New optical "transistor" speeds up computation up to 1,000 times, at lowest switching energy possible
An international research team led by Skoltech and IBM has created an extremely energy-efficient optical switch that could replace electronic transistors in a new generation of computers manipulating photons rather than electrons. In addition to dire.....»»
What Not to Expect at Apple’s May 7th Event
We’ve already taken a look at what to expect at Apple’s special “Let Loose” event on May 7th and today we’re switching gears and looking at products that likely won’t be announced during the show. Apple’s .....»»
We may have spotted the first magnetar flare outside our galaxy
Not all gamma-ray bursts come from supernovae. Enlarge / M82, the site of what's likely to be a giant flare from a magnetar. (credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team) Gamma rays are a broad category of high-energy.....»»
Africa"s megacities threatened by heat, floods, disease—action needed to start greening, adapt to climate change
Cities cover just 3% of the planet. But they emit 78% of all global greenhouse gas emissions, absorb 80% of final global energy (what consumers use) and consume 60% of clean drinking water......»»
Diversity and productivity go branch-in-branch: Scientists share which forests can adapt to climate change
Climate change can be characterized as the Grim Reaper or some other harbinger of dire times for humanity and natural environment, including forests. Previous studies reporting a decline in forest productivity due to climate warming and long-term dro.....»»
Leave policies can disadvantage women in tough times
Female employees with access to family leave policies bear the brunt of economic downturns, according to a new study......»»
Spring iPhone sales slip to lowest activation share in years
The iPhone's slice of the smartphone activation pie has shrunk to its smallest size in six years, marking a concerning trend for Apple as it grapples with the longest gap yet between its iPhone releases.iPhone sales slip to lowest activation share in.....»»
International team detects eruption of mega-magnetic star in nearby galaxy
While ESA's satellite INTEGRAL was observing the sky, it spotted a burst of gamma-rays—high-energy photons—coming from the nearby galaxy M82. Only a few hours later, ESA's XMM-Newton X-ray space telescope searched for an afterglow from the explos.....»»
New method makes finding bat roosts easier for conservationists
A new algorithm is making it easier for ecologists and conservationists to find bat roost locations—reducing search areas by nearly 375 times their previous size. The technology combines microphone detector data with a bat movement model to identif.....»»
This one Apple Fitness feature completely changed how I exercise
Sticking with a regular workout routine can feel impossible at times. But that changed after I found this one Apple Fitness feature......»»
Secureworks enables users to view known vulnerabilities in the context of threat data
Secureworks announced the ability to integrate vulnerability risk context with threat detection to prevent attackers from exploiting known vulnerabilities and expedite response times, improving an organization’s security posture. The integration be.....»»
NYT Connections: hints and answers for Wednesday, April 24
Connections is the new puzzle game from the New York Times, and it can be quite difficult. If you need a hand with solving today's puzzle, we're here to help......»»
Light-activated materials perform well in treatment of textile effluent
Photoelectrochemical processes have been considered sustainable alternatives for the remediation of water contaminated by domestic or industrial effluents. Simply put, the strategy consists of using solar energy to degrade organic pollutants......»»
The big quantum chill: Scientists modify common lab refrigerator to cool faster with less energy
By modifying a refrigerator commonly used in both research and industry, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have drastically reduced the time and energy required to cool materials to within a few degrees above ab.....»»
Vastly bigger than the Black Summer: 84 million hectares of northern Australia burned in 2023
It may come as a surprise to hear 2023 was Australia's biggest bushfire season in more than a decade. Fires burned across an area eight times as big as the 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires that tore through 10 million hectares in southeast Australia......»»
Manipulating the geometry of the "electron universe" in magnets
Researchers at Tohoku University and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency have developed fundamental experiments and theories to manipulate the geometry of the "electron universe," which describes the structure of electronic quantum states in a manner math.....»»
State"s new law involving Puget Sound Energy aspires to set a course for the future
Over the past couple of years, Washington lawmakers have wrestled with a daunting task......»»
NYT Connections: hints and answers for Tuesday, April 23
Connections is the new puzzle game from the New York Times, and it can be quite difficult. If you need a hand with solving today's puzzle, we're here to help......»»
Apple nearing billion-dollar streaming TV deal with FIFA; still in the running for NBA rights
Apple is doubling down on soccer as an integral part of its sports strategy for Apple TV. According to a new report from The New York Times, FIFA is nearing a deal with Apple for the worldwide television rights to a new World Cup-style tournament bei.....»»
AI and physics combine to reveal the 3D structure of a flare erupting around a black hole
Scientists believe the environment immediately surrounding a black hole is tumultuous, featuring hot magnetized gas that spirals in a disk at tremendous speeds and temperatures. Astronomical observations show that within such a disk, mysterious flare.....»»
Astronomers discover largest stellar black hole in Milky Way: Study
Astronomers identified the largest stellar black hole yet discovered in the Milky Way, with a mass 33 times that of the Sun, according to a study published on Tuesday......»»