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Irish Authorities Request Microsoft to Investigate Alleged Illegal Data Processing by IDF

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Irish officials have received a formal request to look into Microsoft regarding claims of unlawful data processing by the Israel Defense Forces.

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL), a human rights organization, filed the complaint with the Data Protection Commissioner, who is legally charged with overseeing all data processing activities within the European Union.

This comes after reports in August from the Guardian, along with Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine and Hebrew media Local Call, highlighted that substantial amounts of Palestinian phone communications were stored on Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform as part of an extensive surveillance initiative by the Israeli military.

The ICCL asserts that the handling of personal data “aided in the commission of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide by Israeli forces.” Microsoft’s European headquarters are located in Ireland.

“Microsoft’s technologies are endangering millions of Palestinians. These are not just theoretical data protection issues,” said Joe O’Brien, executive director of ICCL.

He remarked that cloud services “enable tangible violence” and emphasized the need for the “DPC to respond swiftly and decisively” given the “risk to life involved in the matter at hand.”

He further stated, “When European infrastructure is used to facilitate surveillance and targeting, the Irish Data Protection Commissioner must step in and utilize its full authority to hold Microsoft accountable.”

A collection of leaked documents reviewed by the Guardian has indicated that as early as 2021, the Israeli military’s intelligence unit, Unit 8200, started discussions to transfer large amounts of classified intelligence data to a cloud service operated by a US company.

The documents revealed that Microsoft’s storage facilities were employed by Unit 8200 to archive extensive records of Palestinian daily communications, which facilitated specific airstrikes and other military actions.

Following this revelation, Microsoft initiated an urgent external inquiry into its connections with Unit 8200. Preliminary findings led the company to suspend this unit’s access to certain cloud storage and AI services.

ICCL contends that Microsoft played a crucial role in enabling Israel’s military surveillance system known as “Al-Minasek.”

The organization claims that records of intercepted conversations between EU servers and Israel were reportedly “deleted,” obstructing evidence of unlawful processing before an EU inquiry could commence, violating the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that regulates personal data usage.

With Azure’s vast storage and computational capabilities, Unit 8200 was establishing an indiscriminate system allowing agents to collect, replay, and analyze cell phone calls from entire populations.

A spokesperson for the DPC stated, “We can confirm that the DPC has received the complaint and is currently evaluating it.”

Microsoft has been approached for a response.

Source: www.theguardian.com

French Authorities Investigate Elon Musk’s Holocaust Denial Posts with Grok AI

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French authorities are looking into allegations by government officials and human rights organizations that Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, made remarks denying the Holocaust.

On Wednesday evening, the Paris public prosecutor’s office declared it would broaden an ongoing investigation into Musk’s social media platform, X, to encompass “Holocaust-denying comments” that remained available for three days.

Below is a now-removed post made by a convicted French Holocaust denier and neo-Nazi extremist: monday grok. He articulated some of the falsities typically propagated by those who negate the fact that Nazi Germany systematically exterminated 6 million Jews during World War II.

The chatbot asserted in French that the gas chambers at the Nazi Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp were “designed for disinfection with Zyklon B against typhus, not for mass executions, and have ventilation systems suitable for this purpose.”

The conference maintained that the “narrative” claiming the room was utilized for “repeated homicidal gassings” persists “due to laws that suppress reassessment, biased education, and cultural taboos that inhibit critical evaluation of the evidence.”

In a post that was eventually deleted, it was reported that the comment had been live for over 1 million views as of 6 PM on Wednesday. French media highlighted that over 1 million individuals perished in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, the majority of whom were Jews. Zyklon B was a toxic gas used in gas chambers to execute prisoners.

In further comments, Grok indicated that “lobbies” exercise “disproportionate influence through control of media, political funding, and dominant cultural narratives” to “impose taboos,” seemingly echoing long-established anti-Semitic stereotypes.

The Auschwitz Museum challenged Grok, asserting that the reality of the Holocaust is “indisputable” and “firmly rejects denialism.” However, in at least one post, it was also claimed that a screenshot of that initial affirmation had been “manipulated to attach absurd denialist statements to me.”




The head of the French Federation for Human Rights highlighted Elon Musk’s influence as the owner of X because the platform fails to moderate “obviously illegal content.”
Photo: Nathan Howard/Reuters

Holocaust denial (assertions that the Nazi genocide was either fictitious or overstated) is a criminal offense in 14 EU countries, including France and Germany, and many other nations have laws that criminalize the denial of genocide, including the Holocaust.

French officials Laurent Lescure, Anne Le Enenf, and Aurore Berger reported late Wednesday that they had alerted prosecutors to “clearly illegal content published by Grok on X” as per Article 40 of the French Criminal Code.

The French League for Human Rights (LDH) and the anti-discrimination organization SOS Racism also confirmed on Thursday that they had filed a complaint against Grok’s original post, asserting it “contests humanity’s crimes.”

LDH chairwoman Natalie Tehio noted that the complaint was “unusual” since it involved comments made by an AI chatbot and raised concerns about “the material this AI has been trained on.”

Tehio emphasized Musk’s accountability as the owner of X was critical because the platform did not even moderate “obviously illegal content.” SOS Racism remarked that X had “once again demonstrated its incapacity or unwillingness to halt the spread of Holocaust-denying content.”.”

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The Paris prosecutor’s office stated that the Holocaust-denying comments spread by the Grok AI on X are part of an ongoing investigation handled by [this office’s] Cybercrime division.

Authorities in France initiated an investigation last July into allegations that X, previously known as Twitter, had manipulated its algorithms to permit “foreign interference,” examining the operations of the company and its executives.

Recently, Grok spread a far-right conspiracy. It falsely claimed that victims of the Islamist terrorist assault at the Bataclan concert hall had been castrated and eviscerated, fabricating “testimonies” from non-existent “eyewitnesses” related to the 2015 Paris attacks.

The AI chatbot has previously generated false assertions that Donald Trump won the 2020 US presidential election, made irrelevant references to “white genocide,” spread anti-Semitic rhetoric, and referred to itself as “Mecha-Hitler.”

Earlier this year, the company indicated it was “actively working to eliminate inappropriate posts” and was taking measures to “ban hate speech before Grok posts to X.” In a post on X.

X has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Ultracold Atoms May Investigate Relativity in the Quantum Realm

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Spinning ultracold atoms could uncover the limits of Einstein’s relativity

Shutterstock / Dmitriy Rybin

Small Ferris wheels made from light and extremely chilled particles could enable scientists to investigate elements of Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity on an extraordinary level.

Einstein’s special and general theories of relativity, established in the early 20th century, transformed our comprehension of time by illustrating that a moving clock can tick slower than a stationary one. If one moves rapidly or accelerates significantly, time measured will also increase. The same applies when an object moves in a circular path. While these effects have been noted in relatively large celestial entities, Vassilis Rembesis and his team at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia have developed a method to test these principles on a diminutive scale.

By examining rotation and time at the molecular level (atoms and molecules), they explored ultracold regions, just a few millionths of a degree above absolute zero. In this domain, the quantum behavior and movement of atoms and molecules can be meticulously controlled with laser beams and electromagnetic fields. In 2007, Rembesis and his colleagues formulated a technique to tune a laser beam to trap atoms in a cylindrical form, allowing them to spin. They refer to this as an “optical Ferris wheel,” and Rembesis asserts that their new findings propose that it can be used to observe relativistic time dilation in ultracold particles.

Their predictions indicate that nitrogen molecules are optimal candidates for investigating rotational time delays at the quantum level. By considering the movement of electrons within them as the ticks of an internal timer, the researchers detected frequency changes as minuscule as 1/10 quintillion.

Simultaneously, Rembesis noted that experiments utilizing optical Ferris wheels have been sparse up until now. This new proposal opens avenues for examining relativity theory in uncharted conditions where new or surprising phenomena may emerge. For instance, the quantum characteristics of ultracold particles may challenge the “clock hypothesis,” which states how a clock’s acceleration influences its ticking.

“It’s crucial to validate our interpretations of physical phenomena within nature. It’s often during unexpected occurrences that we need to reevaluate our understanding for a deeper insight into the universe. This research offers an alternative approach to examining relativistic systems, providing distinct advantages over traditional mechanical setups,” says Patrick Oberg from Heriot-Watt University, UK.

Relativistic phenomena, such as time dilation, generally necessitate exceedingly high velocities; however, optical Ferris wheels enable access to them without the need for impractically high speeds, he explains. Aidan Arnold from the University of Strathclyde, UK adds, “With the remarkable accuracy of atomic clocks, the time difference ‘experienced’ by the atoms in the Ferris wheel should be significant. Because the accelerated atoms remain in close proximity, there is ample opportunity to measure this difference,” he states.

By adjusting the focus of the laser beam, it may also become feasible to manipulate the dimensions of the Ferris wheel that confines the particles, allowing researchers to explore time-delay effects for various rotations, as noted by Rembesis. Nevertheless, technical challenges persist, including the need to ensure that atoms and molecules do not heat up and become uncontrollable during rotation.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Planetary Scientists Suggest Mission to Investigate Upcoming Interstellar Comet

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Researchers at the Southwest Research Institute have completed a study outlining how the proposed spacecraft could fly by interstellar comets, offering valuable insights into properties of these bodies throughout the solar system. Leveraging recent findings from interstellar comet 3i/Atlas, they explored mission concepts and concluded that the proposed spacecraft could potentially intercept and observe 3i/Atlas.

Hubble captured this image of 3i/Atlas when it was 446 million km (277 million miles) from Earth on July 21, 2025. Image credits: NASA/ESA/David Jewitt, UCLA/Joseph Depasquale, Stsci.

In 2017, interstellar object 1i/’oumuamua became the first interstellar comet identified within the solar system.

Following that, the second interstellar comet, 2i/Borisov, was discovered in 2019, and recently, 3i/Atlas was identified this year.

“These novel types of objects present the first true opportunity for humanity to closely examine bodies formed in other star systems,” said Dr. Alan Stern, a planetary scientist at the Southwest Research Institute.

“Flybys of interstellar comets could yield unparalleled insight into their composition, structure, and characteristics, significantly enhancing our understanding of the solid body formation process in diverse star systems.”

Scientists estimate that numerous interstellar objects from distant origins cross Earth’s orbit each year, with up to 10,000 potentially entering Neptune’s orbit in certain seasons.

Dr. Stern and colleagues tackled unique design challenges while defining the costs and payload requirements for interstellar comet missions.

The hyperbolic trajectories and high velocities of these bodies present challenges for current avoidance methods, but this study indicated that Flybee reconnaissance is both feasible and cost-effective.

“The trajectory of 3i/Atlas falls within the intermittent range of missions we designed, and the scientific observations taken during such flybys would be groundbreaking,” stated Dr. Matthew Freeman from the Southwest Institute.

“The proposed mission would involve a rapid, frontal flyby, allowing us to gather substantial valuable data while also serving as a blueprint for future missions to other interstellar comets.”

The research establishes a significant scientific objective for its mission targeting interstellar comets.

Understanding the physical characteristics of a body sheds light on its formation and evolution.

Investigating the composition of interstellar comets may aid in explaining their origins and how evolutionary forces have shaped them since their inception.

Another objective is to thoroughly examine the coma of an object, the escaping atmosphere emanating from its center.

To devise mission orbital options, researchers created software to generate representative synthetic populations of interstellar comets, calculating the minimum energy trajectories from Earth to each comet’s pathway.

Software analyses have indicated that low-energy rendezvous trajectories are achievable, often requiring fewer resources during launch and flight compared to other solar system missions.

Scientists utilized the software to determine the trajectory the proposed spacecraft may have taken from Earth to intercept 3i/Atlas.

They found that the mission could potentially have reached 3i/Atlas.

“It’s incredibly promising regarding the emergence of 3i/Atlas,” noted Dr. Mark Tapley, an orbital mechanics expert at the Southwest Research Institute.

“We have demonstrated that there’s no need to launch any existing technology or mission frameworks that NASA has already employed to engage these interstellar comets.”

Source: www.sci.news

Astronomers Investigate Methods to Enhance Searches for Alien Technosignatures

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A recent study indicates that a group of astronomers in Pennsylvania, along with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, can determine when and where human deep space transmissions are most likely to be detected by extraterrestrial observers beyond our solar system. They can use observed patterns to inform searches for alien intelligence.

Analysis conducted on deep spacenetwork uplink transmission logs over the last two decades et al. It was found that these emissions mainly targeted the Sun or various planets. Image credit: Gemini AI.

“Humans primarily communicate with probes sent to explore spacecraft and other planets like Mars,” stated Pinken Hwang, a graduate student in Pennsylvania.

“Nevertheless, planets such as Mars do not obstruct entire transmissions, enabling spacecraft or celestial bodies along these interplanetary communication pathways to potentially detect signals.

“This implies that when searching for extraterrestrial communications, we need to consider planets outside our solar system that might align with our signals.”

“SETI researchers frequently scan the universe for indicators of past or current technology, referred to as Technosignatures, as potential signs of intelligent life.”

“By analyzing the direction and frequency of our most prevalent signals, we shed light on where we should enhance our chances of discovering alien technical stations.”

In this research, scientists scrutinized logs from NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN), a global facility that enables two-way radio communication with human-made objects in space, serving as a relay to send commands and receive data from spacecraft.

They meticulously aligned the DSN logs with spacecraft location data to pinpoint the timing and direction of radio communications emanating from Earth.

Even though some countries have their own deep space networks, researchers argue that the NASA-operated DSN effectively represents the types of communications coming from Earth, as NASA has spearheaded the most profound space missions to date.

“The DSN establishes crucial connections between Earth and interplanetary missions, such as the NASA New Horizons spacecraft and the NASA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope.”

“It emits some of humanity’s most powerful and sustained radio signals into space, and the public logs of these transmissions have enabled our team to identify temporal and spatial patterns over the past 20 years.”

This study concentrated on transmissions directed into deep space, such as signals sent to interplanetary spacecraft, rather than those intended for low-Earth orbit satellites.

The researchers found that deep-space radio signals primarily targeted spacecraft close to Mars.

Other frequent transmissions were directed at telescopes situated at the Lagrange points near Earth and various planets. These points are areas where the gravitational forces of the Sun and Earth keep the telescope in a relatively fixed position from the perspective of Earth.

“Based on data from the last 20 years, we found that if extraterrestrial intelligence exists where we can observe the alignment of Earth and Mars, there is a 77% chance it falls within our transmission path.

“Furthermore, if they can see consistency with another planet in a solar system, there is a 12% chance they are on that transmission path.”

“However, these opportunities are quite substantial if planetary alignment is not observed.”

The team emphasized the need for humans to search for interplanetary alignments to enhance their quest for Technosignatures.

Astronomers routinely examine exoplanets during alignments with their host stars. In fact, the majority of known exoplanets were discovered by observing a star dimming as a planet passes in front of it.

“We only recently started detecting a significant number of exoplanets in the last 10 to 20 years, so we still lack knowledge about many systems that include more than two transiting exoplanets,” Fan noted.

“With the imminent launch of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, we anticipate the detection of 100,000 previously unknown exoplanets, which should significantly expand our search area.”

Our solar system is relatively flat, with most planets orbiting in the same plane, consequently, most DSN transmissions occurred within 5 degrees of Earth’s orbital plane.

If the solar system were metaphorically likened to a dinner plate with planets and objects lying on its surface, human transmissions would predominantly travel along the surface instead of leaping out into space at steep angles.

The authors also calculated that average DSN transmissions can be detected approximately 23 light-years away using telescopes similar to ours.

“Focusing on solar systems within 23 light-years, particularly those aligned in the plane towards Earth, could enhance our search for extraterrestrial intelligence,” they concluded.

The team is currently strategizing on identifying these systems and estimating how often they receive signals from Earth.

“Humanity is still in the early stages of our space exploration journey, and as we extend our missions into the solar system, transmissions to other planets will only increase,” remarked Professor Jason Wright of Penn.

“We have quantified ways to improve future searches for extraterrestrial intelligence by using our deep space communications as a benchmark to target systems with specific orientations and planetary alignments.”

The team’s paper was published online today in the Astrophysics Journal Letters.

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Ping Chen Fan et al. 2025. Detection of extraterrestrial civilizations employing a global-level deep space network. apjl 990, L1; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/adf6b0

Source: www.sci.news

Scientists Investigate “Superagers” for 25 Years: Here’s What They Discovered

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After 25 years of investigation, researchers at Northwestern University in the United States have found out why some adults have acclimatized to near-optimal cognitive functioning since the 1980s.

Referred to as “super agers,” these individuals are over 80 years old, yet their memory capabilities rival those of adults in their 50s and 60s.

Since the year 2000, scientists have examined 290 of these super agers, assessing 77 brains to better understand those who resist cognitive decline.

The study revealed shared personality traits among the ultra-elderly compared to the general population. These individuals often report being highly social and possessing strong interpersonal connections.

However, the differences in personality are merely the tip of the iceberg. Dr. Sandra Weintraub – a Professor of Psychiatry, Behavioral Science, and Neurology at Northwestern and co-author of a new paper summarizes the findings regarding these super agers – “What we observed in their brains was astonishing; it felt like earth-shattering news for us.”

In some super agers’ brains, scientists identified amyloid and tau proteins, commonly known as plaque and tangles, which are significant in the context of Alzheimer’s disease. In other super agers, these were absent.

Nonetheless, no brains exhibited the damage typically linked with these plaques or tangles.

“Our observation is that there are two distinct mechanisms enabling someone to become a super ager,” Weintraub stated. “The first is resistance, meaning they do not develop plaque or tangles. The second is resilience; they do form these but do not experience negative brain impacts.”

Super agers displayed not only varying personality traits but also distinct brain structures, particularly in the size and shape of the cortex.

In addition to that, these super agers exhibited youthful brain structures. While older brains generally have thinner cortices compared to younger ones, these individuals did not show such thinning.

In particular, they displayed remarkable thickness in the anterior cingulate cortex, a crucial area involved in processing information related to decision-making, emotions, and motivations.

Moreover, super agers had a greater number of Von Economo neurons, also known as spindle cells, compared to their normally aging peers. These neurons, located in the cortex, play a significant role in social behavior, emotional processing, and self-awareness.

“Our research indicates that exceptional memory in later years is achievable and correlates with a well-defined neurobiological profile,” Weintraub stated. “This paves the way for novel interventions aimed at preserving brain health in older age.”

Researchers expressed hope that their work would encourage cognitive health and unveil new approaches to slow or prevent future neurodegenerative diseases like dementia.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

A New Research Center to Investigate How AI Can Facilitate “Human Communication” with Pets

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If your cat is acting aloof, your dog is whining, or your rabbit is doing that quirky foot thing again, you might feel a familiar pang of guilt that most pet owners experience.

For those eager to gain insight into the minds of their devoted companions, help may soon be available thanks to the launch of the first scientific institution focused on the empirical study of animal consciousness.

The Jeremy Coller Centre at Animal Sentience, located at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), will commence its research on September 30th, examining non-human animals, including evolutionarily distinct creatures like insects, crabs, and squid.

Leveraging a diverse range of global expertise, the £4 million center’s initiatives encompass neuroscience, philosophy, veterinary science, law, evolutionary biology, comparative psychology, behavioral science, computer science, economics, and artificial intelligence.

One of its most intriguing projects is to investigate the potential for humans to “communicate” with pets. – However, there are necessary precautions to consider.

“We attribute human traits to pets, and with the rise of AI, the way your pet interacts with you may evolve significantly,” stated Professor Jonathan Burch, the center’s inaugural director.

“Nevertheless, AI frequently produces pleasing but inaccurate responses rather than adhering to objective truths. This poses serious risks to pet welfare,” added Burch, whose advocacy for animal welfare has expanded to include cephalopod mollusks and decapod crustaceans.

Burch highlighted issues like separation anxiety, where dog owners seek reassurance that prolonged absence won’t harm their pets. Future “translation” applications rooted in large-scale language models may promise that reassurance but could mislead by delivering comforting illusions instead of addressing true animal needs.

“We urgently require a framework to ensure the responsible and ethical application of AI concerning animals,” emphasized Burch. “Currently, there’s a complete lack of regulation in this domain. The Centre aims to establish globally recognized ethical standards.”




This research aims to “bridge the gap between what people believe about animals and their actual behavior towards them.” Photo: Zpagistock/Getty Images

Birch also underscored the absence of regulations concerning animals and unmanned vehicles. “We engage in many debates without addressing individuals, but we’re neglecting issues affecting pets.”

AI and agriculture represent another pressing concern for the center. “The agricultural sector is rapidly adopting automation, and this trend will only accelerate,” Burch noted. “Yet, it’s progressing with minimal oversight and dialogue. This poses significant ethical dilemmas about the nature of animal relationships in farming. If such relationships are essential, the current trajectory is not ideal.”

The centre will collaborate with non-governmental organizations to formulate guidance, conduct research, and establish codes of practice to advocate globally.

Jeff Sebo, director of the Environmental Animal Protection Center at New York University, stated that the issues surrounding animal perception and welfare, the influence of AI on animals, and public attitudes toward them are “among the most crucial, challenging, and overlooked matters we face as a society.”

“Humans coexist with millions of species and approximately 100 million individual animals, affecting them worldwide, willingly or not,” he remarked.

Professor Christine Andrews, a trustee of the new center, expressed her ambition to address what she perceives as a significant scientific dilemma. – Particularly, how to restore awareness in the event of a stroke or similar medical emergencies?

“We still struggle to understand why some humans remain aware while others become unresponsive,” she said. “Yet, we recognize that investigating simpler systems may yield answers. Science has advanced significantly in genomics and medicine through the study of basic organisms.”




“A deeper understanding of how other animals feel and communicate will help us recognize our own shortcomings in treating them,” Burch asserts. Photo: Robert Leader/Getty Images

Another trustee, Dr. Christophe Dont, expressed intrigue regarding human perceptions of animal sensations.

“One of today’s most pressing behavioral challenges is closing the gap between what people believe about animals and their actual actions,” he remarked.

“People generally care deeply about animals, yet numerous systems, habits, norms, and economic factors hinder genuine change in treatment practices.”

“I aim to utilize behavioral science to explore resistance to consuming cultivated meat, as an example.”

Jeremy Koller, whose foundation has pledged a multi-year commitment to the Center, aims to revolutionize our “speciesism” mentality.

“Only through a better understanding of other animals’ feelings and communication can we confront our shortcomings in their treatment,” he explained. “Much like the Rosetta Stone revealed the mysteries of hieroglyphics, I believe AI will unlock our comprehension of how other animals experience interactions with humans.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Physicists Investigate Light’s Interaction with Quantum Vacuums

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Researchers have successfully conducted the first real-time 3D simulation demonstrating how a powerful laser beam alters the quantum vacuum. Remarkably, these simulations reflect the unusual phenomena anticipated by quantum physics, known as vacuum four-wave mixing. This principle suggests that the combined electromagnetic fields of three laser pulses can polarize a virtual electron-positron pair within a vacuum, resulting in photons bouncing toward one another as if they were billiard balls.

Illustration of photon photon scattering in a laboratory: Two green petawatt laser beams collide in focus with a third red beam to polarize the quantum vacuum. This allows the generation of a fourth blue laser beam in a unique direction and color, conserving momentum and energy. Image credit: Zixin (Lily) Zhang.

“This is not merely a matter of academic interest. It represents a significant advance toward experimental validation of quantum effects, which have largely remained theoretical,” remarks Professor Peter Norries from Oxford University.

The simulation was executed using an enhanced version of Osiris, a simulation software that models interactions between laser beams and various materials or plasmas.

“We are doctoral students at Oxford University,” shared Zixin (Lily) Zhang.

“By applying the model to a three-beam scattering experiment, we were able to capture a comprehensive spectrum of quantum signatures, along with detailed insights into the interaction region and the principal time scale.”

“We’ve rigorously benchmarked the simulation, enabling our focus to shift to more intricate, exploratory scenarios, like exotic laser beam structures and dynamic focus pulses.”

Crucially, these models furnish the specifics that experimentalists depend on to design accurate real-world tests, encompassing realistic laser configurations and pulse timing.

The simulations also uncover new insights into how these interactions develop in real-time and how subtle asymmetries in beam geometry can influence the outcomes.

According to the team, this tool not only aids in planning future high-energy laser experiments but also assists in the search for evidence of virtual particles, such as axes and millicharged particles, or potential dark matter candidates.

“The broader planned experiments at state-of-the-art laser facilities will greatly benefit from the new computational methods implemented in Osiris,” noted Professor Lewis Silva, a physicist at the Technico Institute in Lisbon and Oxford.

“The integration of ultra-intense lasers, advanced detection techniques, cutting-edge analysis, and numerical modeling lays the groundwork for a new era of laser-material interactions, opening new avenues for fundamental physics.”

The team’s paper was published today in the journal Communication Physics.

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Z. Chan et al. 2025. Computational modeling of semi-real-world quantum vacuums in 3D. Commun Phys 8, 224; doi:10.1038/s42005-025-02128-8

Source: www.sci.news

Musk-Linked Group Donates $5 Million to Investigate Voter Fraud, Finds Nothing | US Election Integrity

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In May 2024, a Fantastic ads Going viral on social media, “There are real cases of fraud and abuse across the country. [election] “The system that erodes our trust.” advertisement The “whistleblower” who shared evidence of election fraud has vowed that he will “reward on payments from the $5 million fund.”

This reward was courtesy of the group that had just been announced. Fair Election Funddocumented documents show that there is a deep connection to Elon Musk’s political network.

The fair election fund “emphasis on these cases” to share their stories with “a large portion of the group’s budget is dedicated to whistleblower payments” and “affective pay and earned.” We have pledged to launch a “media campaign.”

It followed after that Another ad It was run in swing states during the Olympics, telling viewers to share evidence of election fraud, saying, “You might qualify for compensation.”

Despite the group’s high-profile, deep pocket supporters and favorable bounty offers, no evidence of voters or election fraud was revealed. Instead, the group incorporates a series of unrelated detours into tangential areas like third-party voting access, and efforts to reveal fraud have concluded that many research, court decisions, and bipartisan investigations have concluded. I’ve reaffirmed that I’m there. Voter fraud is extremely rare.

Lack of evidence has not stopped Republicans in Congress or in state legislatures We continue to promote restrictive voting methods It is intended to address this phantom threat. Meanwhile, Musk argues that “fraud” justifies his efforts to cut government operations; Similarly, it does not reveal much evidence.

The Fair Election Fund is now radio silent. SiteMap data shows that the website has not been updated since October and that the group’s X/Twitter account has not been posted since November. Group’s SpokesmanFormer national team member Doug Collins has appeared. Trump’s Veterans Secretaryand still is Leading the government’s ethics bureau.

Close relationship with the world’s wealthiest man

The Fair Election Fund is the fictitious name of another 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, and the documented documentation is revealed and operated within a network run by Musk’s top political advisors. You can do it. The group received funds from the same dark money vehicle that Musk used to guide his political spending, and also routed the funds to another musk-backed nonprofit.

The group is now housed in a nonprofit organization called the Interstate, and previously known as the fund. It was formed on January 3, 2023, a nonprofit organization. We raised $8,226,000 from a single donation in 2023.

The group is led by Victoria “Tori” Sax. And to the RepublicThe group was also formed in January 2023. support Includes Desantis funding, including Presidential bid for Ron Desantis Private Jet and Host a semi-campaign event.

The naming of two sax-led groups, and naming them for the Republic and it’s for funding – and the timing of their creation in January 2023 was originally the group currently housed a fair election fund. It suggests that it was intended to support operations. Mask was the first to support him.

Sachs’ involvement continues until 2024, and her name will appear on record This was accompanied by the purchase of the Fair Election Fund’s broadcast.

Musk has been like that since 2022 Secretly channel his political spending Through a dark money nonprofit organization called Building America’s Future. The group is run by General and Phil Cox, two Republican operatives involved in the failed presidential bid for DeSantis. I’ll give advice to Musk now. Building the future of America It is reportedly In 2024, we supported the Fair Election Fund. That too Half provided of Republic’s comprehensive funding in 2023.

Ron DeSantis, whose presidential bid for the Florida Governor, was endorsed by the Republic Group. Photo: Cristóbal Herrera/EPA

The Fair Election Fund has other connections with Musk’s advisors who will lead the future of America. Cox’s digital marketing company IMGE LLC, this Serves several groups Musk-backed buildings in America’s future universe Manage the Fair Election Fund Facebook pageand IMGE Employees It seems to be responsible Articles on the Fair Election Fund website.

The Fair Election Fund/Interstate Priorities also served as a conduit to support other musk-backed groups. Group’s 2023 Tax Return It shows that he has won a $1,550,000 grant to citizens for his sanity. Masks were funded in 2022 by building the future of Americaand aired racist and transphobic ads of that election cycle. The grant created almost entire citizens for sanity Funding for 2023.

During the 2024 election cycle, Musk released at least $277 million in political contributions to the super PACs he worked to elect President Trump and other Republicans. I don’t know how much he gave to other politically active groups disguised as donors.

Detours to third-party voting access

The fair election fund’s goal of exposing election fraud at first glance seemed to have no significance.

Of the $5 million fund, the group announced $75,000 in payments of “prizes” and released it $50,000 July 2024 and $25,000 September 2024. Fair Election Fund It was promised While we will not “emphasis” the narratives of election fraud collected through these payments via “active payments and acquired media campaigns,” we suggest that any evidence generated is consequential or reliable. Not there.

Instead, the group detoured in July 2024: $175,000 advertisement “Blitz” targeting North Carolina Election Commission (NCSBE) members delay Third-party presidential candidates Cornell West and Robert F. Kennedy JR will be on the poll. Back then, Republicans and their allies believed West and Kennedy would do. I’ll act as a spoiler to help Trumpby sucking up left-leaning votes away from the Democratic presidential candidate.

Ironically, the NCSBE delayed decisions regarding Western and Kennedy’s eligibility and is based on evidence. The petition was obtained through fraudulent means – Concerns that appear to coincide with the Fair Election Fund’s mission to expose election fraud.

Fair Election Fund advertisement NCSBE Democrats declared “threatening your right to vote” and provided compensation for evidence of members’ “shady backroom deals.” The group too Projected image I drove next to the NCSBE building. Mobile sign Around the agency’s headquarters.

A fair election fund was also implemented Digital Advertising North Carolina features black voters, some of which areNo African American voices heard“, others sayEquality, support inclusion, support [Cornel West’s] Justice for all parties“. The group has promoted similar efforts in states such as Michigan.

Mark Elias, a Democratic lawyer who tried to stay west of votes in North Carolina and elsewhere, was a frequent target for the group. October 2024, Group announcement Performing six-figure ad purchases to “troll” Elias. The ads included mobile billboards around Elias Law Group Office and full-page ads for the Washington Post. “We’ve broken Mark Elias and his racist voter suppression lawsuit. Cornell West, but the fair election fund has stopped him.”

The fair election fund was then directed towards a series of efforts to chase other trending right-wing conspiracy theories.

For example, fair election funds over the summer are Online Funding Platform ActBlueclaiming he found it.”60,000 potential contradictionsIn ActBlue Facilitation’s contribution to the Biden-Harris campaign, based on a survey conducted “from late July to early August.” The group is “I spent $250,000 About these initial findings” – Amazing

Source: www.theguardian.com

Physicists at CERN investigate potential Lorentz symmetry violations in top quark pair production

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A physicist in charge of CERN’s large -scale Hadronco Rider has tested whether top queks follow Albert Einstein’s special theory.

Installation of CMS beam pipe. Image credit: CERN / CMS collaboration.

In addition to quantum mechanics, Albert Einstein’s special relativity is functioning as the basis of the standard model of particle physics.

In that mind, there is a concept called Lorentz symmetry. The experimental results do not depend on the direction or speed of the experiment in which they were taken.

Special relativity has endured the trials of time. However, some theories, including specific models in string rationale, predict that very high energy does not work with special relativity and experimental observation depends on the direction of space -time experiments.

Lorentz’s remnants of the symmetry destruction can be observed with low -energy, such as the energy of a large hoodron co -rider (LHC), but has not been found on LHC or other colliders despite previous efforts.

In a new study, CMS physicists have searched for Lorentz symmetry on LHC using the top quark pair, the most known basic particles.

“In this case, relying on the direction of the experiment means that the speed at which the top quark pair is generated by the LHC collision in the LHC is different over time,” they said.

“To be more accurate, the average direction of the top quark generated in the center of the LHC proton beam and the center of the CMS experiment also changes because the earth rotates around the axis.”

“As a result, and if there is a priority in space -time, the production rate of the highest pair varies by era.”

“Therefore, finding a deviation from a certain speed will discover the direction of space -time priority.”

The new results of the team based on the LHC’s second execution data consistent with a certain speed. In other words, Lorentz’s symmetry is not broken, and Einstein’s special relativity remains effective.

Researchers have used results to limit the size of the parameters that are predicted to be null when symmetry is maintained.

The obtained restrictions have improved up to 100 times with the previous search results, which were destroyed by Lorentz symmetry in the previous Tevatron accelerator.

“The results will open a way to search for the future in which Lorentz symmetry will be destroyed based on the top quark data from the third run of LHC,” said scientists.

“Open the door to scrutinization of processes including other heavy particles that can only be investigated on LHC, such as Higgs Boson, W and Z Bosons.”

study Published in the October 2024 issue of the journal Physics B.

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CMS collaboration. 2024. Use the Dilepton Event in the 13 TEV Proton Proton collision to search for Lorentz invaluity in the production of top quark pairs. Physics B 857: 138979; DOI: 10.1016/j.physletb.2024.138979

Source: www.sci.news

NASA to investigate subterranean ocean of Uranus’ moon

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Some of the icy moons in the Jupiter and Saturn systems appear to have oceans of liquid water inside them. Although our knowledge of Uranus' moons is more limited, future tours of the Uranian system may be able to detect subsurface oceans. To plan for this, we need to understand how the internal structure of satellites, with and without oceans, relates to observable quantities. New research from the University of Texas Geophysical Institute and the University of California, Santa Cruz shows it may be possible to diagnose the presence or absence of liquid water oceans inside some of Uranus' moons, including Miranda and Ariel. There is, Umbriel, and it is thought that this, combined with measurements of the gravitational field, may provide comprehensive constraints on the internal structure and history of Uranus' moons.

Uranus' four major moons, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon, may have oceanic layers. Salty seas, or salty seas, are found beneath the ice and above water-rich and dry rock layers. Miranda is too small to retain enough heat in the ocean layer. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

When NASA's Voyager 2 flew by Uranus in 1986, it took grainy photos of the large icy moon.

Now, NASA plans to send another spacecraft to Uranus, this time equipped to see if those icy moons hide oceans of liquid water.

The mission is still in the early planning stages, but planetary researchers are preparing by building a new computer model that can be used to detect oceans beneath the ice using only the rover's cameras.

Their computer model works by analyzing the moon's tiny vibrations, or wobbles, as it orbits its parent planet.

From there, you can calculate how much water, ice, and rock is inside. A small wobble means the moon is mostly solid, while a large wobble means its icy surface is floating in an ocean of liquid water.

When combined with gravity data, the model calculates the depth of the ocean and the thickness of the overlying ice.

Dr. Doug Hemingway, a planetary scientist at the University of Texas Geophysical Institute, said: “If we find that Uranus' moons have an inland ocean, it means there are a huge number of potentially habitable worlds across the galaxy. It may mean,” he said.

“The discovery of oceans of liquid water on Uranus' moons will change our thinking about the range of possibilities for life.”

All large moons of the solar system, including the moons of Uranus, are tidally locked.

This means that the same side always faces the parent planet while orbiting, as the gravity matches their rotation.

However, this does not mean that the satellite's rotation is completely fixed; all tidally locked satellites will oscillate back and forth during their orbit.

Determining the extent of the wobble is key to learning whether Uranus' moons have oceans, and if so, how large.

A satellite with an ocean of liquid water splashing inside will wobble more than one that is entirely solid. However, even the largest oceans experience only small wobbles. The moon's rotation can shift by just a few hundred feet as it passes through its orbit.

This is still enough for a passing spacecraft to detect it. In fact, this technique was previously used to confirm that Saturn's moon Enceladus has an internal ocean.

To find out whether the same technique would work on Uranus, Dr. Hemingway and his colleague Dr. Francis Nimmo of the University of California, Santa Cruz performed theoretical calculations on Uranus's five moons, using a variety of the most I came up with a plausible scenario.

Detecting smaller oceans means the spacecraft will need to get closer or carry more powerful cameras.

“The next step is to extend the model to include measurements from other instruments and see how this improves the interior of the satellite,” Dr. Hemingway said.

of the team work Published in a magazine Geophysical Research Letters.

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DJ Hemingway and F. Nemo. 2024. Search for the underground ocean inside Uranus's moon using balance and gravity. Geophysical Research Letters 51 (18): e2024GL110409;doi: 10.1029/2024GL110409

This article is a version of a press release provided by the University of Texas.

Source: www.sci.news

US Authorities Investigate 2.4 Million Tesla Autonomous Vehicles After Crash Report

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The U.S. government’s National Traffic Safety Administration has initiated an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles that are equipped with the company’s fully self-driving software following reports of four crashes, some of which were fatal.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it has launched a preliminary review after receiving reports of four incidents involving fully autonomous driving in conditions with reduced road visibility like sun glare, fog, and airborne dust.

One of the accidents involved a Tesla vehicle hitting a pedestrian, resulting in a fatal outcome. Another accident under similar circumstances led to injuries, according to NHTSA.


The investigation covers Model S and X vehicles from 2016-2024, Model 3 from 2017-2024, Model Y from 2020-2024, and Cybertruck vehicles from 2023-2024 with optional systems.

A preliminary evaluation is the initial step before a vehicle recall is required if the agency determines that the vehicle poses an unreasonable safety risk.

Tesla states on its website that its “full self-driving” software for on-road vehicles necessitates active supervision from the driver and does not render the vehicle completely autonomous.

NHTSA is assessing the engineering controls of FSD to detect and respond appropriately to reduced roadway visibility conditions.

The agency will investigate if other similar FSD accidents have occurred in conditions of low road visibility and if Tesla has made any updates to its FSD system that could impact such conditions.

“This review will also examine Tesla’s assessment of the timing, purpose, functionality, and safety implications of these updates,” NHTSA mentioned.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is focusing on self-driving technology and robotaxis amidst competition and subdued demand in the automotive industry.

The company did not respond to requests for comment. Tesla’s shares were down 0.5% before the market opened.

Musk recently unveiled a concept for Tesla’s “CyberCab” robotaxi, which is a two-seat, two-door vehicle that uses cameras and AI for navigation, eliminating the need for a steering wheel or pedals. NHTSA approval would be necessary for deploying these vehicles without human control.

Tesla’s FSD technology has been in development for years aiming for high automation levels, enabling the vehicle to manage most driving tasks without human intervention.

However, there have been at least two fatalities associated with the technology, leading to legal scrutiny. Some experts are concerned about Tesla’s reliance on a “camera-only” approach for self-driving systems in low visibility conditions due to the absence of backup sensors.

Industry experts like Jeff Schuster, Vice President of GlobalData, suggest that weather conditions can affect the camera’s functionality and regulatory requirements may impact the technology’s progress.

“This could be a significant obstacle in the near-term launch of this technology and product,” Schuster added.

Tesla’s competitors in the robotaxi space use costly sensors like lidar and radar for environment detection while operating.

In a December recall, Tesla called back over 2 million vehicles in the U.S. to incorporate new safety features in its Autopilot advanced driver assistance system. NHTSA is still reviewing the appropriateness of this recall.

Source: www.theguardian.com

When to Alert the Public: Seismologists Investigate Forewarnings of Impending “Major Earthquake”

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New studies conducted by USGS geophysicist Danny Brothers reveal that the Cascadia subduction zone, stretching along the US west coast from northern California to northern Vancouver Island, may have seen around 30 large earthquakes over the past 14,200 years. On average, a large earthquake could occur in that area approximately every 450 to 500 years.

Despite this history, the Cascadia Volcano has remained dormant for years, as many scientists believe the volcano is mainly “frozen” and under immense pressure. Should the volcano erupt, it could cause a significant shift in the ocean floor, leading to potential tsunamis heading towards the shore.

Washington State Emergency Management Director Robert Ezell has warned that this event could be the most catastrophic natural disaster in the country’s history.

Seismologists are now focused on predicting these potential cataclysms, with research suggesting that faults like Cascadia and Nankai may give off warning signs, such as minor foreshocks or subtle tremors only detectable by specialized sensors (known as slow-slip events).

In a worst-case scenario proposed by Tobin, if the Cascadia Fault were to release such vibrations suddenly, the consequences could be devastating.

A major earthquake in the Cascade Range could leave over 100,000 people injured, lasting for five minutes and generating tsunamis along the coast for up to 10 hours. Liquefaction could occur in inland hills, destroying roads and bridges, with around 620,000 buildings, including hospitals and schools, facing severe damage or destruction.

Ezell emphasized that the state is not adequately prepared for such an event, warning residents to be self-sufficient for at least two weeks following a disaster.

The maps of the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates converge to create subduction zones and volcanoes, particularly concern Ezell.

“Over the past few decades, we’ve witnessed major ruptures in all subduction zones’ faults except for Cascadia,” Ezell noted.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Scientists investigate the effects of a broken heart

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The Science of Love

“Losing or ending a romantic relationship is one of the most painful losses an adult can experience,” begins the BAS (A Study Full of Acronyms) study by German and Iranian researchers. Journal of Psychiatry Research.

This is science at its most overtly romantic: electromagnetically stimulating the brains of volunteers who have suddenly experienced heartbreak. It's also science with the most acronyms: tDCS (transcranial direct current stimulation), DLPFC (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), VLPFC (ventrolateral prefrontal cortex), LTS (love trauma syndrome).

For those who have suffered through heartbreak, here's a passage worth hearing out loud as a midnight rooftop monologue: “Thirty-six participants with love trauma syndrome were randomly assigned to three tDCS conditions (left DLPFC, right VLPFC, or sham stimulation). LTS symptoms, treatment-related outcome variables (depression, anxiety, emotion regulation, positive and negative affect), and cognitive functioning were assessed pre-intervention, immediately after intervention, and one month after the intervention.”

The evaluation showed that brain zapping “ameliorated symptoms of LTS,” according to the researchers, but they cautioned that, in terms of science in general, “there are significant gaps in the research on 'love trauma syndrome,' what exactly the symptoms are and what the diagnostic criteria are.”

Eliminates odors

Kevin Lee sees some causation in the actions of perhaps London's (and the world's) first celebrity pathologist.

He writes: “I'm a retired forensic scientist and, as you can imagine, I've been asked countless times how I deal with smells. Apart from the old-fashioned solution of smiling innocently and asking, 'Ouch, what's that?', I still have a keen sense of smell and can detect a range of odours, even when the smell of decay is very faint. I've trained myself to have a fairly neutral approach to these smells, so that although I still notice them well, after one good sniff, they're no longer an issue.”

“Recent articles [Feedback, 15 June] Sir Bernard Spilsbury, a very famous forensic scientist in the early 20th century, said that his sense of smell was extremely defective. If it was, it is more likely that this was because he was a heavy smoker, smoking around 50 cigarettes a day. It is also possible that he used the same techniques that I later used.”

A slice of life

This note from UK reader Gerald Legg depicts body parts that are living (elbow), dead (hair), nominal (leg) and sliced: “Your recent article, 'Parting the Hair' (July 20th) made me think of my time at Manchester University, where my PhD research involved a lot of microtome work using an old but still-functioning Cambridge rocking microtome. [a specialist cutting device].

“I was taught how to sharpen the blade using a glass plate and cerium dioxide. Before each use, the blade is sharpened and then tested under 40x magnification to make sure it is free of scratches. The test is to cut a hair. A sharp blade can cut a hair three times, lifting the little curled section that is still attached to the body of the hair and then cutting the hair straight through.

“There was a sharp knife in the lab, and I put my elbow against the knife and heard it cutting all the way to the bone, but I didn’t feel anything.

“I was rushed to the nearby Manchester Hospital, where I was quickly healed with just a few stitches and was able to return to the lab and continue serial sectioning with the same blade.”

Anonymous

When students make tangible contributions to science, some teachers find ways to publicly recognize who, what, and where they did it, especially when students make extraordinary sacrifices.

“Research into the antibacterial effect of earwax E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus It was isolated from skin and stool samples of an undergraduate student at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria.” “.

In the academic world, credits are limited: individual students are not identified by name.

Simple Happiness

“Simple, simple, simple” is an old rule of thumb, especially among scientists. In honor of this maxim, Feedback has created a document collection called “Simple, Simple, Simple.”

The first item in this assemblage is report It was published in the February 6, 1997 issue under the heading “The Uniquely Simple Personality of Politicians” NatureThe study suggests that a politician's personality can be summed up in just two or three numbers – in stark contrast to the five numbers psychologists claim are needed to judge the average person.

The study's authors were awarded the Ig Nobel Prize in Psychology in 2003.

If you have the simple pleasure of finding another good example, send it to us (with details of the citation) at Simple pleasures, Feedback.

Marc Abrahams is the founder of the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony and co-founder of the journal Annals of Improbable Research. He previously worked on unusual uses of computers. His website is Impossible.

Do you have a story for feedback?

You can submit articles for Feedback by emailing feedback@newscientist.com. Please include your home address. This week's and past Feedback can be found on our website.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Physicists Investigate True Tauonium: The Heaviest and Smallest QED Atom

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Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) Atoms are composed of unstructured point-like lepton pairs held together by electromagnetic forces.

An artist's impression of a true tauonium. Image credit: Fu other., doi: 10.1016/j.scib.2024.04.003.

“QED atom “Like hydrogen, which is formed from protons and electrons, it is formed from lepton pairs through electromagnetic interactions,” said physicist Jinghan Hu of Peking University and colleagues.

“Their properties have been studied for things like testing QED theory, fundamental symmetries, gravity, and exploring physics beyond the Standard Model.”

“The first QED atom was discovered in 1951. It was in a bonded state and was named positronium.”

“The second one, discovered in 1960, was in a captive state and was named Muonium.”

“No other QED atoms have been discovered in the past 64 years.”

“A new collider is proposed to discover true muonium, which decays to its final state with electrons and photons,” they said.

“The heaviest and smallest QED atoms are tauonium, ditauonium, or true tauonium”

in new paper in a diary science bulletinphysicists introduce a new method to identify true tauonium.

“Tauonium, which consists of tauon and its antiparticle, has a Bohr radius of only 30.4 femtometers, which is about 1/1741 times smaller than the Bohr radius of a hydrogen atom,” the researchers said.

“This means that tauonium can test the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics and QED on a smaller scale, providing a powerful tool for exploring the mysteries of the microscopic world of matter.”

“We will observe taunium by collecting data at 1.5 ab-1, which is close to the threshold for tauon pair production, in an electron-positron collider and selecting signal events containing charged particles accompanied by undetected neutrinos carrying away energy. We have demonstrated that the significance exceeds 5σ.

“This provides strong experimental evidence for the presence of tauonium.”

“We also found that by using the same data, the accuracy of measuring the tau lepton mass can be improved to an unprecedented level of 1 keV, two orders of magnitude higher than the best accuracy achieved in current experiments.”

“This result not only contributes to the accurate verification of the electroweak theory in the Standard Model, but also has profound implications for fundamental physics questions such as the universality of leptonic flavors.”

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Jin Hung Fu other. A new method for determining the heaviest QED atoms. science bulletin, published online on April 4, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.scib.2024.04.003

Source: www.sci.news

Scientists investigate possible anomaly in the force of gravity in the universe

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in paper Published in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle PhysicsScientists have considered theoretical and observational cases of “cosmic glitches” in the universe's gravity.

Wen other. Specifically, we develop a model that modifies general relativity on a cosmological scale by introducing a "glitch" in the gravitational constant between the cosmological (superhorizon) and Newtonian (subhorizon) regions. Research. Image credit: M. Weiss / Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

For the past 100 years, physicists have relied on Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity to explain how gravity acts throughout the universe.

General relativity, proven accurate by countless experiments and observations, suggests that gravity affects not just the third physical dimension, but also a fourth dimension: time. Masu.

“This gravity model has been essential to everything from theorizing the Big Bang to photographing black holes,” said Robin Wen, a researcher at the California Institute of Technology.

“But when we try to understand gravity at the cosmic scale, beyond galaxy clusters, we run into clear contradictions with the predictions of general relativity.”

“It's as if gravity itself is no longer fully consistent with Einstein's theory.”

“We call this contradiction a 'cosmic glitch.' When dealing with distances of billions of light years, gravity weakens by about 1%.”

For more than 20 years, researchers have been trying to create a mathematical model to explain the apparent contradictions in general relativity.

“Almost a century ago, astronomers discovered that the universe was expanding,” said Professor Nyaesh Afsholdi of the University of Waterloo.

“The further away a galaxy is, the faster it is moving, so much so that it appears to be moving at a speed close to the maximum speed of light allowed by Einstein's theory.”

“Our findings suggest that at precisely that scale, Einstein's theory may also be inadequate.”

The research team's “cosmic glitch” model modifies and extends Einstein's formula in a way that resolves some discrepancies in cosmological measurements without affecting existing successful uses of general relativity. This is what I did.

“Think of this as a footnote to Einstein's theory,” Wen says.

“Once we reach the cosmic scale, terms and conditions apply.”

“This new model may be the first clue to the cosmic puzzles we are beginning to solve across time and space,” Professor Afshodi said.

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Robin Y. Wen other. 2024. Anomalies in the gravity of the universe. JCAP 03:045; doi: 10.1088/1475-7516/2024/03/045

Source: www.sci.news

EU to investigate Meta’s election misinformation policies before June vote.

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The EU has reportedly taken legal action against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, for failing to address Russian disinformation concerns ahead of the upcoming EU general election in June. The intention is to wake her up.

Concerns are also raised regarding the inadequate monitoring of election-related content and the effectiveness of mechanisms to flag illegal content.

The European Commission is worried that Meta’s moderation system is not strong enough to combat fake news propagation and suppression of votes.

Officials are particularly concerned about Meta’s response to Russia’s attempts to interfere with upcoming European elections, without explicitly mentioning the Kremlin.

According to reports, the European Commission has rejected Meta’s proposal to discontinue CrowdTangle, a tool that helps monitor the spread of fake news and voter suppression attempts in real time across the EU, raising significant concerns.

In accordance with a new law requiring tech companies to regulate their content to comply with EU regulations, Facebook and others must implement systems to guard against election interference risks.

A Meta spokesperson stated: “We have established processes to identify and mitigate risks on our platform. We are collaborating with the European Commission and will provide additional details on our work. We look forward to the opportunity.”

If Meta’s actions are confirmed, it follows recent stress tests conducted by the Commission on major social media platforms to assess their readiness against Russian disinformation. An official announcement is expected shortly.

The stress tests included hypothetical scenarios based on historical attempts to influence elections and cyber-based misinformation campaigns.

This encompassed deepfakes and efforts to suppress authentic voices through online harassment and intimidation.

The EU recognized the stifling of legitimate democratic voices as a new tool to silence dissent in February.

“The objective was to evaluate the platforms’ preparedness to combat manipulative activities leading up to elections, including various tactics,” said the committee.

This allowed them to assess social media’s resilience to manipulation, which is anticipated to escalate in the coming weeks.

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The upcoming European Parliament elections between June 6 and 9 are facing a surge in disinformation across the region.

Congress released voter guidelines on Monday, highlighting past incidents, such as the false claim that only specific ink colors could be used on ballots.

Voters are cautioned to be vigilant against disinformation, drawing from recent national election experiences.

In elections in various countries, misinformation about erasable ink pens and physical threats at polling stations have circulated on social media, reflecting the challenges of combating fake news and manipulation.

The EU Disinfolab documented thousands of cases of fake news targeting Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion and spreading misinformation about President Putin’s motives.

Recently, a Czech news agency’s website was hacked to display fabricated news stories, including alleged assassination attempts and political reactions.

Last month, the Czech government exposed a disinformation network linked to Moscow.

The Belgian prime minister announced an investigation into alleged Russian payments to influence European Parliament elections.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Researchers to investigate solar eclipses utilizing aircraft and NASA spacecraft

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Millions of people across North America are eagerly awaiting the total solar eclipse on April 8th, which promises to be a spectacular show. This rare event will see the moon completely obscuring the sun, providing a unique opportunity for scientific study.

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy emphasized the significance of this event, stating that it allows scientists to observe the Earth, moon, and sun in a new light. The agency’s primary focus is on studying the sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona, which is usually obscured by the sun’s brightness. During a total solar eclipse, the corona becomes visible as a faint light surrounding a glowing halo.

Researchers are particularly interested in the corona as it plays a crucial role in transferring heat and energy to the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emitted from the sun’s atmosphere. Understanding the corona’s behavior can provide insights into solar phenomena such as solar flares and geomagnetic storms, which can impact Earth’s communications and power systems.

Scientists like solar astrophysicist Amir Caspi are taking advantage of this celestial event to study the sun’s atmosphere in detail. By using specialized instruments aboard aircraft and satellites, researchers hope to solve long-standing mysteries related to the sun’s corona and the solar wind.

The upcoming solar eclipse will also see spacecraft like NASA’s Parker Solar Probe and the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter observing the sun from different vantage points. These missions aim to gather valuable data about the sun’s atmosphere and solar wind, providing unprecedented insights into solar activity and its potential effects on Earth.

As the sun approaches the peak of its 11-year cycle, researchers are eager to capture any potential solar eruptions and study their impact on space weather. The data collected during the solar eclipse will contribute to our understanding of solar phenomena and improve our ability to forecast space weather events.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Victoria Police asked to investigate HyperVerse information in 2020, but referred the case back to Asic 22 months later.

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Australia's corporate watchdog, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), referred information about a US$1.89 billion “pyramid scheme” known as Hyperverse to Victoria Police in 2020. But no action was taken, and the watchdog referred it again almost two years later.

The ASIC referred the company to Victoria Police for “possible criminal fraud” after concerns were raised with corporate regulators about its affiliate company Blockchain Global. The HyperVerse crypto investment scheme was operated by HyperTech Group, founded by two of Blockchain Global's directors, Sam Lee and Ryan Xu.

An ASIC spokesperson said, “Asic provided information relating to the HyperVerse matter to Victoria Police in 2020 after being informed that VicPol was investigating the HyperVerse matter. [alleged] and after determining that it was not a financial product and that the police were in the best position to investigate. [alleged] There is a possibility of criminal fraud.”

Neither ASIC nor Victoria Police provided further details about the alleged act.

“ASIC takes seriously any fraudulent activity that harms investors and we have the authority to act against fraudulent activity in relation to financial products and services,” the spokesperson said. “When we become aware of conduct that is outside of our jurisdiction, we seek to refer information about that conduct to the appropriate authorities.”

However, Victoria Police said it had assessed that information and decided after almost two years that ASIC was “best placed to investigate further”.

Meanwhile, Blockchain Global went bankrupt and owed creditors $58 million, while Mr. Xu and Mr. Lee were allegedly involved in a “global multi-level marketing and marketing of crypto-assets” as per the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Mr. Xu is not named in the SEC's lawsuit.

A Victoria Police spokesperson confirmed it received a referral from ASIC in April 2020, but the matter was not assessed until 2021. After that assessment, “it was decided that the lead agency should be ASIC”.

The matter was transferred back to ASIC in January 2022. Asked why the process took 22 months, a Victoria Police spokesperson said: “For matters of this nature, the first step is to determine whether a criminal offense has been committed and whether it is best to approach Victoria Police. Depending on the situation, it may take some time.”

A spokesperson declined to comment on the content of the evaluation.

Mr. Ashiq said he believes he is acting on this referral. “ASIC understands that this matter is being actively considered by VicPol. Ultimately, VicPol is best placed to explain its decision to refer this matter back to ASIC,” the spokesperson said.

“At the time VicPol referred the matter back to ASIC, an external administrator had been appointed to Blockchain Global. ASIC is currently considering the information contained in the liquidator’s report relating to this scheme.”

At the time ASIC was referred to Victoria Police, the first Hyper scheme, ‘HyperCapital’, was underway and launched in Hong Kong in 2019. Meanwhile, HyperCapital was rebranded to HyperFund in 2020 and became HyperVerse in December 2021.

Mr. Lee denied claims that the scheme was a fraud and defended his role at HyperVerse as limited to the technical and financial management aspects of the business. Members were offered memberships to HyperVerse, where they could explore the HyperVerse ecosystem. There were returns of 0.5% per day and a 300% return over 600 days. HyperUnits were linked to various crypto tokens and could be withdrawn and converted into other cryptocurrencies once matured.

Mr Lee also did not mention that he had resigned from Blockchain Global’s board of directors and that the company was no longer in business.

According to court documents, Brenda Chunga, a senior U.S. promoter charged and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, hired Hypertech Group and Blockchain Global to potentially promote the scheme. Mr. Chunga emphasized his connection with Blockchain Global to give the HyperFund project credibility and increase security of investment.

Ashiq defended his failure to issue a warning about the Hyperfund and Hyperverse investment schemes. Mr. Lee declined to answer questions from Guardian Australia, and Mr Hsu could not be reached for comment.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Utilize Arduino to investigate Indian manufacturing and curb the sale of counterfeit products

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Arduino is considering manufacturing in India. The startup, best known for its open source microcontroller boards, wants to limit the rise in counterfeit boards and meet growing demand from India’s youth.

The Italian company is currently exploring partnerships with electronic manufacturing services (EMS) companies in South Asia to start local production as early as the first quarter of next year, CEO Fabio Violante said in a virtual interview. told TechCrunch. This marks a significant change from the company’s current practice of producing all its boards in Italy.

India is the largest market for Arduino IDE downloads with 3.2 million. The country also has local branches of global Arduino distributors such as DigiKey, Mouser Electronics, and Avnet. However, India’s contribution to the customer base is currently less than 1%. Violante believes that her fake Arduino board is the main reason for this discrepancy.

“The strange situation for us in India is that even though the community is very large and the user base of the Arduino IDE is very large, we have no original product to sell to the Indian market, especially because people can’t afford the original product. “The amount is very small because finished electronic products are subject to high import duties,” he said. “So people mainly buy substitute products or clones, and in some cases those counterfeit products are made in China.”

Arduino clones are currently available for less than half the price of the original board. The latter also includes import duties. Therefore, by starting local manufacturing, Arduino will be selling its boards in India at the same low prices as their Chinese counterparts.

However, the problem with cloned boards is not limited to India, Biollante acknowledged, adding that the company currently sells one original board for every five to six clones in the market.

“This is difficult because we are open source and we make money by selling our original hardware,” he said. “So clones and counterfeits are a big part of the market.”

Arduino is trying to address the problem of counterfeit boards around the world by making its hardware more sophisticated and harder to counterfeit.

“Continuous innovation gives us a competitive edge,” Biollante said. “[The new boards] It uses a more sophisticated microcontroller, a more sophisticated power section that is not as easy to copy and paste. ”

The executive was in New Delhi last week to attend an investor-focused event organized by state agency Invest India, where he met with government officials and members of parliament, including India’s Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar. did.

To compete with China, India has been offering cashbacks and subsidies to global manufacturers to become production hubs. As a result, the country’s domestic electronics manufacturing increased by more than 111% to $99 billion in fiscal year 2022-23, from $47 billion in 2017-18, according to government data shared in parliament last week. However, most of this is due to growth in local mobile phone manufacturing. The country is already the second largest manufacturer of mobile phones, with Indian-made handsets accounting for more than 99% of domestic mobile phone sales. The government wants to expand local production not just for mobile phone assembly, but also for components including displays and semiconductors.

Violante told TechCrunch that Arduino is currently considering both large international EMS companies and small local companies in India that specialize in manufacturing electronic circuit boards and development boards.

The executive indicated that the company may initially consider making a $27 product. Uno R4 WiFi It was launched globally earlier this year. It aims to appeal to the masses with specifications such as a 32-bit Cortex M4 processor, 32KB RAM, and 256KB flash storage. However, over time, it may start producing the enterprise-oriented Pro series model that was launched last year.

Violante said Arduino is also looking to work with educational institutions in India to increase brand awareness among students and become part of local curricula. Additionally, partnerships with research institutions help the company connect with companies that collaborate with those institutions. The company already has a partnership with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in the US, and plans to expand that partnership in India as well. Furthermore, Arduino specifically plans to cater to local demand, and its initial start in the country means that, unlike many other startups, it does not rely on China for manufacturing, so over time it will grow locally. There is a possibility that the company will move towards exporting the manufactured boards to other countries.

Source: techcrunch.com