Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Mathematics: Puzzles
Published

Purchasing loot boxes in video games associated with problem gambling risk, says study      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Gamers who buy 'loot boxes' are up to two times more likely to gamble, shows new research.

Mathematics: Puzzles
Published

Online gaming enhances career prospects and develops soft skills, finds new study      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Online gaming behavior can encourage gamers to gain a variety of soft skills which could assist them with training to support their career aspirations, according to new research.

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.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Geoscience: Geomagnetic Storms Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

Ultrathin solar cells promise improved satellite performance      (via sciencedaily.com) 

As low Earth orbit becomes more cluttered, it becomes increasingly necessary to use middle Earth orbits, and radiation-tolerant cell designs will be needed. Making photovoltaics thinner should increase their longevity because the charge carriers have less far to go during their shortened lifetimes. Scientists propose a radiation-tolerant photovoltaic cell design that features an ultrathin layer of light-absorbing material. Compared to thicker cells, nearly 3.5 times less cover glass is needed for the ultra-thin cells to deliver the same amount of power after 20 years of operation.

Mathematics: General Mathematics: Modeling Mathematics: Puzzles
Published

Mathematicians explain how some fireflies flash in sync      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new study by mathematicians shows that math borrowed from neuroscience can describe how swarms of these unique insects coordinate their light show, capturing key details about how they behave in the wild.

Mathematics: General Mathematics: Modeling Mathematics: Puzzles
Published

Music class in sync with higher math scores -- but only at higher-income schools      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Music and arts classes are often first on the chopping block when schools face tight budgets and pressure to achieve high scores on standardized tests. But it's precisely those classes that can increase student interest in school and even benefit their math achievement, according to a new study.

Mathematics: Puzzles
Published

Electronic gaming can trigger potentially lethal heart rhythm problems in susceptible children      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Electronic gaming can precipitate life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias in susceptible children whose predisposition may have been previously unrecognized, according to a new report. The investigators documented an uncommon, but distinct pattern among children who lose consciousness while playing electronic (video) games.

Mathematics: General Mathematics: Puzzles
Published

As few as 1 in 5 COVID cases may have been counted worldwide, mathematical models suggest      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Mathematical models indicate that as few as one in five cases of COVID-19 which occurred during the first 29 months of the pandemic are accounted for in the half billion cases officially reported.

Geoscience: Geomagnetic Storms Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

Where do high-energy particles that endanger satellites, astronauts and airplanes come from?      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Astrophysicists show how and when specific particles form and offers clues to questions that have troubled scientists since the 1940s.

Mathematics: Puzzles
Published

Gamers can have their cake and eat it too      (via sciencedaily.com) 

New research from Japan shows that multiple cognitive abilities may be empirically measured from a complex game experience depending on the game's design.

Mathematics: General Mathematics: Puzzles
Published

The way you talk to your child about math matters      (via sciencedaily.com) 

'You're so smart!' -- This encouraging response may actually do more harm than good to children's math performance, according to a new study. The study found that encouraging children with responses related to their personal traits or innate abilities may dampen their math motivation and achievement over time.

Mathematics: Puzzles
Published

Reasons behind gamer rage in children are complex -- and children are good at naming them      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Children's outbursts of rage while playing digital games are causing both concern and public debate around the topic. Taking a novel approach to gamer rage, a new study examines the topic from a child's perspective, finding complex reasons for gamer rage in children.

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 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.

Geoscience: Geomagnetic Storms
Published

Major infrared breakthrough could lead to solar power at night      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Using technology similar to night-vision goggles, researchers have developed a device that can generate electricity from thermal radiation.

Mathematics: General Mathematics: Puzzles
Published

The numbers don't lie: Australia is failing at maths and we need to find a new formula to arrest the decline      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Australia has suffered a significant drop in teenage maths proficiency in the past 20 years -- sliding from 11th in the OECD rankings to 29th place out of 38 countries, prompting widespread debate over potential curriculum changes. One researcher says hand gestures could stop the slide.

Mathematics: Puzzles
Published

Video games can help boost children's intelligence      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists have studied how the screen habits of US children correlates with how their cognitive abilities develop over time. They found that the children who spent an above-average time playing video games increased their intelligence more than the average, while TV watching or social media had neither a positive nor a negative effect.

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.

Geoscience: Geomagnetic Storms
Published

Modeling Earth's magnetosphere in the laboratory      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists report a method to study smaller magnetospheres, sometimes just millimeters thick, in the laboratory. The new experimental platform combines the magnetic field of the Large Plasma Device with a fast laser-driven plasma and a current-driven dipole magnet. The LAPD magnetic field provides a model of the solar system's interplanetary magnetic field, while the laser-driven plasma models the solar wind and the dipole magnet provides a model for the Earth's inherent magnetic field. Motorized probes allow system scans in three dimensions by combining data from tens of thousands of laser shots.

Geoscience: Geomagnetic Storms Space: Exploration
Published

Researchers discover source of super-fast electron 'rain'      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists have discovered a new source of super-fast, energetic electrons raining down on Earth's atmosphere, a phenomenon that contributes to the colorful aurora borealis and poses hazards to satellites, spacecraft and astronauts.