science
Quantum computer quickly mines cryptocurrency while using less energy
A superconducting quantum computer is part of a network that is mining an experimental cryptocurrency called Quip, and it is able to do it faster and with better energy efficiency than conventional machines Source link
First working nuclear clock heralds a new era in timekeeping
A clock based on radioactive thorium atoms realises a long-held ambition, demonstrating a technology that could eventually beat the accuracy of today’s best atomic clocks Source link
El Niño has started and the weather could get weird
Global weather agencies have declared that El Niño has begun, and models show it is more likely than not to be a “super” El Niño. The climate pattern boosts extreme weather around the world, and could lead to record temperatures Source link
Toy universe shows that time could be a quantum illusion
An experiment with a toy universe made up of extremely cold atoms shows how time can emerge from quantum interactions, instead of existing by default Source link
Think you have a good sense of humour? So do most people…
Feedback is alarmed by a study that explored how funny people think they are, and that discovered certain traits in those who rate themselves the most humorous Source link
A nuclear war between India and Pakistan could destroy the ozone layer
Climate models suggest a small nuclear war in the tropics would do even more damage to the ozone layer than a larger nuclear war in more northerly latitudes, increasing exposure to dangerous ultraviolet radiation all over the world Source link
A cosmic case of mistaken identity that can only be solved right now
Brown dwarfs are somewhere between the size of a planet and a star, so how could we have potentially mistaken two of them for distant galaxies? Columnist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein argues that solving this cosmic mix-up is particularly possible now, as galaxy research has never been stronger Source link
What really happened when ancient humans migrated out of Africa
The out-of-Africa migration, in which ancient humans went on to inhabit every other continent except Antarctica, may not have been one moment in time, but a long and slow process. Columnist Michael Marshall examines how archaeologists are rethinking this critical part of our history Source link
Half the world's reservoirs could be clogged up with dirt by 2060
Each decade the world is losing over 7 per cent of its freshwater storage capacity to sediment build-up, according to an analysis of over half a million reservoirs Source link
Stonehenge's altar stone probably wasn't transported by a glacier
A glacier could have carried the giant sandstone at the centre of Stonehenge southwards from north-east Scotland, but this scenario appears unlikely Source link