Climate change is extending mosquito season and helping to drive outbreaks of dengue fever, Oropouche virus and eastern equine encephalitis

Levels of certain cells, fatty molecules and proteins in the blood are different in people with chronic fatigue syndrome than in those without it, which could help doctors spot the condition sooner

Mosquito larvae die after consuming hemp leaves because they react strongly to the cannabidiol in the foliage. The discovery might lead to the development of a new pesticide to control mosquito numbers

Everything you need to know about Rwanda's outbreak of Marburg virus, which has been described as one of the deadliest human pathogens

The surprise firings at Alberta Investment Management raises many questions. We will try to answer them

Authorities arrested a man accused of strangling a woman outside a Times Square hotel who later died from her injuries, police said Tuesday.

Tech giant to pay $35.44 billion for social networking firm in surprise deal.

Quantum computing is a devilishly complex technology, with many technical hurdles impacting its development. Of these challenges two critical issues stand out: miniaturization and qubit quality.

IBM has adopted the superconducting qubit road map of reaching a 1,121-qubit processor by 2023, leading to the expectation that 1,000 qubits with today’s qubit form factor is feasible. However, current approaches will require very large chips (50 millimeters on a side, or larger) at the scale of small wafers, or the use of chiplets on multichip modules. While this approach will work, the aim is to attain a better path toward scalability.

Now researchers at MIT have been able to both reduce the size of the qubits and done so in a way that reduces the interference that occurs between neighboring qubits. The MIT researchers have increased the number of superconducting qubits that can be added onto a device by a factor of 100.

“We are addressing both qubit miniaturization and quality,” said William Oliver, the director for the Center for Quantum Engineering at MIT. “Unlike conventional transistor scaling, where only the number really matters, for qubits, large numbers are not sufficient, they must also be high-performance. Sacrificing performance for qubit number is not a useful trade in quantum computing. They must go hand in hand.”

The key to this big increase in qubit density and reduction of interference comes down to the use of two-dimensional materials, in particular the 2D insulator hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). The MIT researchers demonstrated that a few atomic monolayers of hBN can be stacked to form the insulator in the capacitors of a superconducting qubit.

Just like other capacitors, the capacitors in these superconducting circuits take the form of a sandwich in which an insulator material is sandwiched between two metal plates. The big difference for these capacitors is that the superconducting circuits can operate only at extremely low temperatures—less than 0.02 degrees above absolute zero (-273.15 °C).

Superconducting qubits are measured at temperatures as low as 20 millikelvin in a dilution refrigerator.Nathan Fiske/MIT

In that environment, insulating materials that are available for the job, such as PE-CVD silicon oxide or silicon nitride, have quite a few defects that are too lossy for quantum computing applications. To get around these material shortcomings, most superconducting circuits use what are called coplanar capacitors. In these capacitors, the plates are positioned laterally to one another, rather than on top of one another.

As a result, the intrinsic silicon substrate below the plates and to a smaller degree the vacuum above the plates serve as the capacitor dielectric. Intrinsic silicon is chemically pure and therefore has few defects, and the large size dilutes the electric field at the plate interfaces, all of which leads to a low-loss capacitor. The lateral size of each plate in this open-face design ends up being quite large (typically 100 by 100 micrometers) in order to achieve the required capacitance.

In an effort to move away from the large lateral configuration, the MIT researchers embarked on a search for an insulator that has very few defects and is compatible with superconducting capacitor plates.

“We chose to study hBN because it is the most widely used insulator in 2D material research due to its cleanliness and chemical inertness,” said colead author Joel Wang, a research scientist in the Engineering Quantum Systems group of the MIT Research Laboratory for Electronics.

On either side of the hBN, the MIT researchers used the 2D superconducting material, niobium diselenide. One of the trickiest aspects of fabricating the capacitors was working with the niobium diselenide, which oxidizes in seconds when exposed to air, according to Wang. This necessitates that the assembly of the capacitor occur in a glove box filled with argon gas.

While this would seemingly complicate the scaling up of the production of these capacitors, Wang doesn’t regard this as a limiting factor.

“What determines the quality factor of the capacitor are the two interfaces between the two materials,” said Wang. “Once the sandwich is made, the two interfaces are “sealed” and we don’t see any noticeable degradation over time when exposed to the atmosphere.”

This lack of degradation is because around 90 percent of the electric field is contained within the sandwich structure, so the oxidation of the outer surface of the niobium diselenide does not play a significant role anymore. This ultimately makes the capacitor footprint much smaller, and it accounts for the reduction in cross talk between the neighboring qubits.

“The main challenge for scaling up the fabrication will be the wafer-scale growth of hBN and 2D superconductors like [niobium diselenide], and how one can do wafer-scale stacking of these films,” added Wang.

Wang believes that this research has shown 2D hBN to be a good insulator candidate for superconducting qubits. He says that the groundwork the MIT team has done will serve as a road map for using other hybrid 2D materials to build superconducting circuits.

Just before this special issue on invention went to press, I got a message from IEEE senior member and patent attorney George Macdonald. Nearly two decades after I first reported on Corliss Orville “Cob” Burandt’s struggle with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the 77-year-old inventor’s patent case was being revived.

From 1981 to 1990, Burandt had received a dozen U.S. patents for improvements to automotive engines, starting with his 1990 patent for variable valve-timing technology (U.S. Patent No. 4,961,406A). But he failed to convince any automakers to license his technology. What’s worse, he claims, some of the world’s major carmakers now use his inventions in their hybrid engines.

Shortly after reading my piece in 2005, Macdonald stepped forward to represent Burandt. By then, the inventor had already lost his patents because he hadn’t paid the US $40,000 in maintenance fees to keep them active.

Macdonald filed a petition to pay the maintenance fees late and another to revive a related child case. The maintenance fee petition was denied in 2006. While the petition to revive was still pending, Macdonald passed the maintenance fee baton to Hunton Andrews Kurth (HAK), which took the case pro bono. HAK attorneys argued that the USPTO should reinstate the 1990 parent patent.

The timing was crucial: If the parent patent was reinstated before 2008, Burandt would have had the opportunity to compel infringing corporations to pay him licensing fees. Unfortunately, for reasons that remain unclear, the patent office tried to paper Burandt’s legal team to death, Macdonald says. HAK could go no further in the maintenance-fee case after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear it in 2009.

Then, in 2010, the USPTO belatedly revived Burandt’s child continuation application. A continuation application lets an inventor add claims to their original patent application while maintaining the earlier filing date—1988 in this case.

However, this revival came with its own set of challenges. Macdonald was informed in 2011 that the patent examiner would issue the patent but later discovered that the application was placed into a then-secret program called the Sensitive Application Warning System (SAWS) instead. While touted as a way to quash applications for things like perpetual-motion machines, the SAWS process effectively slowed action on Burandt’s case.

After several more years of motions and rulings, Macdonald met IEEE Member Edward Pennington, who agreed to represent Burandt. Earlier this year, Pennington filed a complaint in the Eastern District of Virginia seeking the issuance of Burandt’s patent on the grounds that it was wrongfully denied.

As of this writing, Burandt still hasn’t seen a dime from his inventions. He subsists on his social security benefits. And while his case raises important questions about fairness, transparency, and the rights of individual inventors, Pennington says his client isn’t interested in becoming a poster boy for poor inventors.

“We’re not out to change policy at the patent office or to give Mr. Burandt a framed copy of the patent to say, ‘Look at me, I’m an inventor,’ ” says Pennington. “This is just to say, ‘Here’s a guy that would like to benefit from his idea.’ It just so happens that he’s pretty much in need. And even the slightest royalty would go a long ways for the guy.”

Why are there so many VPNs for Apple TV? Oh, right—geofencing.

We spoke to the Conservative MP and former army officer Tom Tugendhat, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In the bustling world of the restaurant industry, standing out is more challenging than ever. With diners increasingly turning to the internet to discover their next meal, having a strong online presence is crucial. This guide will show you practical tips and techniques to maximise your restaurant’s online visibility and enhance your SEO efforts. By […]

The post Maximising Online Visibility and SEO for Restaurants: Tips and Techniques appeared first on Chart Attack.

Diesel equipment will be replaced with hydrogen- or electric-power gear.

The new Louisiana requirement that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public classroom by Jan. 1 was temporarily blocked Tuesday. The judge said the law is "unconstitutional on its face."

Representative Dan Goldman (D-NY) said Tuesday on CNN's "OutFront" that he was "shocked" President-elect Donald Trump picked Fox News host Pete Hegseth as the next secretary of defense.

The post Dem Rep. Goldman: ‘Shocked’ Trump Picked an Unqualified Fox News Host to Head Pentagon appeared first on Breitbart.

Republican Senators huddled for over two hours Tuesday night for a family meeting over who will take the reins from Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

The post Republican Senators Hold Leader Candidate Forum Hours Before Consequential Vote appeared first on Breitbart.

RSI said single-player Star Citizen campaign was "feature complete" a year ago.

Significant visual and comfort compromises make last year's Quest 3 a better VR investment.

Starring Tamannaah Bhatia, Jimmy Shergill, and Avinash Tiwary, ‘Sikandar Ka Muqaddar’ is directed by Neeraj Pandey

The announcement was made in a video unveiled at Disney’s D23 event in Brazil, featuring the returning stars in a reveal

Tamannaah Bhatia, Avinash Tiwary and Rajiv Mehta play three unlikely suspects in director Neeraj Pandey’s latest

Released in 1993 and directed by the Abbas-Mustan duo, ‘Baazigar’ was a game-changer for Shah Rukh Khan’s career, marking his debut in an anti-hero role that diverged sharply from typical Bollywood protagonists of that era

​​​​​​​Jocelyne Larocque scored less than 4 minutes into the game, Sarah Nurse added a goal midway through the first period and Canada cruised to a 4-1 win over the United States in Boston on Sunday to take a 2-1 lead in the five-game Rivalry Series.

Canada will be without captain Alphonso Davies for its upcoming CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname. Canada Soccer says the Bayern Munich star has withdrawn as a "precautionary measure due to physical fatigue."

Following its announcement recently, Netflix’s upcoming multiplayer game based on Squid Game, Squid Game: Unleashed, has gotten its first reveal …

Continue reading "‘Squid Game: Unleashed’ Gets Full Trailer at Gamescom 2024, More Games Announced for Netflix"

Digital Extremes has released the next big update for Warframe in the form of The Lotus Eaters update. This update …

Continue reading "‘Warframe’ Prologue Quest for Warframe 1999 The Lotus Eaters and Sevagoth Prime Now Available"

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Continue reading "Out Now: ‘Punch Club 2: Fast Forward’, ‘Labyrinth: The Wizard’s Cat’, ‘TENSEI’, ‘Vampire: The Masquerade – Shadows of New York’, ‘Auto Pirates: Captains Cup’, ‘Jenny LeClue – Detectivu’ and More"

When Square Enix released the monster collecting RPG Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince on Switch last year, I loved …

Continue reading "‘Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince’ Is Coming to iOS, Android, and Steam on September 11th With All DLC Included From the Switch Release"

Back in December, I reviewed Square Enix’s monster collecting RPG Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince on Switch. I loved …

Continue reading "‘Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince’ iOS Review – Much Better Than Switch, but Lacking in Two Ways"

You know the drill by now: cloud money good, consumer PC sales not.

Can’t do global work if the White House is forcing sale of US business, Mayer said.

The contract software company closed a $110 million Series D round in 2023, one of the largest venture capital deals in Washington last year.

The addition of Discover to LabX’s portfolio strengthens its position as a leading voice in science and research media, bringing one of the most recognized science publications into its family.

Actor recalled angry phone call with Murphy in which she claims he ‘ripped’ into her

The ‘Scream Queens’ actor revealed her white co-star made a ‘weighted’ reference to Martin Luther King

The jury also decided to hold a Virginia-based military contractor responsible for contributing to the torture and mistreatment of detainees at the notorious Iraqi prison two decades ago.

I’ve been with my partner for three years and our sex life has suddenly died. Is it normal and how long should I go before I start questioning it? If sex ...

The post Ask Ash: Sex therapist answers tough reader questions appeared first on Star Observer.

Eat well With isolation comes the three Bs: boredom, bingeing, and (can’t be) bothered. The evil accomplice of all three is comfort eating. While snacks and treats are okay now ...

The post How to stay healthy during quarantine appeared first on Star Observer.

After weeks of hurricanes and blackouts have left many in Cuba reeling, an earthquake has left people shaken as rumbling was felt across the eastern stretch of the island, including in bigger cities like Santiago de Cuba, as well as Holguin and Guantanamo.

Earthquakes are among the most powerful natural forces on Earth, often causing widespread devastation, triggering tsunamis and altering the landscape of a region. But how strong was the strongest earthquake of all time?

Discover if Cancer and Aquarius can make a love match! Learn about their compatibility, strengths, challenges, and what to expect in a relationship.

Discover the compatibility between Libra and Aquarius in love, friendship, and more. Explore their strengths, challenges, and what makes this zodiac pairing unique.

Cadillac is adding to its fleet of EVs with a new luxury SUV. The 2026 Cadillac Vistiq is a three-row, all-electric SUV that will hit showrooms and dealerships sometime next summer with a starting price of $78,790.

The Vistiq’s dual-motor, all-wheel drive system runs on a 102 kWh battery pack with a range of 300 miles that produces 615 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. The Vistiq also supports vehicle-to-home (V2H) bidirectional charging capabilities: it can charge at home, and also deliver electricity to your house during a power outage. Using the features requires buying the GM Energy V2H bundle though.

The SUV’s design borrows aesthetically from other Cadillac EVs. Like the Lyriq, it has flush door handles, and features similar looking lights and side panels. It also matches the Lyriq’s 300 mile range. The “swept-back windshield” and “Black Crystal Shield grill” evoke the Escalade IQ.

Of course, the Vistiq's power and price are different from its Cadillac EV's. The new Cadillac EV SUV is less expensive than an Escalade IQ ($129,990) but more than a Lyriq ($58,595), and the Escalade IQ has a higher peak battery range at 450 miles.

The Vistiq comes with a 23-speaker AKG7 Studio Audio system with Dolby Atmos. The Android-powered infotainment system is baked into a 33-inch high resolution LED display. The Verge also reported that the new EV’s navigation system uses Google Maps and can run other apps from the Google Play Store.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto won’t be available in Cadillac’s newest EV. General Motors is phasing out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from its EVs and plans to go with Android Automotive. GM’s Executive Director of Digital Cockpit Experience Edward Kummer said in a Reuters interview that the carmaker didn’t want any features in its EVs “that are dependent on a person having a cellphone.”

Le grand requin blanc attaque souvent ses proies par en dessous, confondant parfois la silhouette d’un surfeur avec celle d’un phoque.

Quel match de fou, hier après-midi, à Buffalo! Mais puisque c’est le résultat qui compte, ce n’est pas le temps de faire la gueule fine.

Voyez ce que l’ancien défenseur avait à dire sur son passage dans la Belle Province!

Actor Elliot Page and musician Rufus Wainwright were among the stars who honoured 2SLGBTQ+ charities at the inaugural PTP Pink Awards in Toronto Thursday, in the shadow of a U.S. election that has many worried about queer and trans rights.

Un avocat de Laval épinglé pour son compteur d’Hydro-Québec trafiqué qui lui a fait économiser près de 27 000$ d’électricité devra payer une amende.

Depuis quelques années, et avec une plus grande intensité au cours des derniers jours, plusieurs proposent la création d’une commission Parent 2.0.