"That's so random" is a common saying people use when they see or experience something unexpected. But as a concept in physics, true mathematical randomness has long proven elusive — until now. A team of computer scientists using quantum computing methods has, for the first time, generated a truly random number, they report in the journal Nature.By now you’re asking yourself, what is “true randomness,” anyway? Doesn’t choosing a number between, say, one and a trillion, count as truly r ...read more
(A) Ventral view of the mandible and associated skull elements. (B) Mandible and skull elements labeled. (C) Left lateral view of the mandible. Abbreviations: an, angular; art, articular; d, dentary; j, jugal; R. mx, right maxilla; L. mx, left maxilla; p, palatine; R. pm, right premaxilla; sp, splenial; s.r., symphyseal ridge; sur, surangular.
(Image Credit: Klaus Nilkens/Urwelt-Museum Hauff/Marx et al.)After making a splash in early 2025 with the identification of its 183-million-year-old fossi ...read more
Early warning systems for natural disasters have undoubtedly saved countless lives. Detectors that monitor signs of impending earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes, among others, provide crucial hours — sometimes days — for us to take evasive action.What if we could do the same thing for heart attacks? A group of French researchers working with some U.S. colleagues, have designed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool that could help do just that, they report in the European Heart Journal.Ear ...read more
Sweetened vanilla, calming lavender, or fragrant jasmine and lotus may fill your home with enticing aromas. But new research shows that the supposed stress-reducing and mood-enhancing effects of scented products may come with unwanted indoor pollution.“While these products are widely used to create a cozy atmosphere, their emissions can impact indoor air quality, especially in spaces with limited ventilation,” says Nusrat Jung, a civil engineer at Purdue University.Jung became interested in ...read more
The impending eruption of Alaska’s Mt. Spurr is a timely reminder that, if you live near a volcano, you should be prepared in case it blows. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) says there are 170 potentially active volcanoes in the country, and chances are you could live near one. But how should you prepare for an eruption and how can you recover after? Planning for a Volcano EruptionThe first question one should ask themselves is, do I live within range of a volcano, and if so, how clo ...read more
In the 1960s, physicists showed how light could interact with itself in intriguing ways thanks to a process known as second-harmonic generation. In the right kind of material, two photons of a certain frequency can interact to produce another photon of twice the frequency, turning red light into green, for example. Since then, physicists have exploited these non-linear optics in techniques ranging from precision measurement to quantum computing. Yet, one persistent challenge has remained. Nonlin ...read more
In January 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) released new guidelines recommending a switch from typical table salt to alternatives containing less sodium, aiming to reduce worldwide sodium intake by 30 percent in the next five years.One of the leading causes of death globally is cardiovascular disease — and often, eating too much salt can contribute to that. The average person consumes significantly more salt than is healthy, resulting in an intake of four grams of sodium per day. It ...read more
Ever had poison ivy? If so, you probably noticed that scratching made the rash much worse. But scratching an itch, especially one as intense as that caused by poison ivy, is nigh irresistible — and feels so satisfying. If you think about it, says Daniel Kaplan, who is a dermatologist and immunologist at the University of Pittsburgh, that’s a little curious. When comparing this action to pain, pain causes you to stop what you’re doing and tend to the wound. But the pain also creates a memo ...read more
With popular genetic testing company 23andMe filing for bankruptcy, what does the future of ancestry DNA look like?A team of researchers from the University of Michigan says it is going to look more like a movie than a portrait, thanks to a new statistical model that can be used to trace ancestry in a new way.Redefining the Family TreeThis new statistical method, developed by Gideon Bradburd and fellow University of Michigan (U-M) researchers Michael Grundler and Jonathan Terhorst, promises to g ...read more
Wheat can be vulnerable to diseases that may increase as the Earth warms. A team of scientists across five continents may have found a way to help wheat fight back, according to two papers published in the journal Science."Climate change is causing diseases to appear in places previously unseen,” Brande Wulff., a researcher at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia and an author of the study, said in a press release. “We need more study of plant immunity t ...read more
