Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

How climate change impacts the Indian Ocean dipole, leading to severe droughts and floods      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers now have a much better understanding of how climate change can impact and cause sea water temperatures on one side of the Indian Ocean to be so much warmer or cooler than the temperatures on the other -- a phenomenon that can lead to sometimes deadly weather-related events like megadroughts in East Africa and severe flooding in Indonesia.

Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Climate risk insurance can effectively mitigate economic losses      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Global warming is expected to lead to an accumulation of particularly intense hurricanes in the United States. This may substantially increase the economic losses caused by these storms. Better insurance could effectively mitigate the climate change-induced increase in economic losses. This is shown in a new study examining the effectiveness of climate risk insurance in the US.

Geoscience: Earthquakes Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

The adverse health effects of disaster-related trauma      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new study has found that individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to experience disaster-related home loss, and they are also more likely to develop functional limitations following the disaster. 

Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Skiing over Christmas holidays no longer guaranteed -- even with snow guns      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

For many people, holidays in the snow are as much a part of the end of the year as Christmas trees and fireworks. As global warming progresses, however, white slopes are becoming increasingly rare. Researchers have calculated how well one of Switzerland's largest ski resorts will remain snow reliable with technical snow-making by the year 2100, and how much water this snow will consume.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Geoscience: Geology Geoscience: Geomagnetic Storms Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

New study models the transmission of foreshock waves towards Earth      (via sciencedaily.com) 

As the supersonic solar wind surges towards Earth, its interaction with our planet's magnetic field creates a shock to deflect its flow, and a foreshock filled with electromagnetic waves. How these waves can propagate to the other side of the shock has long remained a mystery.

Computer Science: Encryption
Published

Researchers propose methods for automatic detection of doxing      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new automated approach to detect doxing -- a form of cyberbullying in which certain private or personally identifiable information is publicly shared without an individual's consent or knowledge -- may help social media platforms better protect their users, according to researchers.

Computer Science: Encryption Computer Science: Quantum Computers Mathematics: Puzzles
Published

Microlaser chip adds new dimensions to quantum communication      (via sciencedaily.com) 

With only two levels of superposition, the qubits used in today's quantum communication technologies have limited storage space and low tolerance for interference. Engineering's hyperdimensional microlaser generates 'qudits,' photons with four simultaneous levels of information. The increase in dimension makes for robust quantum communication technology better suited for real-world applications.

Computer Science: Encryption
Published

New AI model can help prevent damaging and costly data breaches      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Privacy experts have created an AI algorithm that automatically tests privacy-preserving systems for potential data leaks.

Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Warming oceans likely to shrink the viable habitat of many marine animals -- but not all      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new article adds a new chapter to the story of how some animals may respond to the warming oceans.

Computer Science: Encryption
Published

New method to systematically find optimal quantum operation sequences for quantum computers developed      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Computer scientists have succeeded in developing a method for systematically finding the optimal quantum operation sequence for a quantum computer. They have developed a systematic method that applies optimal control theory (GRAPE algorithm) to identify the theoretically optimal sequence from among all conceivable quantum operation sequences. This method is expected to become a useful tool for medium-scale quantum computers and is expected to contribute to improving the performance of quantum computers and reducing environmental impact in the near future.

Computer Science: Encryption
Published

From bits to p-bits: One step closer to probabilistic computing      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists have developed a mathematical description of what happens within tiny magnets as they fluctuate between states when an electric current and magnetic field are applied. Their findings could act as the foundation for engineering more advanced computers that can quantify uncertainty while interpreting complex data.

Computer Science: Encryption
Published

Thinking like a cyber-attacker to protect user data      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have shown that a component of modern computer processors that enables different areas of the chip to communicate with each other is susceptible to a side-channel attack. An attacker can monitor how traffic from two different cores on a processor interferes with each other to extract secret information, like a cryptographic key.

Computer Science: Encryption Mathematics: Puzzles
Published

A key role for quantum entanglement      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A method known as quantum key distribution has long held the promise of communication security unattainable in conventional cryptography. An international team of scientists has now demonstrated experimentally, for the first time, an approach to quantum key distribution that is based on high-quality quantum entanglement -- offering much broader security guarantees than previous schemes.

Computer Science: Encryption
Published

Quantum cryptography: Hacking is futile      (via sciencedaily.com) 

An international team has successfully implemented an advanced form of quantum cryptography for the first time. Moreover, encryption is independent of the quantum device used and therefore even more secure against hacking attempts.

Computer Science: Encryption Mathematics: Puzzles
Published

'Pulling back the curtain' to reveal a molecular key to The Wizard of Oz      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Many people and companies worry about sensitive data getting hacked, so encrypting files with digital keys has become more commonplace. Now, researchers have developed a durable molecular encryption key from sequence-defined polymers that are built and deconstructed in a sequential way. They hid their molecular key in the ink of a letter, which was mailed and then used to decrypt a file with text from a classic story.

Computer Science: Encryption Engineering: Biometric
Published

Radio waves for the detection of hardware tampering      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Up to now, protecting hardware against manipulation has been a laborious business: expensive, and only possible on a small scale. And yet, two simple antennas might do the trick.

Computer Science: Encryption
Published

Secure communication with light particles      (via sciencedaily.com) 

While quantum computers offer many novel possibilities, they also pose a threat to internet security since these supercomputers make common encryption methods vulnerable. Based on the so-called quantum key distribution, researchers have developed a new, tap-proof communication network.

Computer Science: Encryption
Published

Emulating impossible 'unipolar' laser pulses paves the way for processing quantum information      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A laser pulse that sidesteps the inherent symmetry of light waves could manipulate quantum information, potentially bringing us closer to room temperature quantum computing.

Computer Science: Encryption
Published

Self-propelled, endlessly programmable artificial cilia      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have developed a single-material, single-stimuli microstructure that can outmaneuver even living cilia. These programmable, micron-scale structures could be used for a range of applications, including soft robotics, biocompatible medical devices, and even dynamic information encryption.

Computer Science: Encryption Mathematics: Puzzles
Published

Scientific advance leads to a new tool in the fight against hackers      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new form of security identification could soon see the light of day and help us protect our data from hackers and cybercriminals. Quantum mathematicians have solved a mathematical riddle that allows for a person's geographical location to be used as a personal ID that is secure against even the most advanced cyber attacks.