Showing 20 articles starting at article 1
Categories: Computer Science: Quantum Computers, Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published Unconventional interface superconductor could benefit quantum computing



A multi-institutional team of scientists has developed a new superconductor material that could potentially be used in quantum computing and be a candidate 'topological superconductor.'
Published Toward a code-breaking quantum computer



Building on a landmark algorithm, researchers propose a way to make a smaller and more noise-tolerant quantum factoring circuit for cryptography.
Published Creature the size of a dust grain found hiding in California's Mono Lake



Mono Lake is a beautiful but harsh environment, its salty and arsenic-laced water home to brine shrimp, alkali flies and little else. Scientists recently discovered an unsuspected resident, however, a microscopic creature -- a choanoflagelatte -- that forms colonies that harbor their own unique bacterial microbiomes. The creature, part of the sister group to all animals, could shed light on the evolution of animals' intimate interactions with bacteria and the rise of multicellular life.
Published Qubit coherence decay traced to thermal dissipation



Hitherto a mystery, the thermal energy loss of qubits can be explained with a surprisingly simple experimental setup, according to new research.
Published To kill mammoths in the Ice Age, people used planted pikes, not throwing spears, researchers say



Archeologists say new findings might help resolve the debate about Clovis points and reshape how we think about what life was like roughly 13,000 years ago. After an extensive review of writings and artwork -- and an experiment with replica Clovis point spears -- a team of archaeologists says humans may have braced the butt of their weapons against the ground in a way that would impale a charging animal. The force would have driven the spear deeper into the predator's body, unleashing a more damaging blow than even the strongest prehistoric hunters would have been capable of by throwing or jabbing megafauna.
Published Scientists harness quantum microprocessor chips for revolutionary molecular spectroscopy simulation



Engineering researchers have successfully developed a quantum microprocessor chip for molecular spectroscopy simulation of actual large-structured and complex molecules.
Published Evidence stacks up for poisonous books containing toxic dyes



Some of the attractive hues of brightly colored, cloth-bound books from the Victorian era come from dyes that could pose a health risk to readers, collectors or librarians. The latest research on these 'poison books' used three techniques -- including one that hasn't previously been applied to books -- to assess dangerous dyes in a university collection and found some volumes had levels that might be unsafe.
Published Tracking down the asteroid that sealed the fate of the dinosaurs



The asteroid that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago probably came from the outer solar system.
Published Rethinking the dodo



Researchers are setting out to challenge our misconceptions about the Dodo, one of the most well-known but poorly understood species of bird. Researchers have undertaken the most comprehensive review of the taxonomy of the Dodo and its closest relative, the Rodriguez Island Solitaire.
Published Quantum pumping in molecular junctions



Researchers have developed a new theoretical modelling technique that could potentially be used in the development of switches or amplifiers in molecular electronics.
Published Why do plants wiggle? New study provides answers



Decades after his voyage on the HMS Beagle, Charles Darwin became fascinated by why plants move as they grow -- spinning and twisting into corkscrews. Now, more than 150 years later, a new study may have solved the riddle.
Published Advancing modular quantum information processing



A team of physicists envisions a modular system for scaling quantum processors with a flexible way of linking qubits over long distances to enable them to work in concert to perform quantum operations. The ability to carry out such correlated or 'entangling' operations between linked qubits is the basis of the enhanced power quantum computing holds compared with current computers.
Published Rare archaeological site reveals 'surprising' Neanderthal behaviour at Pyrenees foothills



An unchartered area in the foothills of the Southern Pyrenees in Spain is providing insights into a poorly known period of Neanderthal history, offering clues that could help archaeologists uncover the mystery of their downfall, according to new research.
Published Great Scott! Stonehenge's Altar Stone origins reveal advanced ancient Britain



New research has revealed Stonehenge's monumental six-ton Altar Stone, long believed to originate from Wales, actually hails from Scotland.
Published Decoding the world's largest animal genome



Scientists have sequenced the largest genome of all animals, the lungfish genome. Their data help to explain how the fish-ancestors of today's land vertebrates were able to conquer land.
Published Giant fossil seeds from Borneo record ancient plant migration



Ancient fossil beans about the size of modern limes, and among the largest seeds in the fossil record, may provide new insight into the evolution of today's diverse Southeast Asian and Australian rainforests, according to researchers who identified the plants.
Published New interpretation of runic inscription reveals pricing in Viking age



A new interpretation of the runic inscription on the Forsa Ring (Forsaringen in Swedish), provides fresh insights into the Viking Age monetary system and represents the oldest documented value record in Scandinavia. The inscription describes how the Vikings handled fines in a flexible and practical manner.
Published Rewriting the evolutionary history of critical components of the nervous system



A new study has rewritten the conventionally understood evolutionary history of certain ion channels -- proteins critical for electrical signaling in the nervous system. The study shows that the Shaker family of ion channels were present in microscopic single cell organisms well before the common ancestor of all animals and thus before the origin of the nervous system.
Published Achieving quantum memory in the hard X-ray range



Physicists have used Doppler-shifted nuclear resonant absorbers to form a nuclear frequency comb, enabling a quantum memory in the notoriously difficult X-ray range.
Published International Space Station crew carries out archeological survey in space



An archaeological strategy adapted for space used daily photos to reveal how astronauts actually use areas aboard the International Space Station -- and how this differs from intended uses.