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Published

Do some mysterious bones belong to gigantic ichthyosaurs?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Several similar large, fossilized bone fragments have been discovered in various regions across Western and Central Europe since the 19th century. The animal group to which they belonged is still the subject of much debate to this day. A study could now settle this dispute once and for all: The microstructure of the fossils indicates that they come from the lower jaw of a gigantic ichthyosaur. These animals could reach 25 to 30 meters in length, a similar size to the modern blue whale.

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Published

New technique lets scientists create resistance-free electron channels      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team has taken the first atomic-resolution images and demonstrated electrical control of a chiral interface state -- an exotic quantum phenomenon that could help researchers advance quantum computing and energy-efficient electronics.

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Published

Mediterranean marine worm has developed enormous eyes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists are amazed at the discovery of a bristle worm with such sharp-seeing eyes that they can measure up to those of mammals and octopuses. The researchers suspect that these marine worms may have a secretive language, which uses UV light only seen by their own species. The advanced vision of such a primitive creature helps to finally settle an epic debate about the evolution of eyes.

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
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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.

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Giant phage holds promise as treatment for lung infections      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have discovered a new bacterial killer that can target common lung infection caused by Burkholderia bacteria that has exciting potential for biotechnological applications.

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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.

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Rock-wallaby bite size ‘packs a punch’      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Australian rock-wallabies are 'little Napoleons' when it comes to compensating for small size, packing much more punch into their bite than larger relatives. Researchers made the discovery while investigating how two dwarf species of rock-wallaby are able to feed themselves on the same kinds of foods as their much larger cousins.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
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Scientists extract genetic secrets from 4,000-year-old teeth to illuminate the impact of changing human diets over the centuries      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have recovered remarkably preserved microbiomes from two teeth dating back 4,000 years, found in an Irish limestone cave. Genetic analyses of these microbiomes reveal major changes in the oral microenvironment from the Bronze Age to today. The teeth both belonged to the same male individual and also provided a snapshot of his oral health.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Secrets of the naked mole-rat: new study reveals how their unique metabolism protects them from heart attacks      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

This unusual, subterranean mammal with extreme longevity shows genetic adaptations to low oxygen environments which could offer opportunities for advancing other areas of physiological and medical research in humans, including the development of novel therapeutic approaches.

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.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Milk on ice: Antarctic time capsule of whole milk powder sheds light on the enduring qualities--and evolution--of dairy products past and present      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

In a remarkable discovery, whole milk powder manufactured in New Zealand in 1907 and transported to Antarctica with explorers seeking the South Pole was unveiled after more than a century. The find has allowed dairy researchers to answer the question: Is the milk we enjoy today different from the milk consumed in previous generations? Now, a new comparative study has peered back in time to demonstrate that -- despite advancements in selective breeding and changes to farm practices -- milk of the past and milk today share more similarities than differences and are still crucial building blocks of human nutrition.

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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.

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Two coral snakes recorded battling for prey in a scientific first      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Two red-tailed coral snakes have been observed competing over a caecilian in the first documented wild case of kleptoparasitism within the family Elapidae.