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The Argument Against Quantum Computers
The mathematician Gil Kalai believes that quantum computers can't possibly work, even in principle.
With Strategic Zaps to the Brain, Scientists Boost Memory
Stimulating part of the cortex as needed during learning tasks improves later recall. The finding reveals more about the brain's memory network and points toward possible therapies.
How Math (and Vaccines) Keep You Safe From the Flu
Simple math shows how widespread vaccination can disrupt the exponential spread of disease and prevent epidemics.
Quantum Algorithms Struggle Against Old Foe: Clever Computers
The quest for "quantum supremacy" – unambiguous proof that a quantum computer does something faster than an ordinary computer – has paradoxically led to a boom in quasi-quantum classical algorithms.
How the Universe Got Its Bounce Back
Cosmologists have shown that it’s theoretically possible for a contracting universe to bounce and expand. The new work resuscitates an old idea that directly challenges the Big Bang theory of cosmic origins.
Solution: ‘Triangulation and Motion Sickness’
A method for estimating distances in sailing and astrophysics helps explain why riding on buses and boats can make us nauseous.
In Birds’ Songs, Brains and Genes, He Finds Clues to Speech
The neuroscientist Erich Jarvis found that songbirds' vocal skills and humans' spoken language are both rooted in neural pathways for controlling learned movements.
Job One for Quantum Computers: Boost Artificial Intelligence
The fusion of quantum computing and machine learning has become a booming research area. Can it possibly live up to its high expectations?
Tissue Engineers Hack Life’s Code for 3-D Folded Shapes
Mechanical tension between tethered cells cues developing tissues to fold. Researchers can now program synthetic tissue to make coils, cubes and rippling plates.