2025 will see huge advances in quantum computing. So what is a quantum chip and how does it work?

Motion Loop/Shutterstock Muhammad Usman, CSIROIn recent years, the field of quantum computing has been experiencing fast growth, with technological advances and large-scale investments regularly making the news. The United Nations has designated 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. The stakes are high – having quantum computers would mean access to tremendous data processing power compared to what we have today. They won’t replace your normal computer, but having this kind of awesome computing power will provide advances in medicine, chemistry, materials science and other fields. So it’s no surprise that quantum computing is rapidly becoming a global race, and private industry and governments around the world are rushing to build the world’s first full-scale quantum computer. To achieve this, first we need to have stable and scalable quantum processors, or chips. What is a quantum chip? Everyday computers – like your laptop – are classical computers. They store and process information in the form of binary numbers or bits. A single bit can represent either 0 or 1. By contrast, the basic unit of a quantum chip is a qubit. A quantum chip is made up of many qubits. These are typically subatomic particles such as electrons or photons, controlled and manipulated by specially designed electric and...

Read More........→March 11, 2025

DNA detectives in Antarctica: probing 6,000 years of penguin poo for clues to the past

Jamie Wood Jamie Wood, University of Adelaide and Theresa Cole, University of AdelaideStudies of ancient DNA have tended to focus on frozen land in the northern hemisphere, where woolly mammoths and bison roamed. Meanwhile, Antarctica has received relatively little attention. We set out to change that. The most suitable sediments are exposed near the coast of the icy continent, where penguins like to breed. Their poo is a rich source of DNA, providing information about the health of the population as well as what penguins have been eating. Our new research opens a window on the past of Adélie penguins in Antarctica, going back 6,000 years. It also offers a surprise glimpse into the shrinking world of southern elephant seals over the past 1,000 years. Understanding how these species coped with climate change in the past can help us prepare for the future. Wildlife in Antarctica faces multiple emerging threats and will likely need support to cope with the many challenges ahead. A unique marine ecosystem Adélie penguins are particularly sensitive to changes in their environment. This makes them what we call a “sentinel species”, providing an early warning of imbalance or dysfunction in the coastal ecosystem. Their poo also provides a record of how they responded to changes in the past. In our new research, we excavated...

Read More........→March 11, 2025

Woolly mice are cute and impressive – but they won’t bring back mammoths or save endangered species

Colossal Biosciences Emily Roycroft, Monash UniversityUS company Colossal Biosciences has announced the creation of a “woolly mouse” — a laboratory mouse with a series of genetic modifications that lead to a woolly coat. The company claims this is the first step toward “de-extincting” the woolly mammoth. The successful genetic modification of a laboratory mouse is a testament to the progress science has made in understanding gene function, developmental biology and genome editing. But does a woolly mouse really teach us anything about the woolly mammoth? What has been genetically modified? Woolly mammoths were cold-adapted members of the elephant family, which disappeared from mainland Siberia at the end of the last Ice Age around 10,000 years ago. The last surviving population, on Wrangel Island in the Arctic Ocean, went extinct about 4,000 years ago. The house mouse (Mus musculus) is a far more familiar creature, which most of us know as a kitchen pest. It is also one of the most studied organisms in biology and medical research. We know more about this laboratory mouse than perhaps any other mammal besides humans. Colossal details its new research in a pre-print paper, which has not yet been peer-reviewed. According to the paper, the researchers disrupted the normal function of seven different genes in laboratory mice...

Read More........→March 10, 2025

Countries Are Breathing the Cleanest Air in Centuries and Offer Lessons to the Rest of Us

An article at Our World in Data recently explored trends in air quality across a selection of high and middle-income countries, and found that not only is the West breathing better air than at perhaps any point since urbanization, but that developing nations likely won’t need 100 years or more to arrive at similar outcomes.Published by Hannah Ritchie, the article focuses on two kinds of gases emitted from industrial activity: sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx). Both enter the air we breathe from the burning of fossil fuels—coal in particular—while the latter is emitted mostly from internal combustion engines.Bad air quality is responsible for millions of lost life years worldwide from respiratory problems, cardiovascular issues, and neurological disease—all of which can develop and become exasperated under prolonged exposure to air pollutants.UK sulphur dioxide emissions – credit Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) 2024, CC BY license.As seen in this chart, emissions of SO2 have just dipped under levels seen at the earliest periods of British industrialization. Before this, city and town air quality would have been badly tainted through emissions of wood smoke, so it’s safe to assume that 2022 marked the best British air in many centuries, not just the last two.SO2 enters the ambient air primarily in urban environments...

Read More........→March 06, 2025

Scientists Discover Oldest Bird Fossils, Rewrite History of Avian Evolution

A photograph and interpretive line drawing show the Baminornis zhenghensis fossil – credit: Min WangAccording to a truly field-altering fossilized bird found in China, birds already existed in the Late Jurassic period, approximately 160 million years ago.The new discovery suggests that rather than a linear evolutionary path from dinosaur to bird, these two orders evolved somewhat simultaneously.An artistic representation of the newly discovered species, Baminornis zhenghensis, with the preserved bones highlighted – credit: Zhao Chuang.Baminornis zhenghensis is the world’s oldest species of avid. A holotype fossil was recently found in East China’s Fujian Province and described in the journal Nature. The pelvis, trunk, forelimbs, and part of the hindlimb are all intact.“Baminornis is a landmark discovery and ranks among the most important bird fossils unearthed since the discovery of Archaeopteryx in the early 1860s,” Stephen Brusatte, a paleontologist from the University of Edinburgh who was not involved in the study but wrote a commentary accompanying it, tells Xinhua.“This is a groundbreaking discovery. It overturns the previous situation that Archaeopteryx was the only bird found in the Jurassic Period,” Zhonghe Zhou, a paleontologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and co-author of the study, tells the Chinese news agency...

Read More........→March 05, 2025

Indian American engineers discuss advancements in hot technologies

Debu Chatterjee, CEO Konfer and Mihir Shukla, CEO Automation Anywhere discussing responsible AI and engaging the audience. ALL PHOTOS: ASEIThe American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin (ASEIUSA.org), a non-profit founded in 1983, convened an AI Summit February 17, 2025, in Santa Clara, California, attended by a number of academics, researchers, authors, speakers and industry innovators.Held at the UCSC Silicon Valley campus, the event also marked the 10-year anniversary of ASEI’s Silicon Valley chapter.The Conference covered a wide variety of subjects in Artificial Intelligence.India’s Consul General in San Francisco Dr Srikar Reddy addressing the ASEI audience at AI meeting, Feb. 15, 2025. PHOTO: ASEIAfter a warm welcome by co-hosts UCSC Dean P.K. Agarwal,and ASEI Silicon Valley President Piyush Malik, setting the stage for the event, the Consul General (CG) of India in San Francisco Dr. Srikar Reddy, shared his perspectives on India’s digital economy, the strength of Silicon Valley Indian community and how the Indian government is investing in and leveraging AI for improving lives and livelihoods of citizens. Reddy alluded to Prime Minister Modi’s recent speeches at AI Action Summit in Paris and recent visit to the US.Opening the program with a classical Indian music performance by a young high school STEM student Sohum Gupta,...

Read More........→February 26, 2025

India’s e-waste offers $6 billion economic opportunity: Report

Bengaluru, (IANS): There is an estimated economic potential of $6 billion from recoverable materials through metal extraction as India’s e-waste holds a great economic opportunity, a report said on Friday.India is now the world’s third-largest e-waste producer, after China and the US. The country’s e-waste has doubled from 2 million metric tonnes (MMT) in FY14 to 3.8 MMT in FY24, fuelled by urbanisation and rising incomes, said the report by Redseer Strategy Consultants.Predominantly generated by households and businesses, the consumer segment contributes nearly 70 per cent of total e-waste in FY24.A significant trend in e-waste generation is the shift in material intensity. While appliances are becoming more compact and lightweight, the sheer volume of discarded items is increasing, necessitating efficient recycling strategies.“The volume of e-waste is expected to rise in the coming years. The rising value of metals in e-waste presents a major opportunity for India to enhance recovery efficiency and establish itself as a leader in sustainable metal extraction,” said Jasbir S. Juneja, Partner at Redseer Strategy Consultants.Currently, only 16 per cent of consumer e-waste in India is processed by formal recyclers. Despite projections of a 17 per cent CAGR growth in the formal recycling sector by FY35, it is expected to handle just...

Read More........→February 20, 2025

It’s official: Australia’s ocean surface was the hottest on record in 2024

Moninya Roughan, UNSW SydneyAustralia’s sea surface temperatures were the warmest on record last year, according to a snapshot of the nation’s climate which underscores the perilous state of the world’s oceans. The Bureau of Meteorology on Thursday released its annual climate statement for 2024 – the official record of temperature, rainfall, water resources, oceans, atmosphere and notable weather. Among its many alarming findings were that sea surface temperatures were hotter than ever around the continent last year: a whopping 0.89°C above average. Oceans cover more than 70% of Earth’s surface, and their warming is gravely concerning. It causes sea levels to rise, coral to bleach and Earth’s ice sheets to melt faster. Hotter oceans also makes weather on land more extreme and damages the marine life which underpins vital ocean ecosystems. What the snapshot showed Australia’s climate varies from year to year. That’s due to natural phenomena such as the El Niño and La Niña climate drivers, as well as human-induced climate change. The bureau confirmed 2024 was Australia’s second-warmest year since national records began in 1910. The national annual average temperature was 1.46°C warmer than the long-term average (1961–90). Heatwaves struck large parts of Australia early in the year, and...

Read More........→February 13, 2025

How farmers can install solar panels in fields without damaging the rest of their operation

Snapshot freddy/Shutterstock Austin Kay, Swansea UniversityAs the world races to meet net-zero targets, emissions from all industrial sectors must be reduced more urgently than ever. Agriculture is an important area of focus as it contributes up to 22% of global greenhouse gas emissions. One approach to decarbonising agriculture involves integrating solar panels – or photovoltaics (PVs) – into fields of crops, greenhouses and livestock areas. Often known as agrivoltaics, this can help farmers reduce their carbon footprint while continuing to produce food. Agrivoltaics can also mitigate one of the main criticisms often made of solar power – that solar farms “waste” vast tracts of agricultural land that could otherwise be used for food production. In reality, solar farms currently occupy only 0.15% of the UK’s total land – not much compared to the 70% of land devoted to agriculture. The simplest example of an agrivoltaic system would be conventional, crystalline silicon PVs (the market-leading type of solar panels), installed in fields alongside livestock. This method of farm diversification has become increasingly popular in recent years for three main reasons. First, it enhances biodiversity as it means the fields are not being used for just one crop (monoculture), undergoing regular crop rotation, or being harvested...

Read More........→February 12, 2025

India’s first flying taxi prototype unveiled at auto expo 2025

New Delhi, (IANS): In a bid to realise the dream of air taxis and transform urban mobility in India, the country’s first flying taxi prototype, called ‘Shunya’, has been unveiled at the ‘Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025’ here.Precision manufacturing firm Sona SPEED signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bengaluru-based Sarla Aviation towards this goal.Sarla Aviation is developing India's most sophisticated electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, HD Kumaraswamy, visited the Sarla Aviation booth, and showed keen interest in the flying taxi prototype, considered a historic step toward sustainable and futuristic mobility in the country.Sona SPEED motors have been part of several space missions of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The agreement positions Sona SPEED as a key partner in revolutionising urban air mobility in the country.“This partnership is a significant step in Sona SPEED’s evolution as a hub for aerospace innovation. Together, we aim to shape a cleaner, faster, and more efficient future for urban transportation,” said Chocko Valliappa, CEO of Sona SPEED.Under the MoU, Sona SPEED will utilise its state-of-the-art facilities in Karnataka to design and manufacture critical components, like the motors and landing gear among others for Sarla...

Read More........→February 05, 2025

Supersonic jets are making a comeback – but despite the hype, don’t expect to book yet

Rendering of Boom Supersonic’s proposed Overture supersonic airliner. Boom Supersonic Chris James, The University of QueenslandLate last week, American company Boom Supersonic flew faster than the speed of sound with its XB-1 supersonic demonstrator aircraft. It’s now the first piloted non-military aircraft to break the sound barrier since the Concorde was retired from service in 2003. It’s the first step in Boom’s ambitious goal to have supersonic airliners carry passengers by 2029. But what exactly is supersonic travel? There are good reasons why it’s not more common, despite the hype. Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 supersonic demonstrator aircraft during its 11th test flight where it became the first civilian aircraft to fly supersonically since the Concorde. Boom SupersonicWhat is supersonic flight? The Mach number is defined as a plane’s speed divided by the speed that sound waves move through the air. To “break the sound barrier” means to fly faster than the speed of sound, with Mach numbers greater than 1. The Mach number is an important ratio: as a plane flies, it disturbs the air in front of it. These disturbances move at the speed of sound. In supersonic flight these disturbances combine to form shock waves around the vehicle. When people say you can see a fighter jet before you hear it, they’re referring to supersonic...

Read More........→February 03, 2025

‘Digital doppelgangers’ are helping scientists tackle everyday problems – and showing what makes us human

cybermagician/Shutterstock Alicia (Lucy) Cameron, CSIRO and Sarah Vivienne Bentley, CSIROAs rising seas lap at its shore, Tuvalu faces an existential threat. In an effort to preserve the tiny island nation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, its government has been building a “digital twin” of the entire country. Digital twins are exactly what they sound like – a virtual double or replica of a physical, real-world entity. Scientists have been creating digital twins of everything from molecules, to infrastructure, and even entire planets. It’s also now possible to construct a digital twin of an individual person. In other words, a “digital doppelganger”. A doppelganger is someone who looks spookily like you but isn’t. The word originated in German, and literally means a “double walker”. A number of industries are now using digital doppelgangers for a range of reasons. These include enhancing athletic performance, offering more personalised healthcare and improving workplace safety. But although there are benefits to this technology, there are significant risks associated with its development. Having digital doppelgangers also forces us to reflect on which of our human attributes can’t be digitally replicated. Modelling complex systems The development of digital twins has been enabled by advances in environmental sensors,...

Read More........→January 31, 2025