In the search for novel materials, the simulation of quantum matter is an extremely demanding computational task, which is expected to profit substantially from the surge of quantum technologies. Quantum algorithms for programmable quantum computers offer the most flexible approaches, but tailor-made quantum simulators are particularly well suited for large-scale simulations. For instance, tremendous efforts […]
The acquisition of the native language (L1) is fast and unconscious. By the time children are 4-5 years old, their competence in the L1 is already adult-like (Aparici & Igualada, 2019). One of the underlying factors of this competence is linguistic exposure, since children constantly listen to their caretakers speak the native language. Another factor […]
Nuclear physicists have found a new way to see details inside atomic nuclei . They do so by tracking interactions between photons and gluons—the gluelike particles that hold together the building blocks of protons and neutrons. The method relies on harnessing a new type of quantum interference between two dissimilar particles. Tracking how these entangled […]
Food waste represents a serious problem associated with today’s society to which a solution should be found. A notable share of the impacts originates from the fishing sector. It hardly results acceptable that, in a world with shrinking food resources, 25% of the total fishing catches end up being discarded as waste. It should be […]
Fish can feel each other’s fear Fish can detect emotions like fear in other fish and change their behaviour accordingly. The scientists manipulated genes associated with oxytocin, the neural chemical linked to empathy in humans, in zebrafish and found that those without the genes failed to respond to the feelings of other fish that were […]
Water is critical for life on Earth. Our own biology, the chemistry of our bodies, is based on it. Access to clean drinking water is a human right, and is included as one of the global 17 sustainable development goals for 2030. However, today, one in three humans worldwide does not have access to safe […]
aerosol Author: Rubén Soussé Villa is pursuing a PhD in atmospheric chemistry at Barcelona Supercompting Center / Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Mineral dust aerosols are microscopic rocky particles – for instance, sand – floating in the atmosphere. They are typically windblown from deserts, arid areas and agricultural lands, where they are produced from continued erosion […]
A new process that lets scientists chemically cut apart and stitch together nanoscopic layers of two-dimensional materials — like a tailor altering a suit — could be just the tool for designing the technology of a sustainable energy future. Researchers have developed a method for structurally splitting, editing and reconstituting layered materials, called MAX phases […]
In 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration produced the first-ever image of a black hole, stunning the world. Now, scientists are taking it further. The next generation Event Horizon Telescope (ngEHT) collaboration aims to create high-quality videos of black holes. But this next-generation collaboration is groundbreaking in other ways, too. It’s the first large […]
Rising seas, oxygen depletion led to mass extinction Rising seas likely contributed to high hydrogen sulfide levels and oxygen depletion that killed marine life during Earth’s Devonian period over 350 million years ago. Researchers analyzed black shale samples from the Bakken Formation underlying parts of North Dakota and Canada, finding that waters were drained of […]