We saw in our past entry how the moral philosophy theory known as longtermism is rooted in the historical trend towards ‘the expansion of the circle of empathy’, in order to include all future human beings (or ‘persons’, we might say, including non-human, or post-human persons), and also commented on some flaws of the theory […]
At first glance, molecules seem too small and too chaotic to be controlled with light. Their atoms jiggle ceaselessly, driven by thermal energy, and their vibrations—tiny oscillations of chemical bonds—usually remain hidden in the background. But recent work has shown that we can, in fact, use light not only to measure these vibrations but also […]
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 […]
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 […]
Author: Daryl Janzen, Observatory Manager and Instructor, Astronomy, University of Saskatchewan Few ideas in modern science have reshaped our understanding of reality more profoundly than space-time — the interwoven fabric of space and time at the heart of Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. Space-time is frequently described as the “fabric of reality.” In some accounts […]
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 […]
What gives rise to human consciousness? Are some parts of the brain more important than others? Scientists began tackling these questions in more depth about 35 years ago. Researchers have made progress, but the mystery of consciousness remains very much alive. In a recently published article, I reviewed over 100 years of neuroscience research to […]
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 […]
One of the most popular versions today of the idea that there can be moral progress—in the sense that our values and moral standards can keep improving—is the claim, much in vogue now, that such progress takes the form of what’s often called the expansion of the circle of empathy. The idea is that, in […]
Chemistry • DIPC Computational and Theoretical Chemistry • Quantum chemistry
Quantum computers promise to change how we calculate the behavior of electrons in molecules, but for the machines we have now — noisy, limited in size and coherence — the challenge is to squeeze the most chemistry out of the least quantum hardware. Now, a new paper introduces a practical trick to do exactly that: […]