Category archives: Technology

A 3,000 qubit system capable of continuous operation

A 3,000 qubit system capable of continuous operation

Computer science

By Mapping Ignorance

One often-repeated example illustrates the mind-boggling potential of quantum computing: A machine with 300 qubits (quantum bits) could simultaneously store more information than the number of particles in the known universe. Now process this: Harvard scientists just unveiled a system that was 10 times bigger and the first quantum machine able to operate continuously without […]

Building chips up: wafer-scale, MoS₂ electronics for BEOL integration

Building chips up: wafer-scale, MoS₂ electronics for BEOL integration

MaterialsNanotechnology

By Invited Researcher

When we think of faster, cheaper electronics, we usually think “smaller transistors.” But the future is also about stacking—adding new layers of components on top of finished silicon chips. That’s called back‑end‑of‑line (BEOL) integration, and it only works if everything you add can be made at low temperatures (generally below ~400–450 °C), otherwise you damage […]

Unlocking the secrets of recyclable vitrimers

Unlocking the secrets of recyclable vitrimers

ChemistryDIPC PolymersMaterials

By DIPC

In polymer science, the classic division is between thermoplastics, which soften and flow when heated, and thermosets, which are permanently cross-linked and keep their shape no matter how hot they get—at least until they burn. In the last decade, researchers have discovered a fascinating new class of materials called vitrimers, which sit between these two […]

Covalent bonds found in alpha plutonium

Covalent bonds found in alpha plutonium

ChemistryMaterialsPhysics

By Mapping Ignorance

Plutonium has captured the attention of scientists since its discovery in the early 1940s. This enigmatic element has an important role to play in emerging energy technologies like nuclear batteries and reactors, but it also has complicated electronic behavior that causes some intriguing effects. Its electron structure contributes to unconventional entropic properties at low temperatures […]

Adults with ADHD lose nearly a decade of life

Adults with ADHD lose nearly a decade of life

MedicineNeurobiology

By Invited Researcher

Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, known as ADHD, is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in children worldwide, with an estimated prevalence of around 5%. Research shows that the condition often continues into adulthood in up to 90% of diagnosed children . Although ADHD has been recognised for decades, it has recently gained much greater visibility […]

Mars Perseverance rover data suggests presence of past microbial life

Mars Perseverance rover data suggests presence of past microbial life

BiologyChemistryEvolutionGeosciencesMicrobiologyPlanetary ScienceRobotics

By Mapping Ignorance

A new study has revealed potential chemical signatures of ancient Martian microbial life in rocks examined by NASA’s Perseverance rover. The findings, published by a large international team of scientists, focus on a region of Jezero Crater known as the Bright Angel formation—a name chosen from locations in Grand Canyon National Park because of the […]

When surgical tools don’t fit: how gender bias in design puts female surgeons at risk

When surgical tools don’t fit: how gender bias in design puts female surgeons at risk

BiomedicineMedicine

By Invited Researcher

Authors: Gráinne Tyrrell, Doctoral Researcher in Biomedical Device Design, School of Architecture and Product Design, University of Limerick; Eoin White, Associate Professor of Medtech Design, University of Limerick, and Leonard O Sullivan, Professor in Ergonomics and Human Factors, Department of Science and Engineering, University of Limerick “If you can’t handle this, you’ll never keep up […]