In science news this week, IBM unveils a giant 1,000-qubit quantum chip, discovers a lost lagoon world in the Atacama Desert, and encounters a dolphin with unusual flippers.
Quantum computing is poised to revolutionize the world as it matures. The possibilities are immense. quantum computer What traditional supercomputers take 10,000 years to accomplish may be accomplished in just four minutes. The key lies in developing the necessary chips. This week, IBM announced a major breakthrough: its second-largest 1,000-qubit quantum chip to date. But surprisingly, IBM has not focused on this achievement. Instead, they are targeting chips that are 10 times smaller than him. but why?
At the intersection between future technology and health, researchers are brain organoid Using neural tissue to incorporate into artificial intelligence systems Assist in completing computational tasks, this could be a step toward biocomputers. Other health-related articles that piqued our interest this week include: Epigenetic relationship with mammalian lifespana “rare” sleep disorder. It may not be as rare as previously thoughtand a fact that we may have ignored.”long flu” for a long time.
To space. There, an “almost unbelievable” and ultra-rare gap in the Sun’s continuous solar wind briefly blew away Mars’ atmosphere.It happened last year, but scientists now think it might happen on earth too. But we don’t have to go back that far to see the sun wreaking havoc on Earth. Just this week. Monster X class flarethe most powerful solar eruption since 2017 will explode from the sun, causing a radio blackout on Earth and unleashing a CME that could hit Earth in the coming days.
Speaking of things hitting the Earth, a new simulation suggests that Arizona’s famous Barringer crater may have been formed by an impact with the Earth. A “curveball” asteroid in space Elsewhere on Earth, we have found “dead” California sequoias. came back to life After the wildfire A 400 million year old parasitic fungus frozen over timeand an amazing ecosystem Crystal clear lagoon and salt flats Argentina’s Puna de Atacama desert may provide insight into early life on Earth and Mars.
Other objects discovered on Earth this week include an 800-year-old healing bowl depicting a two-headed dragon, 2,200-year-old tiles directly related to the history of Hanukkah, ancient flayed human bones, and Medieval “curse tablet summoning Satan – found at the bottom of a toilet.
And finally, to the animal kingdom. A strange dolphin has been discovered in Greece, alongside an Antarctic sea spider, a bloodthirsty female meerkat and a pink white crocodile. The dolphin had developed an interesting hook-shaped “thumb” carved out of its body. flippers.
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This week’s photo
Breathtaking new stills and footage capture their beauty and acrobatic skills. tens of thousands of starlings They swarm across the skies of Europe.The mesmerizing shot was taken by a Danish photographer Seiren Solcarehe has spent six years chasing the majestic bird across Europe.
Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) flock together to form so-called rustlings. The name comes from the sound made by thousands of flapping wings during this event.Starling tweets include: Over 1 million birdsall swooping down in unison, creating evocative shapes in the sky.
His ninth photographic monograph includes:starling” (Edition Circle, 2023), Solker presents this “incredible ballet” in a series of images taken during and after sunset in Europe.
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Dr. Suzanne O’Sullivan, a consultant neurologist at Britain’s National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, has spent her life treating psychosomatic illnesses, or disorders, that suffer from debilitating physical symptoms that cannot be explained by physical or medical tests. I did. investigation.
Medicine has a long and stigmatized history of symptoms for which no physical cause can be found, often dismissed with sexist terms such as “hysteria.” But that’s a fundamental misunderstanding of how these very real illnesses manifest.
Quote: “I don’t think this is a problem of consciousness, but a problem of many old-fashioned constraints.” Dr. Suzanne O’Sullivan.
O’Sullivan says many people with these symptoms are told it’s all in their head or dismissed as hypochondriacs, but that’s a problem. As part of her work, she aims to reduce her stigma and dispel misconceptions about psychosomatic illnesses.
Live Science explains why these symptoms are so poorly understood, how they are diagnosed, and Why do their treatments often fail?.
