In science news this week, IBM unveiled a giant 1,000-qubit quantum chip, we discovered a lost world of lagoons in the Atacama Desert, and encountered a creature with unusual fins limbs of dolphins.
As quantum computing matures, it promises to revolutionize our world. Its potential is huge – quantum computer It takes just four minutes to complete a task that would take a conventional supercomputer 10,000 years. The key is developing the necessary chips. This week, IBM announced a major development with the launch of a 1,000-qubit quantum chip, the second-largest quantum chip ever built. But surprisingly, IBM’s focus isn’t on that achievement. Instead, they’re aiming for a chip that’s 10 times smaller — but why?
At the crossroads of future technology and health, researchers insert a brain organoids Enter artificial intelligence systems and use neural tissue Help with computing tasks, which could be a step toward biological computers.Other health stories that piqued our interest this week are Epigenetic links to mammalian lifespana “rare” sleep disorder Might not be as rare as once thoughtand facts we may have overlooked”long flu” for a long time.
In space, an “almost unbelievable” and extremely rare gap appeared in the sun’s ever-blowing solar wind, briefly blowing away Mars’ atmosphere.It happened last year, but scientists now think This can happen on Earth too.However, we don’t have to go that far back in time for the sun to wreak havoc on Earth – just this week Monster X-rated FlaresIt was the most powerful solar eruption since 2017, erupting from the sun, triggering radio blackouts on Earth and unleashing a coronal mass ejection that could also hit our planet in the coming days.
Speaking of objects hitting Earth, new simulations suggest Arizona’s famous Barringer Crater may have been formed by a Cosmic ‘curve ball’ asteroid Elsewhere on Earth, we find ‘dead’ California redwoods Resurrected After a wildfire, 400-million-year-old parasitic fungus frozen in timeand an amazing ecosystem Crystal clear lagoons and salt plains Located in Argentina’s Cabo Atacama Desert, this could provide a window into early life on Earth and Mars.
Other finds on Earth this week include an 800-year-old healing bowl engraved with a two-headed dragon, 2,200-year-old ceramic tiles (with direct links to the history of Hanukkah), some ancient fleshless human bones, and a medieval “curse tablet that summons Satan” – found at the bottom of the toilet.
Finally, coming to the animal kingdom, in addition to Antarctic sea spiders, bloodthirsty female meerkats and pink-and-white alligators, a strange dolphin with an interesting hook-shaped “thumb” was also discovered in Greece. This is carved from its body. flippers.
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Picture of the week
Stunning new stills and footage capture beauty and acrobatic skills Thousands of starlings as they swarm across Europe’s skies.These mesmerizing photos were taken by Danish photographer Soren ThorkellFor six years he has been tracking these majestic birds across Europe.
Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) flock together in what is called a murmur, named for the sound they make by flapping their thousands of wings during these events.Starling noises can include over a million birdsall objects swoop in unison, creating evocative shapes in the sky.
In his ninth monograph on photography, titled “starling(Edition Circle, 2023), Solkær presents this “incredible ballet” in a series of photographs taken during and after sunset in Europe.
Sunday reading
Life Sciences Long Reading
Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan is a consultant neurologist at the UK’s National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery who has spent her life treating psychosomatic conditions, where people suffer from debilitating physical symptoms that cannot be explained physically or medically. disease. investigation.
Medicine has a long and shameful history of treating conditions that have no biological cause, often dismissing them with sexist terms like “hysteria.” But this is a fundamental misunderstanding of how these very real illnesses manifest themselves.
“I don’t think it’s an awareness issue; it’s an issue with a lot of old-fashioned hangups.”
Dr Susan O’Sullivan
O’Sullivan said while many people with these disorders are told “it’s all in your head” or are viewed as hypochondriacal, this is problematic. As part of her work, she aims to reduce the stigma and eliminate misconceptions about psychosomatic illnesses.
Live Science spoke with O’Sullivan about why so little is known about these diseases, how to diagnose them, and how Why their treatments often fail.
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