Archaeology: General Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Zoology Paleontology: General
Published

In the evolution of walking, the hip bone connected to the rib bones      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new reconstruction of the 375-million-year-old fossil fish Tiktaalik -- a close relative of limbed vertebrates -- used micro-CT to reveal bones still embedded in matrix. The reconstruction shows that the fish's ribs likely attached to its pelvis, an innovation thought to be crucial to supporting the body and for the eventual evolution of walking.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics Space: Astrophysics Space: General Space: Structures and Features
Published

Chemical reactions can scramble quantum information as well as black holes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team of researchers has shown that molecules can be as formidable at scrambling quantum information as black holes by combining mathematical tools from black hole physics and chemical physics and testing their theory in chemical reactions.

Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Progress in quantum physics: Researchers tame superconductors      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international team including researchers from the University of W rzburg has succeeded in creating a special state of superconductivity. This discovery could advance the development of quantum computers.

Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published

Last chance to record archaic Greek language 'heading for extinction'      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new data crowdsourcing platform aims to preserve the sound of Romeyka, an endangered millennia-old variety of Greek. Experts consider the language to be a linguistic goldmine and a living bridge to the ancient world.

Anthropology: Early Humans Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Paleontology: Fossils
Published

When did the chicken cross the road? New evidence from Central Asia      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international team of scholars present the earliest clear archaeological and biomolecular evidence for the raising of chickens for egg production, based on material from 12 archaeological sites spanning one and a half millennia. The research indicates that the domestic chicken, now a staple in diets around the world, is not as ancient as previously thought.

Computer Science: Encryption Computer Science: General Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Optics Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

100 kilometers of quantum-encrypted transfer      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have taken a big step towards securing information against hacking. They have succeeded in using quantum encryption to securely transfer information 100 kilometers via fiber optic cable -- roughly equivalent to the distance between Oxford and London.

Anthropology: Cultures Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Paleontology: Fossils
Published

Ancient DNA reveals the appearance of a 6th century Chinese emperor      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

What did an ancient Chinese emperor from 1,500 years ago look like? A team of researchers reconstructed the face of Chinese Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou using DNA extracted from his remains. The study suggests the emperor's death at the age of 36 might be linked to a stroke. It also sheds light on the origin and migration patterns of a nomadic empire that once ruled parts of northeastern Asia.

Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

A new type of cooling for quantum simulators      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Quantum simulators are quantum systems that can be controlled exceptionally well. They can be used to indirectly learn something about other quantum systems, which cannot be experimented on so easily. Therefore, quantum simulators play an important role in unraveling the big questions of quantum physics. However, they are limited by temperature: They only work well, when they are extremely cold. Scientists have now developed a method to cool quantum simulators even more than before: by splitting a Bose-Einstein-condensate in half, in a very special way.

Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Optics Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Bullseye! Accurately centering quantum dots within photonic chips      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have now developed standards and calibrations for optical microscopes that allow quantum dots to be aligned with the center of a photonic component to within an error of 10 to 20 nanometers (about one-thousandth the thickness of a sheet of paper). Such alignment is critical for chip-scale devices that employ the radiation emitted by quantum dots to store and transmit quantum information.

Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published

Uncovering the mystery of Dorset's Cerne Giant      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

For centuries, the Cerne Giant, a figure carved into a hillside in Dorset, has fascinated locals and visitors to the area. A new paper proposes that the Cerne Giant can in fact be dated to the early Middle Ages, and, as a result, its cultural context and significance more clearly understood.

Chemistry: General Computer Science: General Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Scientists deliver quantum algorithm to develop new materials and chemistry      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists published the Cascaded Variational Quantum Eigensolver (CVQE) algorithm in a recent article, expected to become a powerful tool to investigate the physical properties in electronic systems.

Chemistry: General Computer Science: General Computer Science: Quantum Computers Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

The world is one step closer to secure quantum communication on a global scale      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have brought together two Nobel prize-winning research concepts to advance the field of quantum communication. Scientists can now efficiently produce nearly perfect entangled photon pairs from quantum dot sources.

Anthropology: Cultures Anthropology: Early Humans Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Geoscience: Geography
Published

Persian plateau unveiled as crucial hub for early human migration out of Africa      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study combining genetic, palaeoecological, and archaeological evidence has unveiled the Persian Plateau as a pivotal geographic location serving as a hub for Homo sapiens during the early stages of their migration out of Africa. It highlights the period between 70,000 to 45,000 years ago when human populations did not uniformly spread across Eurasia, leaving a gap in our understanding of their whereabouts during this time frame.

Computer Science: Quantum Computers Engineering: Graphene Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Quantum interference could lead to smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient transistors      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists made a single-molecule transistor using quantum interference to control electron flow. This new design offers high on/off ratio and stability, potentially leading to smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient devices. Quantum interference also improves the transistor's sensitivity to voltage changes, further boosting its efficiency.

Computer Science: General Computer Science: Quantum Computers
Published

Novel quantum algorithm for high-quality solutions to combinatorial optimization problems      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Conventional quantum algorithms are not feasible for solving combinatorial optimization problems (COPs) with constraints in the operation time of quantum computers. To address this issue, researchers have developed a novel algorithm called post-processing variationally scheduled quantum algorithm. The novelty of this innovative algorithm lies in the use of a post-processing technique combined with variational scheduling to achieve high-quality solutions to COPs in a short time.

Archaeology: General Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Scientists uncover evidence that microplastics are contaminating archaeological remains      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team of archaeologists discovered tiny microplastic particles in deposits located more than seven meters deep, in samples dating back to the first or early second century and excavated in the late 1980s.

Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Tudor era horse cemetery in Westminster revealed as likely resting place for elite imported animals      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Archaeological analysis of a near unique animal cemetery discovered in London nearly 30 years ago has revealed there was an international horse trading network, orchestrated by the elites of late medieval and Tudor England, which brought superior physical specimens to the UK for jousting and for use as status symbols.

Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Biology: Zoology Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Researchers name prehistoric amphibian ancestor discovered in Smithsonian collection after Kermit the Frog      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have uncovered the fossilized skull of a 270-million-year-old ancient amphibian ancestor in the collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. The team of researchers described the fossil as a new species of proto-amphibian, which they named Kermitops gratus in honor of the iconic Muppet, Kermit the Frog.

Computer Science: General Computer Science: Quantum Computers
Published

Verifying the work of quantum computers      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have invented a new method by which classical computers can measure the error rates of quantum machines without having to fully simulate them.