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Category: computing

All 10 NASA payloads remain healthy as Blue Ghost approaches it’s final destination and continues to support science operations along the way! The LuGRE payload for example — developed in partnership by.
NASA Goddard and ASI_spazio — acquired and tracked Global Navigation Satellite System signals for the first time in lunar orbit – a new record! #BGM1

After a successful Trans Lunar Injection burn on Saturday, Feb. 8, Firefly’s spacecraft carrying NASA science and tech to the Moon has departed Earth’s orbit and begun its four-day transit to the Moon’s orbit. Blue Ghost will then spend approximately 16 days in lunar orbit before beginning its descent operations. Since launching more than three weeks ago, Blue Ghost has performed dozens of health tests generating 13 gigabytes of data. All 10 NASA payloads onboard are currently healthy and ready for surface operations on the Moon.

NASA’s Radiation Tolerant Computer (RadPC), developed by Montana State University, successfully operated while passing through the Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts, providing insight on how to mitigate the effects of radiation on computers. This helps improve our understanding of the radiation environment that future astronauts may experience on Artemis missions.

During an on-orbit health check, NASA’s LMS, developed by the Southwest Research Institute, accurately detected a change in magnetic fields. This is a positive sign that LMS will be able to measure the Moon’s magnetic and electrical fields, shedding light on the Moon’s interior temperature and composition on the lunar surface.

Continue reading “NASA and Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1 Lunar Landing Updates and live vie from ISS #iss” | >

Neural interfaces are crucial to restoring and enhancing impaired neural functions, but current technologies struggle to achieve close contact with soft and curved neural tissues. According to Pusan National University, researchers have introduced an innovative method – microelectrothermoforming (μETF) – to create flexible neural interfaces with 3D micro-structures. Their findings show how this method improves neural recording and stimulation, with potential applications in artificial retina devices and brain-computer interfaces.

Microelectrode arrays (MEAs) are widely used for recording brain activity and stimulating neural tissues. However, conventional MEAs are typically flat – limiting their ability to conform to the natural curves of neural structures. Existing methods for adding 3D features require multiple fabrication steps – increasing complexity and restricting design possibilities.

To overcome these limitations, a team led by Associate Professor Joonsoo Jeong and Associate Professor Kyungsik Eom developed μETF – inspired by plastic thermoforming, a common technique for molding plastic sheets into different shapes. The findings are published in the journal of npj Flexible Electronics.

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Microbes, Ecology And Medicine — Dr. Sean M. Gibbons, Ph.D. — Associate Professor, Institute for Systems Biology (ISB)

Dr. Sean Gibbons, Ph.D. is Associate Professor at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB — https://isbscience.org/people/sean-gibbons-phd/?tab=biography where his lab investigates how the structure and composition of evolving ecological networks of microorganisms change across environmental gradients, with a specific focus on how ecological communities in the gut change and adapt to individual people over their lifespans (i.e. host genotype, host development and host behavior) and how these changes impact human health (https://gibbons.isbscience.org/). His lab develops computational and experimental tools for investigating host-associated microbial communities to explore the interactions between ecology, evolution and ecosystem function, applying these insights to develop personalized interventions for improving human health and well-being.

Dr. Gibbons received his PhD in biophysical sciences from the University of Chicago in 2015, dual-advised by Jack Gilbert and Maureen Coleman. His graduate work focused on using microbial communities as empirical models for testing ecological theory.

Continue reading “Dr. Sean Gibbons, Ph.D. — Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) — Microbes, Ecology And Medicine” | >

Scientists have unlocked a new understanding of mesoporous silicon, a nanostructured version of the well-known semiconductor. Unlike standard silicon, its countless tiny pores give it unique electrical and thermal properties, opening up potential applications in biosensors, thermal insulation, photovoltaics, and even quantum computing.

Performing computation using quantum-mechanical phenomena such as superposition and entanglement.

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A research team led by Professor Takayuki Hoshino of Nagoya University’s Graduate School of Engineering in Japan has demonstrated the world’s smallest shooting game by manipulating nanoparticles in real time, resulting in a game that is played with particles approximately 1 billionth of a meter in size.

This research is a significant step toward developing a computer interface system that seamlessly integrates virtual objects with real nanomaterials. They published their study in the Japanese Journal of Applied Physics.

The game demonstrates what the researchers call “nano-mixed reality (MR),” which integrates digital technology with the physical nanoworld in real time using high-speed electron beams. These beams generate dynamic patterns of electric fields and on a display surface, allowing researchers to control the force field acting on the nanoparticles in real time to move and manipulate them.

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Quantum computers could be made with fewer overall components, thanks to technology inspired by Schrödinger’s cat. A team of researchers from Amazon Web Services has used “bosonic cat qubits,” to improve the ability of quantum computers to correct errors. The demonstration of quantum error correction requiring reduced hardware overheads is reported in a paper published in Nature.

The system uses so-called cat (qubits are the quantum equivalent to classical computing bits), which are designed to be resistant against certain types of noise and errors that might disrupt the output of quantum systems. This approach requires fewer overall components to achieve quantum error correction than other designs.

Quantum computers are prone to errors, which limits their potential to exceed the capabilities of classical computers at certain tasks. Quantum error correction is a method that helps reduce errors by spreading information over multiple qubits, allowing the identification and correction of errors without corrupting the computation. However, most approaches to quantum error correction typically rely on a large number of additional qubits to provide sufficient protection against errors, potentially leading to an overall decrease in efficiency.

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In a breakthrough that could transform bioelectronic sensing, an interdisciplinary team of researchers at Rice University has developed a new method to dramatically enhance the sensitivity of enzymatic and microbial fuel cells using organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs). The research was recently published in the journal Device.

The innovative approach amplifies electrical signals by three orders of magnitude and improves signal-to-noise ratios, potentially enabling the next generation of highly sensitive, low-power biosensors for health and .

“We have demonstrated a simple yet powerful technique to amplify weak bioelectronic signals using OECTs, overcoming previous challenges in integrating fuel cells with electrochemical sensors,” said corresponding author Rafael Verduzco, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and materials science and nanoengineering. “This method opens the door to more versatile and efficient biosensors that could be applied in medicine, environmental monitoring and even wearable technology.”

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Laying the groundwork for quantum communication systems of the future, engineers at Caltech have demonstrated the successful operation of a quantum network of two nodes, each containing multiple quantum bits, or qubits—the fundamental information-storing building blocks of quantum computers.

To achieve this, the researchers developed a new protocol for distributing in a parallel manner, effectively creating multiple channels for sending data, or multiplexing. The work was accomplished by embedding ytterbium atoms inside crystals and coupling them to optical cavities—nanoscale structures that capture and guide light. This platform has unique properties that make it ideal for using multiple qubits to transmit quantum information-carrying photons in parallel.

“This is the first-ever demonstration of entanglement multiplexing in a quantum network of individual spin qubits,” says Andrei Faraon (BS ‘04), the William L. Valentine Professor of Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering at Caltech. “This method significantly boosts quantum communication rates between nodes, representing a major leap in the field.”

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