Six must-read stories from the past week include a detailed reconstruction of a volcanic super-eruption; new data from extensive radar scanning on King Tut’s tomb to explore for secret chambers; an ultraviolet image that shows the Sun’s delicate beauty; 13 astonishing true sci-fi stories; and a look at whether humans are the new supercomputer.
Are Humans the New Supercomputer?
Today, people of all backgrounds can contribute to solving serious scientific problems by playing computer games. A Danish research group has extended the limits of quantum physics calculations and simultaneously blurred the boundaries between man and machine further. We are still superior — in some ways.
Sci-Fi Comes to Life: 13 Astonishing True Stories
Using present-day technologies, researchers have made some astonishing high-tech advances that recently existed only in the realm of science fiction: an ultra-thin invisibility cloak; quantum teleportation; direct brain-to-brain communication; the real exoplanet universe; a cosmic Death Star destroys a planet; a Star Trek-style sonic tractor beam; a wearable cognitive assistant; teleporting the memory of an organism; a brain-inspired…
Ultraviolet Image Shows Sun’s Intricate Atmosphere
This eerie colored orb is nothing less than the life-giver of the Solar System. It is the Sun, the prodigious nuclear reactor that sits at the heart of our planetary system and supplies our world with all the light and heat needed for us to exist. To the human eye, the Sun is a burning light in the sky. However, to the electronic eyes of SOHO, the Sun appears a place of delicate beauty and detail.
Secret Tut Chamber? Egypt Calls Experts to Examine Evidence
Egypt invited archaeologists and experts from around the world to examine new data from new, extensive radar scanning conducted on King Tutankhamun’s tomb to explore a theory that secret chambers could be hidden behind its walls. The open invitation to a conference in Cairo in May, issued by the antiquities minister, aims to bring broader scientific rigor to what so far have only been tantalizing clues.
Detailed Simulation Reconstructs Volcanic Super-eruption
A study on the Campanian Ignimbrite super-eruption, which took place 39,000 years ago near the modern city of Naples, provides a detailed reconstruction of the natural phenomenon that slowed the advance of Modern Humans in Europe. Researchers have reconstructed the two phases of the super-eruption, which deposited an amount of ash equivalent to approximately eight times the volume of Everest between southern Italy and the Siberian plains.
R&D 100 AWARD ENTRIES NOW OPEN: Establish your company as a technology leader! For more than 50 years, the R&D 100 Awards have showcased new products of technological significance. You can join this exclusive community! Learn more.