We might finally know how to use quantum computers to boost AI
Pushing against years of scepticism, an analysis suggests quantum computers may offer real advantages for running machine learning and similar algorithms in the near future
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AI makes granular pricing easier, but consumer psychology may make it less profitable
Big data, artificial intelligence and advanced pricing algorithms make it easier than ever for companies to fine-tune prices for individual products to closely reflect their unique value and cost. The conventional wisdom is straightforward: better data, better algorithms and
Ancient Roman ‘machine-gun’ damage discovered on Pompeii walls
Recently uncovered damage to walls in Pompeii displays patterns that may have been made by an ancient “machine gun” called a polybolos
‘Cocaine hippos’ raise tough questions, and scientists uncover insights on faster aging and heart risks
“Cocaine hippos,” underground bees, and fresh insights into aging and heart health
See the spectacular Lyrid meteor shower at its peak
The Lyrid meteor shower hits its peak from April 21 to April 22. Here’s everything you need to know about this annual celestial light show
Why so many mollusks sound Greek—their naming evolves at a snail's pace
"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet," said Juliet Capulet in William Shakespeare's famous play. And the same is presumably true for mollusks, albeit with different odors. When you think about the scientific names of animals, including our own species, Homo sapiens,
Water simulation of famous quantum effect reveals unexpected wave patterns
In the quirky quantum world, particles can be affected by forces that they never directly encounter. A classic example is the Aharonov–Bohm (AB) effect, where electrons are affected by a magnetic field, despite not passing through it. Although predicted in 1959, it took more
A crowd scientist is helping the Boston Marathon manage a growing field of 30,000-plus runners
Running the Boston Marathon is tough enough without having to jostle your way from Hopkinton to Copley Square.
After 200 years scientists finally crack the “dolomite problem”
After two centuries of failed attempts, scientists have finally grown dolomite in the lab, cracking a long-standing geological puzzle. They discovered that the mineral’s growth stalls because of tiny defects—but in nature, those flaws get washed away over time. By mimicking
When AI starts shopping for you, fashion may be entering a new era of pricing
Fashion has always been a bit different to other industries. Consumers do not just buy because they need something. They buy because they are bored, influenced or simply browsing.
Hospital-acquired pneumonia reduced by daily toothbrushing
Most hospital patients don't brush their teeth regularly, but doing so could cut their risk of developing pneumonia during their stay
A cheaper way to fight 'forever chemicals': How pH-controlled traps could clean drinking water
Forever chemicals don't break down and don't disappear, but Florida International University scientists have developed a safer, cheaper, and reusable solution that could remove these chemicals. FIU chemistry professor Kevin O'Shea and chemistry Ph.D. candidate Rodrigo Restrepo
A light-controlled 'muscle' could give synthetic cells a new way to move
Engineers interested in creating artificial cells to deliver drugs to unhealthy parts of the body face a key challenge: for a cell-like system to move, change shape, or divide, it needs a way to generate force on command.
Archaeologists have discovered 12,000‑year‑old dice. Here's what they reveal about the history of play
Humans have always been playful. But for much of our history, play has left little trace. Unlike tools or bones, games rarely preserve and the fleeting pleasures they produce are even harder to recover.
Wafer-scale 2D magnetic films emerge thanks to a new low-defect growth technique
In a major advance, researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have devised a method to grow high-quality 2D magnetic materials (2D-MMs) over centimeter-scale wafers. Earlier approaches in the field were limited to growing micrometer-sized flakes. This advance paves
'Protected' seagrass meadows aren't necessarily healthy, because pollution doesn't stop at the shoreline
I spent last summer wading through seagrass meadows across Northern Ireland, from the sheltered waters of Strangford Lough to the exposed coast at Waterfoot Bay. I was collecting seagrass leaves and testing them for nitrogen pollution. Every meadow I visited sits inside a
Sulfur-rich Mercury magmas behave differently than Earth's do
Mercury is a small, rocky planet about which researchers know relatively little. Two missions, taking readings as they passed over the planet, have revealed that Mercury is covered by an iron-poor and sulfur-rich crust. It is also reduced, a chemical state in which the
Moroccan dinosaur's fearsome tail spikes evolved much earlier than we thought—new discovery
In the heart of the Middle Atlas Mountains in central Morocco, a global team of paleontologists and geologists has discovered new remains of a very unusual dinosaur. It belonged to the group called ankylosaurs, plant eaters whose bodies were covered in bony plates.
How tiny voids could make fusion targets more stable under powerful shockwaves
Picture two materials sandwiched together. The boundary between them may appear flat, but, in reality, it is full of tiny bumps and dents. Suddenly, the materials are hit with a shockwave. If that wave hits a bump in the material interface, it slows down. If it hits a dent, it
Why anatomy's naughtiest mnemonics work so well
Some lovers try positions that they can't handle—I'm referring to the bones of the wrist, of course. The phrase is a classic mnemonic used to remember the eight carpal (wrist) bones—scaphoid, lunate, triquetrum, pisiform, trapezium, trapezoid, capitate and hamate—whose initials
These blazing blue explosions may be born when a compact dead star slams into a Wolf-Rayet star
Luminous fast blue optical transients (LFBOTs) are among the universe's brightest and fastest explosions but their origin is not completely understood. A new study takes a closer look at the galaxies they occur in, offering two important clues about their nature. A paper
Theoretical models of supernova chemistry overhauled after X-ray data from Perseus Cluster reveal key discrepancies
The Perseus Cluster is a massive galaxy cluster located in the constellation Perseus. It is one of the largest structures in the observable universe, comprising more than a thousand galaxies—equivalent to roughly a thousand trillion times the mass of the sun. Hot gases within
Your local fishing hole is getting browner, changing which fish species thrive and which ones struggle
The lakes, streams, and ponds you've visited for years are likely looking more brown than they used to. And people who are fishing those waters are likely catching different species and sizes of fish than in the past.
Support fundamental research, prize-winning mathematician urges
French mathematician Frank Merle, who won a prestigious Breakthrough Prize on Saturday, told AFP that fundamental research must be supported because it is a "foundation stone" for the future.
Hollow-sphere catalyst enables greener production of 99% pure propene at room temperature
The world's appetite for propene (propylene) is growing faster than the chemical industry can keep up. This petrochemical product powers the production of acrylonitrile, propylene oxide, high-velocity fuels, and, most importantly, polypropylene plastic—used in everyday food
Generalized optical meta-spanners empower arbitrary light paths for multitasking optical manipulation
Have you ever wished to drive microscopic matter along an arbitrarily tailored trajectory instead of just a circle? That's exactly what we set out to achieve.
Atlantic current shows two-decade decline across four deep-ocean monitoring sites
A paper published in the journal Science Advances is adding to the growing body of research showing that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is weakening. In this new study, instead of relying mainly on computer models, scientists used two decades of direct
Hollywood, Silicon Valley turn out for the 'Oscars of Science'
Big names from the worlds of film, technology, music and sports gathered on Saturday in Santa Monica, California, for the Breakthrough Prizes, popularly known as the "Oscars of Science."
Blue Origin reuses New Glenn booster for the first time in Florida launch
Blue Origin, the U.S. space company of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, on Sunday successfully reused and recovered a booster for its New Glenn rocket, confirming its mastery of a technical feat that could boost its launch cadence and expand its rivalry with SpaceX.
Chernobyl's radioactive landscape is testament to nature's resilience and survival spirit
On contaminated land that is too dangerous for human life, the world's wildest horses roam free.
What happens when men don't feel 'man enough'?
A research team led by Lea Lorenz of the RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau and Sven Kachel of the University of Kassel conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis that examined how men react to situations in which their masculinity is called into question. To this end, the team
This protein-engineering breakthrough generates over 10M data points and turbocharges AI in just three days
Protein engineering is a field primed for artificial intelligence research. Each protein is made up of amino acids; to optimize a protein function, researchers modify proteins by switching out one of 20 different amino acids for another. For a protein that is just 50 amino
A new force of nature is reshaping the planet, study finds
Human societies didn’t just adapt to the planet—they learned to reshape it. From early fire use to today’s global supply chains, our cultural and social innovations have unlocked extraordinary power to transform Earth and improve human life. But that progress has come with
Quantum model explains how single electrons cause damage inside silicon chips
Researchers in the UC Santa Barbara Materials Department have uncovered the elusive quantum mechanism by which energetic electrons break chemical bonds inside microelectronic devices—a detrimental process that slowly degrades performance over time. The discovery, published as
Scientists develop dirt-powered fuel cell that could replace batteries
Scientists have developed a fuel cell that uses microbes in soil to produce electricity. The device can power underground sensors for tasks like monitoring moisture or detecting touch, without needing batteries or solar panels. It works in both dry and wet conditions and even