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Tiny silicon device could help connect quantum computers to the Internet

Scientists have developed a tiny silicon device that can convert microwave photons into optical photons.
Quantum computers use microwave qubits that only work at extremely cold temperatures.
The new on-chip device acts like a bridge between microwave and optical photons, enabling long-distance communication for quantum computers.
The device has low noise levels, works 100 times better than older systems, and can be made on a larger scale.

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Physicsworld

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James Webb Space Telescope spots spectacular auroras on Neptune

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Hubble Space Telescope have observed the first direct evidence of auroras on Neptune.
Auroras occur when energetic particles from the Sun become trapped in a planet's magnetic field and hit the upper atmosphere, resulting in a glowing effect.
Auroral activity has been previously observed on Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus, but not on Neptune until now.
The JWST's near-infrared sensitivity allowed for the imaging of the auroral activity on Neptune, providing stunning detail and clarity.

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Physicsworld

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Atomic anomaly explained without recourse to hypothetical ‘dark force’

Physicists in Germany have found an alternative explanation for an anomaly that had previously been interpreted as potential evidence for a mysterious “dark force”.
The anomaly in ytterbium atoms, which was initially thought to be linked to a new “dark force”, is now believed to be caused by the deformation of ytterbium isotopes as more neutrons are added.
The investigation, which involved high-precision measurements of shifts in ytterbium's energy levels and the mass ratios of its isotopes, could contribute to a better understanding of the structure of heavy atomic nuclei and the physics of neutron stars.
The researchers plan to further study other isotopes of ytterbium as well as isotope chains of other elements to refine constraints on possible new physics.

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Medium

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You MUST Try This Classical Mechanics Problem

A ball is dropped from height h to the ground, with a coefficient of restitution E.
The problem is to determine the total distance the ball has traveled as it bounces.
The ball bounces an infinite number of times, with each subsequent bounce covering a shorter distance.
To solve the problem, the initial velocity of the ball as it goes back up needs to be determined.

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Medium

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How Airbnb Measures Listing Lifetime Value

Airbnb calculates listing lifetime value to understand valuable accommodation listings for guests and help hosts increase listing value.
Their framework estimates baseline LTV, incremental LTV, and marketing-induced incremental LTV, segmented to inform supply expansion strategy.
Challenges in lifetime value estimation arise in multi-sided platforms like Airbnb, where transactions of one listing can impact another.
Incremental LTV is estimated by subtracting cannibalized value from baseline LTV, addressing the challenge of accurately measuring value added by each listing.
Marketing-induced incremental LTV measures the additional value created by internal initiatives like marketing campaigns for listing improvement tips.
The estimation framework focuses on accurate baseline LTV, leveraging machine learning and listing features to predict future bookings.
During the pandemic, Airbnb faced challenges due to changes in travel dynamics, with strategies implemented to improve model accuracy.
To handle uncertainty, daily adjustments are made to expected values based on accrued values and updated listing features.
Estimating lifetime value helps Airbnb provide a better user experience and informs decision-making for listings and marketing campaigns.
This measurement framework may also extend to other applications, such as Airbnb Experiences listings, to determine the value of experiences based on travel trends.

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Physicsworld

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The enigma of Trappist-1 b: a thick atmosphere or airless rock?

Recent observations by the James Webb Space Telescope suggest that Trappist-1 b could be either an airless rock or shrouded in a hazy CO2 atmosphere.
The research provides thermal emission measurements for Trappist-1 b, presenting contradictory scenarios that challenge atmospheric models.
One scenario suggests Trappist-1 b is an airless rocky planet with a young ultramafic surface due to strong tidal interactions and volcanic activity.
Alternatively, the exoplanet could have a haze-rich CO2 atmosphere with a thermal inversion, as observed at 15µm.
The presence of photochemical haze on Trappist-1 b is proposed to be due to hydrogen sulphide from volcanic activity, influenced by space weathering.
The contradictory models pose an enigma about Trappist-1 b's true nature, which requires additional measurements for clarification.
Further observations with broader spectral coverage and higher resolution spectroscopy are recommended to resolve the planetary paradox.
JWST's findings emphasize the need for more data to distinguish between an airless surface and a CO2-rich atmosphere on Trappist-1 b.
Co-author Gillon underscores the significance of acquiring additional data to differentiate between the two proposed models.
TRAPPIST-1 b remains a mystery, with potential scenarios of being either a barren rock world or enveloped in a dense CO2 atmosphere.

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Medium

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Building Holiday Finds: How Pinterest Engineers Reimagined Gift Discovery

Pinterest engineers tackled the challenge of helping users discover and save perfect gifts during the holiday season by addressing discovery overwhelm and fragmented wishlists.
They aimed to create a streamlined gift discovery experience leveraging personalization infrastructure and introducing gift-specific optimizations.
Key technical pillars included a personalization stack, dynamic UI framework, and a unified logging system to provide a seamless shopping journey.
The solution involved adapting the existing recommendation system for gift optimization through candidate generation, ranking, and blending stages.
A highlight was the autogenerated wishlist boards feature that reduced friction in gift discovery by automatically creating and populating shopping-focused boards.
The UI implementation focused on crafting a unique shopping experience while maintaining familiarity, utilizing a dynamic hero header and a Structured Feed Framework.
A tab ranking system was developed to balance discovery and personalization, and a logging system was implemented to measure and improve shopping innovation success.
The launch of Holiday Finds showed improved engagement with wishlists, strong adoption among Gen Z users, and successful integration of curated gift guides globally.
Future directions include evolving tab ranking, enhancing the shopping experience, and innovating across platforms to improve gift discovery algorithms and support complex interactions.
The project demonstrated the adaptability of the Structured Feed Framework, effectiveness of the tab ranking strategy, and acceleration of development through the reuse of existing infrastructure.
Pinterest engineers are enthusiastic about building on this foundation by exploring new ranking models, enhancing the shopping experience, and extending platform innovations.

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Brighter Side of News

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Tiny Particle Accelerator Is Millions of Times Smaller Than CERN’s Large Hadron Collider

Scientists have activated the smallest particle accelerator ever built, roughly the size of a coin, paving the way for portable, cost-effective accelerators with exciting applications in medicine and physics.
Traditional particle accelerators use large metal structures and radio-frequency waves, limiting size and increasing costs.
A new approach involves dielectric materials with stronger optical fields, allowing higher acceleration rates in smaller spaces.
The dielectric laser accelerator (DLA) achieves 100 times higher acceleration rates using nanophotonic structures.
The nanophotonic device is 54 million times smaller than current particle accelerators, confining particles within a narrow channel for efficient acceleration.
Researchers successfully demonstrated the nanophotonic electron accelerator by increasing electron energy from 28.4 keV to 40.7 keV.
The miniature accelerator relies on laser beams to accelerate particles and has potential applications in precise radiotherapy for cancer treatment.
The NEA's success marks a milestone in accelerator physics, offering new possibilities in medical treatment and scientific research.
Miniaturized accelerators could revolutionize fields like medicine, materials science, and electronics by enabling advanced imaging and nanoscale matter studies.
As technology advances, nanophotonic accelerators will continue to reshape scientific and medical fields, emphasizing the trend toward smaller, more accessible high-energy machines.

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Physicsworld

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Teaching university physics doesn’t have to be rocket science

The UK government set a cap on annual tuition fees at £9535, causing funding issues for universities.
A study highlighted three principles for enhancing lecture courses: enthusiasm, engagement, and enablement.
Enthusiasm is crucial to engage students, with sharing contemporary research and history of the subject being effective.
Engagement involves keeping students thinking and using various teaching styles and visual aids.
Simple demonstrations and interactive elements like foam dice and fidget-spinners can aid engagement.
Encouraging questions, even seemingly trivial ones, and providing supportive answers is essential in teaching.
Enablement includes providing additional materials and clear learning outcomes for students.
Continuous assessment and feedback are important for student participation and achievement.
Emphasizing enthusiasm, engagement, and enablement in teaching can significantly improve student learning outcomes.
Effective teaching methods do not have to be overly complex but should focus on student engagement and support.

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Physicsworld

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Novel zinc alloys could make bone screws biodegradable

A new technique for enhancing the mechanical properties of zinc alloys could enable the development of biodegradable orthopaedic implants.
Implants made from sturdy materials like stainless steel or titanium can cause discomfort and bone loss, but biodegradable alternatives dissolve once bones have healed.
Zinc alloys are biocompatible and dissolve safely, but their mechanical strength is low, making them unsuitable for load-bearing implants.
By increasing the grain size in zinc alloys, researchers at Monash University have achieved a balance between strength and creep resistance, potentially leading to stronger zinc alloys for biodegradable implants.

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Physicsworld

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Quantum computers extend lead over classical machines in random circuit sampling

A 105-qubit quantum processor in China can solve a quantum computation problem in minutes that would take billions of years on classical supercomputers.
Quantum advantage is the ability of a quantum computer to solve a problem faster than a classical computer by reducing resource requirements.
Google's 53-qubit Sycamore processor first claimed quantum advantage in solving random circuit sampling (RCS).
Improvements in classical algorithms have reduced the RCS problem-solving time on supercomputers.
Google's 67-qubit Sycamore processor and China's Zuchongzhi 3.0 processor have shown recent claims of quantum advantage.
The USTC team redesigned their processor to achieve faster RCS calculations compared to classical supercomputers.
Google's Willow processor also uses 105 qubits but lacks published research on RCS.
USTC plans to demonstrate quantum error correction on their Zuchongzhi 3.0 processor.
Challenges remain in efficiently verifying quantum advantage and addressing noise in quantum systems.
Researchers are optimistic about progress in quantum computing despite existing challenges.

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A new piece in the matter—antimatter puzzle

The LHCb experiment at CERN revealed a fundamental asymmetry in baryons, shedding light on differences between matter and antimatter.
CP violation in baryons was observed for the first time compared to earlier observations in mesons, impacting the understanding of particle physics.
The discovery emerged from analyzing LHC data and showcases mirror-like asymmetry in nature's laws affecting matter and antimatter behavior.
The LHCb collaboration observed CP violation in beauty-lambda baryon Λb decay, marking a significant milestone.
This finding challenges the predictions of the Standard Model and suggests the existence of additional sources of CP violation.
Statistically significant results indicated a 2.45% difference in decay rates, with 5.2 standard deviations from zero.
The observation paves the way for further experimental investigations into CP violation and physics beyond the Standard Model.
CERN Director Joachim Mnich highlighted the importance of the discovery in exploring matter-antimatter asymmetry in the Universe.
CP violation's existence remains a mystery in particle physics and plays a crucial role in understanding the matter-antimatter imbalance post-Big Bang.
The LHCb's breakthrough adds to previous CP violation observations in neutral mesons and opens doors for more precise tests of the Standard Model.

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Fyfluiddynamics

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Slipping Ice Streams

Researchers studying the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream have discovered that slipping ice is responsible for its higher-than-predicted flow rate.
By deploying a fiber-optic cable and capturing seismic events, the researchers identified small icequakes that indicate ice locally sticking and slipping, a failure mode not captured by current models.
The team found that each icequake event was isolated to distinct layers corresponding to ice strata affected by volcanic ash, creating weaker layers within the ice.
Even with hundreds of meters of ice formed on top of these weaker layers, the ice still breaks first in those layers, explaining the higher flow rate of the ice stream.

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Physicsworld

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Tiny island, big science: the North Ronaldsay Science Festival

The North Ronaldsay Science Festival, held on the remote island of North Ronaldsay in Orkney, showcased the unique breed of seaweed-eating sheep and the island's scientific heritage.
The festival attracted participants from neighboring islands, with 56 people attending in person and 41 joining online, reaching a total accumulated attendance of 314.
The festival included hands-on maker activities, presentations on topics such as astronomy and physics, and exploration of the island's radio and maritime communications history.
The festival aimed to inspire young minds to explore physics and astronomy, and sparked engaging conversations among attendees.

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Brighter Side of News

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Revolutionary experiment concludes that light exists in 37 dimensions

Physicists have conducted a groundbreaking experiment measuring light across 37 dimensions, challenging classical expectations and reshaping views on reality.
The experiment revealed the Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger paradox in a new way, highlighting the strangeness of quantum physics.
Quantum mechanics defies local realism, where particles occupy multiple states until observed, as illustrated by the GHZ paradox.
By entangling photons in 37 dimensions, researchers explored the divergence of quantum mechanics from classical physics.
The study showcased quantum nonlocality and the breakdown of classical expectations, pushing boundaries in experimental quantum mechanics.
The use of high-speed modulation and time-bin encoding allowed precise control of photonic states in the 37-dimensional experiment.
The researchers confirmed strong quantum nonlocality, emphasizing the failure of classical models to explain the quantum world.
Implications extend to quantum computing and technology, where new constraints and opportunities for quantum systems are identified.
The study suggests that human perception of reality simplifies the quantum complexity underlying the universe.
Future quantum research may delve deeper into high-dimensional spaces, promising further revelations about the enigmatic quantum world.

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