Quantum computing offers the hope of dramatic increases in computational capabilities. That’s the promise of quantum computers that can handle hundreds of thousands or millions of quantum bits or qubits. But for the moment, the state-of-the-art machines barely manage a few dozen qubits and cannot yet outperform classical computers in any meaningful way. Part of the problem is that quantum algorithms generally require hundreds or thousands of qubits, even for simple problems. So mathematicians ...read more
Europe is in the midst of a heat wave, and while Olympic athletes in Paris for the 2024 Summer Games might be spared the worst of it, the weather will still be hot.As global temperatures have risen, major sporting events like the Olympics and FIFA World Cup have had to adapt to high heat and extreme storms to keep athletes and fans safe and allow the games to go on.Olympic organizers have moved events such as marathons to early mornings and even to cooler cities. FIFA, the governing body for wor ...read more
Humanity has long been captivated by the dark side of the moon, known for its mystery and opportunities for discovery. For decades, though, the moon’s darkest and most distant regions were thought to be unreachable. But in August 2023, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which became the first spacecraft to land near the moon’s south pole.Outfitted with groundbreaking temperature detection and chemical analysis technology, Chandrayaan-3 collected ...read more
For many people, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee is the start of a great day. But caffeine can cause headaches and jittersin others. That’s why many people reach for a decaffeinated cup instead.I’m a chemistry professor who has taught lectures on why chemicals dissolve in some liquids but not in others. The processes of decaffeination offer great real-life examples of these chemistry concepts. Even the best decaffeination method, however, does not remove all of the caffeine – about 7 mi ...read more
Nikolai Kardashev, a Russian astrophysicist, was one of the founders of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). In 1964, Kardashev published a paper proposing a way to categorize a planet's energy use, a system that has come to be known as the Kardashev Scale. In 1964, when Kardashev published his paper, SETI was still a very young field. But now, a growing number of researchers are actively looking for technosignatures that indicate intelligent life elsewhere in the galaxy.Pinchen ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine