Tag: technology

BREAKTHROUGH REVEALS FLAWS IN DIAMONDS COULD LEAD TO NANOSCALE MAGNETIC AND THERMAL SENSORS

Cambridge researchers report a new breakthrough that could lead to the development of highly sensitive quantum sensors, which they say was achieved by exploiting tiny flaws in diamond fragments.

The discovery could pave the way toward innovative new applications that could help offer a deeper glimpse at neuron activity within living cells through magnetic imagery and other technologies.

Specifically, nanoscopic detectors capable of measuring temperature and magnetic fields could be inserted into living cells, allowing scientists an unprecedented glimpse at chemical reactions that occur on the cellular level. Beyond biology, the achievement also could have applications for helping scientists better understand the way certain unique materials gain their magnetic properties.

Flaws in diamonds that occur at the atomic scale can lead to unique and often beautiful color variations in certain rare kinds of diamonds. However, apart from their generation of precious stones, scientists view these impurities as a significant avenue for research in quantum physics.

An example of the kinds of flaws that interest scientists is what is known as the Nitrogen-vacancy Center, or NVC, where a gap exists in the crystal lattice of a diamond alongside nitrogen atoms. When this occurs, electrons become tightly contained, and scientists have learned that their spin states can be precisely manipulated.

In the past, scientists have succeeded in achieving electron coherence in the NVCs of larger diamonds. This phenomenon refers to the degree of interference between electrons emitted from a source such as an electron gun, which plays a key role in ultrafast chemistry and physics research.

Coherence times of up to one second—a significant amount for research in this field and the longest amount ever observed in any known solid material—have been achieved in the NVCs of larger diamond samples, whereas finding any amount of coherence in tiny diamonds measuring just a few nanometers has previously remained unattainable.

Achieving coherence in smaller diamonds, however, presents several advantages. One is the precision they would allow for applications at the nanoscale, as well as their ability to be inserted into living cells.

Now, researchers at Cambridge University say that the elusiveness of coherence in smaller diamonds has been identified as a concentration of nitrogen impurities instead of interactions with spins on the surfaces of the diamond.

The discovery, according to researchers at Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory, was made by observing the spin dynamics in nanodiamond NVCs. Independent control of the nitrogen impurities allowed the researchers to raise coherence times to 0.07 milliseconds longer than any previous attempt. The figure may sound minuscule, but it is orders of magnitude greater than past studies had ever achieved, paving the way toward nanodiamonds becoming a key material in the development of new quantum sensing technologies.

Researcher Helena Knowles, who participated in the study, said the results could ultimately lead to the development of the world’s smallest magnetic field detector, as well as the tiniest temperature detector ever made.

“Nanodiamond NVCs can sense the change of such features within a few tens of nanometres,” Knowles said in a statement. “[N]o other sensor has ever had this spatial resolution under ambient conditions.”

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The first humanoid robot factory is about to open

A factory planning to pump out 10,000 two-legged robots a year is taking shape in Salem, Oregon — the better to help Amazon and other giant companies with dangerous hauling, lifting and moving.

Why it matters: Agility Robotics says that its RoboFab manufacturing facility will be the first to mass-produce humanoid robots, which could be nimbler and more versatile than their existing industrial counterparts.

  • China seems to think so: Beijing recently announced a goal of mass-producing humanoid robots by 2025.

Driving the news: Agility Robotics, which makes a bot named Digit that’s being tested by Amazon, plans to open RoboFab early next year, inaugurating what CEO Damion Shelton calls “the world’s first purpose-built humanoid robot factory.”

  • “We’ve placed a very high priority on just getting robots out there as fast as possible,” Shelton, who’s also a co-founder, tells Axios.
  • “Our big plan is that we want to get to general-purpose humanoids as soon as we can.”
  • There’s a growing backlog of orders for Digit, which the company says is the first commercially available human-shaped robot designed for warehouse work.

Where it stands: Agility has produced about 100 robots since its founding in 2016, and plans to move Digit production from its Tangent, Oregon headquarters to the more spacious 70,000-square-foot RoboFab facility in the coming months.

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Israeli AI “Assassination Factory” Plays Central Role in the Gaza War

Tel Aviv has been relying on an AI Program dubbed the Gospel to select targets in Gaza at a rapid pace. In past operations in Gaza, the IDF ran out of targets to strike in the besieged enclave.

A statement on the IDF website says the Israeli military is using the Gospel to “produce targets at a fast pace.” It continues, “Through the rapid and automatic extraction of intelligence,” the Gospel produced targeting recommendations for its researchers “with the goal of a complete match between the recommendation of the machine and the identification carried out by a person.”

Aviv Kochavi, former head of the IDF, said the system was first used in the May 2021 bombing campaign in Gaza.  “To put that into perspective, in the past we would produce 50 targets in Gaza per year,” he said. “Now, this machine produces 100 targets a single day, with 50% of them being attacked.”

The IDF does not disclose what it inputs into the Gospel for the program to produce a list of targets.

Thursday, the Israeli outlet +972 Magazine reported Tel Aviv was using AI to pick targets in Gaza. A former Israeli official told the +972 that the Gospel was being used as a “mass assassination factory.” The program is selecting the home of suspected low-level Hamas members for destruction. Sources told the outlet that strikes on homes can kill numerous civilians.

One source was critical of the Gospel. “I remember thinking that it was like if [Palestinian militants] would bomb all the private residences of our families when [Israeli soldiers] go back to sleep at home on the weekend,” they said.

On Friday, the Guardian expanded on the +972 article by reporting that the Gospel plays a central role in the Gaza military operations.

A former senior Israeli military source told the Guardian that operatives use a “very accurate” calculation of the number or rate of civilians fleeing a building before an impending strike. However, other experts disputed that assertion. A lawyer who advises governments on AI and compliance with humanitarian law told the outlet there was “little empirical evidence” to support the claim.

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I’m a professional hacker – and these are the 5 things that would allow me to crack into your smartphone within SECONDS

Many of us would feel lost without our smartphones in hand – but what if that same device became a tool for criminals?

Kieran Burge, a security consultant at Prism Infosec, has revealed the five common mistakes that could let him crack into your smartphone within seconds.

As a penetration tester – a legal hacker who tests companies’ cybersecurity to find weaknesses before criminals do – Kieran knows what he’s talking about. 

And he says that simple mistakes such as reusing passwords, clicking on dodgy links and sharing too much information on social media could land you in hot water. 

So, are you guilty of these security blunders? Read on to find out.  

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BREAKTHROUGH IN QUANTUM STORAGE OF ENTANGLED PHOTONS MAY USHER AGE OF SOLID STATE-BASED QUANTUM NETWORKS

Chinese researchers report the successful quantum storage of entangled photons at telecom wavelengths within a crystal, in a breakthrough achievement that reportedly lasted 387 times longer than past similar experiments.

The research team, based at Nanjing University, says their findings could potentially “pave the way for realizing quantum networks based on solid-state devices.”

Experts have differing opinions on how soon we may see a global quantum internet. However, no one disputes that once it is achieved, it will revolutionize how information is processed and secured. In the move toward that reality, researchers are currently focusing on ensuring that processes that include quantum storage and distribution of entangled photons will be compatible with existing telecommunications networks.

In the case of entangled photons, entanglement describes the quantum phenomenon where particles remain connected, which effectively allows actions performed on one to affect its entangled counterpart even from across great physical distances.

However, making sure that quantum networks work reliably using fiber-based systems, like those the Internet currently uses, presents a number of challenges, namely signal loss due to the limitations of optical fiber systems that are presently in use.

One way of overcoming these problems involves the use of devices called quantum repeaters, which can help extend the range of these systems by storing the quantum state of photons into matter. Successful quantum repeaters must accomplish three primary tasks: 1) they must match the standard telecom wavelength, which is around 1.55 μm; 2) they must be capable of storing data for long periods; and 3) they have to be able to handle multiple data streams simultaneously.

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Cartel Narco Tank With Cope Cage Anti-Drone Armor Emerges

AMexican drug cartel recently employed an improvised armored truck, also commonly referred to as a “Narco Tank,” with what looks to be a metal screen over the front section of the vehicle. This is reminiscent of the so-called “cope cages” that have become a fixture on tanks and other armored vehicles on both sides of the conflict in Ukraine and that have also now emerged on Israeli tanks. These screens are primarily intended to provide extra protection against drones, something that cartels in Mexico are now regularly employing against government security forces and each other.

The Mexican vehicle in question was a modified Dodge Ram truck with a four-door cab that also had a box-like improvised armored structure at the rear with ports through which individuals inside could fire small arms. It was one of three Narco Tanks that took part in an ambush of Mexican military forces in the country’s state of Jalisco just over a week ago. The Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), or Jalisco New Generation Cartel, carried out the attack on November 19, which also reportedly involved the rapid establishment of roadblocks to hamper the arrival of government reinforcements.

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NASA TO LAUNCH STADIUM-SIZED CRAFT OVER ANTARCTICA IN NEW MISSION TO EXPLORE COSMIC PHENOMENA

A long-duration aerial mission soon to be carried out by NASA over Antarctica will launch stadium-sized craft in support of a series of record-breaking science missions, the agency announced this week.

The Antarctic Long Duration Balloon (LDB) Campaign, which includes a trio of scientific balloon flights equipped to study a range of different phenomena, will launch at the beginning of December, according to a press release NASA issued on Monday.

The mission will employ a series of massive zero-pressure balloons, which the American space agency says will support five missions in total.

Equipped with open ducts through which gas can escape, thereby eliminating the buildup of pressure within, zero-pressure balloons expand as they accumulate heat from the rising Sun as they are being carried aloft. Conversely, as the Sun sets, heat is lost, which results in a loss of gas, which causes zero-pressure balloons to have a shorter flight duration than other inflatable systems.

However, long-duration missions can be achieved during the polar summer, a period during which the balloons remain in constant sunlight for extended periods.

One of the missions aims to break a previous long-duration balloon flight record of just over 55 days. The balloons will launch from NASA’s facility for balloon launches located close to McMurdo Station, the largest community on Earth’s southernmost continent located on the southern edge of Ross Island, Antarctica.

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EXPLORING INFANT CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPMENT: NEW RESEARCH REVEALS BABIES LIKELY DEVELOP CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE WOMB

Recent scientific advances are bringing us closer to understanding infant consciousness development and answering a question that has puzzled scientists, parents, and philosophers alike for centuries: when does consciousness begin? 

In a new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Trends in Cognitive Science, an international team of researchers says empirical evidence suggests infants possess consciousness before birth, by at least the third trimester of pregnancy. 

Researchers say the findings and pinpointing the moment when consciousness first appears could have significant clinical, ethical, and legal implications. 

Historically, the question of when consciousness first emerges has been a topic of much speculation and debate. 

It is generally accepted that the growing human fetus lacks the neural cells required for consciousness during the first trimester of pregnancy. However, traditional viewpoints differ widely on when consciousness first emerges. 

Some recent studies have proposed that consciousness emerges 24-26 weeks after conception when thalamocortical connections activate the neural cortex. 

Others have argued that infants lack the higher-order thought necessary for self-awareness until around the first birthday or even later. 

In this recent study, a team of neuroscientists and philosophers from Monash University, the University of Tübingen, the University of Minnesota, and Trinity College Dublin conducted a meta-analysis of the latest empirical findings and methodological advancements in infant consciousness development research. 

A vital component of the meta-analysis was accepting the complex nature of consciousness as a subjective phenomenon characterized by a unique experiential point of view.

Unlike adults and older children, infants cannot verbalize their experiences. Instead, researchers had to rely on indirect markers to gauge the presence of consciousness. These markers include behavioral responses, neural activities, and developmental milestones.

Examining these indirect markers, researchers found that several lines of evidence pointed to the early emergence of consciousness. 

One key piece of evidence was the development of intrinsic connectivity networks in the brain, such as the default mode network (DMN), which are active early in development.

These networks, typically associated with higher cognitive functions, are present in newborns and preterm infants, suggesting the early onset of consciousness.

Researchers also examined the role of attention in consciousness development. It’s generally understood that top-down (voluntary) attention develops around 3 to 6 months of age, while bottom-up (involuntary) attention is evident from birth. This distinction is crucial as it indicates that the emergence of consciousness might be linked to the development of attentional capabilities.

Another intriguing line of evidence came from the study of multisensory integration in infants. Certain complex forms of multisensory integration, thought to occur only when stimuli are consciously perceived, have been observed in infants as young as four months. This further supports the early-onset theory of consciousness.

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NewsGuard Is Selling Its Government-Funded Censorship Tool To Private Companies

The for-profit censorship giant NewsGuard is now selling its “Misinformation Fingerprints” technology to private companies to silence Americans’ speech — technology the federal government helped NewsGuard develop to the tune of nearly $750,000 in taxpayer funding. So while NewsGuard is now making headlines for trying to take down Elon Musk’s X, the bigger story concerns the federal government’s funding of the censorship-industrial complex.

NewsGuard launched a Thanksgiving-week attack on the social media company former known as Twitter, claiming some 200 ads from prominent advertisers appeared on feeds of users spreading lies about the Israel-Hamas war. Elon Musk returned fire, calling NewsGuard “a propaganda shop” that “uses these reports to pressure companies to buy their ‘fact-checking’ services.”

“It’s a profit over any principle model,” the X owner countered.

The verbal sparring between Musk and NewsGuard is likely to continue for some time, but the war on free speech being waged by NewsGuard extends much beyond X and is being subsidized by our tax dollars.

“In September 2021, NewsGuard was awarded a grant through the Small Business Innovation and Research program, which funds early-stage companies to develop products and technologies that can be helpful for government,” NewsGuard announced in its 2021 Social Impact Report. “Under the grant,” the report explained, “NewsGuard plans to further develop the Misinformation Fingerprints tool and test the effectiveness of the Fingerprints in detecting state-sponsored disinformation campaigns.”

Federal records show the Department of Defense funded the Small Business Innovation and Research program’s award of nearly $750,000 to NewsGuard for the further development and testing of the Misinformation Fingerprints tool. And according to NewsGuard’s 2021 Social Impact Report, its “Misinformation Fingerprints” catalog traced “762 false narratives,” “providing one-of-a-kind tracking seeds for the AI tools used by defense industry clients.”

By the following year, NewsGuard reported in its 2022 Social Impact Report that its “Misinformation Fingerprints” technology had accumulated 1,122 supposedly false narratives and been “deployed at scale” — including by social media companies. Since then, NewsGuard has highlighted the use of the Misinformation Fingerprints tool by social media companies “seeking to mitigate falsehoods on their platforms…”

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Israeli ‘Iron Beam’ Lasers Are ‘Future Of Warfare’

Last year we reported on Israel’s development of a ground-based laser defense system dubbed ‘Iron Beam,’ which then-Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called “a game-changer” that could “bankrupt” the enemy.

Now, it’s being reported that the system – which has been in development by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems for 15 years, and was originally set for a 2025 rollout, will be deployed more quickly than that due to the Israel-Hamas war, and it may be placed in service as early as 2024.

More than a hundred Rafael engineers have reportedly been working on this project, considered one of the most significant technological challenges ever faced by the Israeli defense industries, in order to create a fast and effective interception system, with inexhaustible and near cost-free ammunition.

Recent tests of Iron Beam in the Negev have shown promising results, with the system successfully intercepting various airborne threats. The heart of the system is an electric laser pointer, capable of targeting and sending out a powerful laser beam, invisible to the naked eye.

Since the war erupted on October 7, more than 10,000 projectiles have been fired at Israel, including 3,000 in the first hours of the conflict. Rafael and the Israeli Defense Ministry have considered the current operations as an opportunity to test the Iron Beam under real combat conditions. –i24news

Speaking with Calcalist, one of Rafael’s iron beam program managers expressed high hopes for the system, saying “Our aim is to reach a state where the enemy feels totally powerless. He has to understand that our laser pointers, deployed where needed, intercept and destroy all his attacks, almost instantly after they are launched, long before they reach Israeli territory or threaten anyone else. In such a scenario, the activation of warning sirens might even become unnecessary.”

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