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Categories: Computer Science: Quantum Computers, Environmental: Ecosystems
Published Self-correcting quantum computers within reach?



Quantum computers promise to reach speeds and efficiencies impossible for even the fastest supercomputers of today. Yet the technology hasn't seen much scale-up and commercialization largely due to its inability to self-correct. Quantum computers, unlike classical ones, cannot correct errors by copying encoded data over and over. Scientists had to find another way. Now, a new paper illustrates a quantum computing platform's potential to solve the longstanding problem known as quantum error correction.
Published Flooding that closed Alaska's Dalton Highway also caused widespread ground sinking



The massive 2015 flooding of the Sagavanirktok River in northern Alaska had immediate impacts, including closure of the Dalton Highway for several days, but it also contributed to longer-term ground subsidence in the permafrost-rich region.
Published The good and bad uses of biomass for California



A new study examines the good and bad uses of biomass and the best pathways to meet California’s goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 85% of 1990 levels by 2045.
Published Exploring parameter shift for quantum fisher information



Scientists have developed a technique called 'Time-dependent Stochastic Parameter Shift' in the realm of quantum computing and quantum machine learning. This breakthrough method revolutionizes the estimation of gradients or derivatives of functions, a crucial step in many computational tasks.
Published Rivers may not recover from drought for years



Lack of rainfall is not the only measure of drought. New research shows that despite a series of storms, the impact of drought can persist in streams and rivers for up to 3.5 years.
Published Killer whales' diet more important than location for pollutant exposure



Both elegant and fierce, killer whales are some of the oceans' top predators, but even they can be exposed to environmental pollution. Now, in the largest study to date on North Atlantic killer whales, researchers report the levels of legacy and emerging pollutants in 162 individuals' blubber. The animals' diet, rather than location, greatly impacted contaminant levels and potential health risks -- information that's helpful to conservation efforts.
Published Warm summers and wet winters yield better wine vintages



Wine quality is notorious for varying from year to year, but what makes for a 'good year?' Researchers show that weather plays an important role in determining wine quality. By analyzing 50 years’ worth of wine critic scores from the Bordeaux wine region in relation to that year’s weather, the researchers showed that higher quality wine is made in years with warmer temperatures, higher winter rainfall, and earlier, shorter growing seasons—conditions that climate change is predicted to make more frequent.
Published A new way to erase quantum computer errors



Researchers have demonstrated a type of quantum eraser. The physicists show that they can pinpoint and correct for mistakes in quantum computing systems known as 'erasure' errors.
Published Epiphytes, amazing plants like moss and bromeliads found in trees, face growing threats



Epiphytes, plants such as orchids and mosses that grow in trees, draw nutrients from the air and create refuge for all sorts of other life forms. They are the foundation of forest canopy ecosystems, but they are facing threats from human and natural disturbances.
Published The changing climate creates more noise in the oceans



Due to the changing climate, the underwater world is getting ever noisier.
Published Discovery of invisible nutrient discharge on Great Barrier Reef raises concerns



Scientists using natural tracers off Queensland’s coast have discovered the source of previously unquantified nitrogen and phosphorus having a profound environmental impact on the Great Barrier Reef. Groundwater discharge accounted for approximately one-third of new nitrogen and two-thirds of phosphorus inputs, indicating that nearly twice the amount of nitrogen enters the Reef from groundwater compared to river waters.
Published Newly-discovered 'margarita snails' from the Florida Keys are bright lemon-yellow



A newly-discovered, bright yellow snail has been discovered in the Florida Keys and named in honor of Jimmy Buffet's song 'Margaritaville.' The lemon-colored marine snail, along with its lime-green cousin from Belize, is the subject of a recent study ; researchers think these snails' bright colors might help deter predators.
Published Natural GM crops: Grasses take evolutionary shortcut by borrowing genes from their neighbors



Grass may transfer genes from their neighbors in the same way genetically modified crops are made, a new study has revealed.
Published Twisted science: New quantum ruler to explore exotic matter



Researchers have developed a 'quantum ruler' to measure and explore the strange properties of multilayered sheets of graphene, a form of carbon. The work may also lead to a new, miniaturized standard for electrical resistance that could calibrate electronic devices directly on the factory floor, eliminating the need to send them to an off-site standards laboratory.
Published Prehistoric people occupied upland regions of inland Spain in even the coldest periods of the last Ice Age



Paleolithic human populations survived even in the coldest and driest upland parts of Spain, according to a new study.
Published Early human migrants followed lush corridor-route out of Africa



Scientists have found early human migrants left Africa for Eurasia, across the Sinai peninsula and on through Jordan, over 80-thousand years ago. Researchers have proved there was a 'well-watered corridor' which funneled hunter-gatherers through The Levant towards western Asia and northern Arabia via Jordan.
Published Meadow Spittlebug's record-breaking diet also makes it top disease carrier for plants



New research fueled in part by citizen scientists reveals that the meadow spittlebug—known for the foamy, spit-like urine released by its nymphs—can feed on at least 1,300 species of host plants, more than twice the number of any other insect.
Published Machine learning used to probe the building blocks of shapes



Applying machine learning to find the properties of atomic pieces of geometry shows how AI has the power to accelerate discoveries in maths.
Published Volcanic ash effects on Earth systems



To bridge the knowledge gap between volcanologists and atmospheric scientists working on climate change and observing global systems, researchers have characterized volcanic ash samples from many explosive eruptions of a broad compositional range.
Published Carbon-capture tree plantations threaten tropical biodiversity for little gain, ecologists say



The increasingly urgent climate crisis has led to a boom in commercial tree plantations in an attempt to offset excess carbon emissions. However, authors argue that these carbon-offset plantations might come with costs for biodiversity and other ecosystem functions. Instead, the authors say we should prioritize conserving and restoring intact ecosystems.