Chris Packham

1 month ago | phys.org | Chris Packham

This week, researchers reported a brain circuit linked to the intensity of political behavior. Microbiologists found that the 2018 eruption of the Kīlauea volcano drove a rare, massive summertime phytoplankton bloom, the largest ever recorded in the North Pacific. And a physics professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville proposed a new model of the universe built on multiple singularities rather than a single Big Bang.

1 month ago | phys.org | Chris Packham

This week, researchers reported on nine rivers and lakes in the Americas that defy hydrologic expectations. Geologists report that Earth's first crust probably had chemical features similar to today's continental crust. And engineers advanced quantum technology by merging two exotic, lab-synthesized materials into an artificial structure, atom by atom.

1 month ago | phys.org | Chris Packham

One of the strangest facts in computer science is that it's really hard to generate true random numbers. For a computer, anyway. I can do it just fine: 173, 401, 530. That's right off the top of my head, true randomness. Scientists: If you need a random number, please contact me by email, night or day. However, a multi-institutional group of researchers now reports generating "demonstrated certified randomness" using a 56-qubit quantum computer.

1 month ago | phys.org | Chris Packham

This week, ALMA researchers reported the discovery of oxygen in the most distant known galaxy. Geologists believe unusual structures in rock in the desert regions of Namibia, Oman and Saudia Arabia may be evidence of an unknown microorganism. And a group of physicists may have generated a tiny charge of electricity using the Earth's rotational energy.

2 months ago | phys.org | Chris Packham

This week, we reported on the difficulty humans experience trying to read their dogs' emotions. Researchers reported that male blue-lined octopuses paralyze females before mating with them to avoid being eaten. And physicists demonstrated quantum advantage with a simple cooperation game. Additionally, galaxies prefer to spin clockwise, apparently; researchers found the oldest face bones of an early human; and a play intervention reduces stress markers in both humans and dogs.