Science

A team of Danish and German scientists has launched a major project to create new technology that could form the foundation of the future quantum internet. They re using a rare element called erbium along with silicon chips like the ones in our phones to produce special particles of light for ultra-secure communication and powerful computing. With cutting-edge tools like lasers and nanotech, the researchers are working to make something that didn t seem possible just a few years ago: light that can both travel long distances and remember information.

NASA s CODEX experiment aboard the International Space Station is revealing the Sun like never before. Using advanced filters and a specialized coronagraph, CODEX has captured images showing that the solar wind streams of charged particles from the Sun is not a smooth, uniform flow but rather a turbulent, gusty outpouring of hot plasma. These groundbreaking observations will allow scientists to measure the speed and temperature of the solar wind with unprecedented detail, providing critical insights for space weather forecasting and understanding how solar activity impacts Earth and space technology.

Astronomers have discovered the site of a newly forming exoplanet, probably with several times the mass of Jupiter. The image was captured by ESO's Very Large Telescope, seeing the young star system 2MASS 1612 in infrared light. The disk extends about 130 astronomical units from the star, but you can see a bright ring followed by a gap at about 50 AU. It's believed there's a new planet forming in that gap, pulling in material from the disk of gas and dust around it.

As worldwide temperatures continue to rise and conventional solutions aren't working fast enough, governments may turn to geoengineering solutions. One idea is to place a giant sunshade somewhat like an umbrella between the Earth and the Sun to block some of the sunlight that reaches our planet. A new mission proposes sending an 81 m² sail to Earth-Sun L1 to measure the effect of blocking a tiny fraction of solar energy.

When the Sun rages and storms in Earth's direction, it changes our planet's atmosphere. The atmosphere puffs up, meaning satellites in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) meet more resistance. This resistance creates orbital decay, dragging satellites to lower altitudes. One researcher says we can change the design of satellites to decrease their susceptibility.

Gas clouds in the Milky Way's Galactic Center contain copious amounts of star-forming gas. But for some reason, few massive stars form there, even though similar gas clouds elsewhere in the galaxy easily form massive stars. The clouds also form fewer stars overall. Are they a new type of molecular cloud?

Two huge movie studios are suing Midjourney, claiming the firm’s AI has been trained on their copyrighted material – the entrance of the Hollywood giants into this legal fight could be a watershed moment for AI and copyright

One of the sad parts about having lived through the best era of rock music is watching the musicians drop away, one by one, mown down by the Grim Reaper. The latest musician to go, and a great one, was Brian Wilson, who just died at 82 (the date and cause of death wasn’t revealed).

His family announced the death on Instagram but did not say where or when he died, or state a cause. In early 2024, after the death of his wife, Melinda Wilson, business representatives for Mr. Wilson were granted a conservatorship by a California state judge, after they asserted that he had “a major neurocognitive disorder” and had been diagnosed with dementia.

I have to run, but I do want to list and put up versions of what I think are his best songs. The guy was a fricking musical genius. I’ll post five, but I haven’t had time to ponder, so this is a gut reaction.  Feel free to add your own choices.

Caroline No (1966), performed at the Royal Festival Hall in London, England.

Don’t Worry Baby (1964), performed below in Japan in 2012. I think this is the best of the “early” Beach Boys songs, though it preceded God Only Knows by just two years.

Darlin’ (1967). This live version is from 1980:

Wouldn’t it Be Nice? (1966). This version was performed in 2012.

And his best song, the one Paul McCartney called his favorite song: God Only Knows (1966).  This is a fantastic and complex song that took days to record (you can find takes on YouTube). What amazes me is that Wilson had it all in his head to begin with.

There are so many more good songs, but no time to write about them.  RIP, Brian.

Lagniappe: George Martin, a big fan, meets Wilson, who talks about how he writes his songs. I’ve watched this video a gazillion times.

Recent research delves into our issues with "seasonal body image dissatisfaction", says David Robson, who has advice on how to combat it during the summer months

In Kaliane Bradley's The Ministry of Time, a young woman must help a naval commander snatched from death in 1847 adapt to the 21st century. Time travel thriller meets romance in this excellent novel

Images from a jellyfish-breeding facility in Germany showcase the luminous invertebrates' environmental challenges and medical promise

The story of the birth and growth of nuclear science is rebalanced in Destroyer of Worlds, which gives due prominence to the role of women

The universe will still be there to marvel at, despite brutal cuts set to hit NASA and the National Science Foundation's budgets. But the damage to future research will be long-lasting, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

Feedback is tickled by a marketing email touting a new range of tents, which promises revolutionary waterproofing technology

From Fallopian tubes to the G-spot, long-dead men have left their mark on women's anatomy. It's time to turf them out, says Adam Taor

How did we lose the sense that some parts of life should be off-limits rather than open to commodification? Tiffany Jenkins's thoughtful new book Strangers and Intimates explores

With rising cancer rates, we need more good news, and the latest finding that cancer interacts with the nervous system means cheap and readily available drugs could help

Implants that monitor the neural activity of frog embryos as they grow into tadpoles and then adults could offer a window into the developing brain

A brain-computer interface has enabled a man with paralysis to have real-time conversations, without the usual delay in speech

From geoengineering to anti-methane cow vaccines and green aviation fuel, meet the former nuclear physicist deciding which climate change technologies hold the most promise