research but is foregrounded in a study by Cristiano de Mello Gallep at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, and Daniel Robert at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. An article on the study is published in the Journal of Experimental Botany.

“All matter on Earth, both live and inert, experiences the effects of the gravitational forces of the sun and moon expressed in the form of tides. The periodic oscillations exhibit two daily cycles and are modulated monthly and annually by the motions of these two celestial bodies. All organisms on the planet have evolved in this context. What we sought to show in the article is that gravitational tides are a perceptible and potent force that has always shaped the rhythmic activities of these organisms,” Gallep told.

The study is both an extensive review of the literature and a meta-analysis of the data from three previously published cases in which gravitational causality was not fully explored: The swimming activity of isopods, small shell-less crustaceans whose appearance on Earth dates from at least 300 million years ago; reproductive effort in coral; and growth modulation in sunflower seedlings inferred from autoluminescence. In the latter case, the researchers analyzed results of their own investigations as well as data from the literature.

Computer maintenance workers at Kyoto University have announced that due to an apparent bug in software used to back up research data, researchers using the University’s Hewlett-Packard Cray computing system, called Lustre, have lost approximately 77 terabytes of data. The team at the University’s Institute for Information Management and Communication posted a Failure Information page detailing what is known so far about the data loss.

The team, with the University’s Information Department Information Infrastructure Division, Supercomputing, reported that files in the /LARGEO (on the DataDirect ExaScaler storage system) were lost during a system backup procedure. Some in the press have suggested that the problem arose from a faulty script that was supposed to delete only old, unneeded log files. The team noted that it was originally thought that approximately 100TB of files had been lost, but that number has since been pared down to 77TB. They note also that the failure occurred on December 16 between the hours of 5:50 and 7pm. Affected users were immediately notified via emails. The team further notes that approximately 34 million files were lost and that the files lost belonged to 14 known research groups. The team did not release information related to the names of the research groups or what sort of research they were conducting. They did note data from another four groups appears to be restorable.

Invisibility devices may soon no longer be the stuff of science fiction. A new study published in the De Gruyter journal Nanophotonics by lead authors Huanyang Chen at Xiamen University, China, and Qiaoliang Bao, suggests the use of the material Molybdenum Trioxide (a-MoO3) to replace expensive and difficult to produce metamaterials in the emerging technology of novel optical devices.

The idea of an invisibility cloak may sound more like magic than science, but researchers are currently hard at work producing devices that can scatter and bend light in such a way that it creates the effect of invisibility.

Thus far these devices have relied on metamaterials – a material that has been specially engineered to possess novel properties not found in naturally occurring substances or in the individual particles of that material – but the study by Chen and co-authors suggests the use of a-MoO3 to create these invisibility devices.

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China has achieved a new world record in its development of a “man-made sun”, a fusion energy reactor. Scientists managed to sustain the reactor, at the extreme temperature of 70 million degrees Celsius for 1,056 seconds. In May, scientists also made a breakthrough, when they were able to achieve a plasma temperature of 120 million degrees Celsius for 101 seconds. China’s development of an “artificial” sun is part of its mission to find solutions to create limitless clean energy.

Continue reading “China sets new world record in development of ‘artificial sun’” »

Researchers have trained artificial intelligence to make jokes, but the advances are making many—and not just comedians—uncomfortable.

A new study finds that installing solar farms could become a two birds, one stone situation, as these areas can also double as thriving pollinator habitats if land owners allow meadows to grow around the solar panels.

The study, from researchers at Lancaster University in the UK that will be presented today at an Ecology Across Borders conference, shows that installing solar farms could be greatly beneficial to nature.

“Our findings provide the first quantitative evidence that solar parks could be used as a conservation tool to support and boost pollinator populations. If they are managed in a way that provides resources, solar parks could become [a] valuable bumble bee habitat,” said Hollie Blaydes, associate lecturer and doctorate student at the university. “In the UK, pollinator habitat has been established on some solar parks, but there is currently little understanding of the effectiveness of these interventions. Our findings provide solar park owners and managers with evidence to suggest that providing floral and nesting resources for bumble bees could be effective.”

JWST’s sunshield is fully deployed! The sunshield’s deployment is what everyone involved in this mission was most nervous about, because you can’t predict exactly how fabric will move—especially not in zero-G.

This sunshield will always be between the telescope and the Sun/Earth/Moon. JWST will circle the Sun 1.5 million kilometers distant from (but almost in line with) the Earth, allowing it to be positioned in this manner.

Continue reading “NASA’s next generation space telescope has completed the most difficult phase of its deployment” »

Summary: Researchers have identified a novel biomarker for depression and antidepressant response. The biomarker can be identified and monitored through blood samples.

Source: University of Illinois.

Researchers are one step closer to developing a blood test that provides a simple biochemical hallmark for depression and reveals the efficacy of drug therapy in individual patients.