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Category: quantum physics

How 3 imaginary physics demons tore up the laws of nature

Science has a rich tradition of physics by imagination. From the 16th century, scientists and philosophers have conjured ‘demons’ that test the limits of our strongest theories of reality.

Three stand out today: Laplace’s demon, capable of perfectly predicting the future; Loschmidt’s demon, which could reverse time and violate the second law of thermodynamics; and Maxwell’s demon, which create a working heat engine at no cost.

Though imaginary, these paradoxical beings have pushed physicists towards sharper theories. From quantum theory to thermodynamics, these demons have legacies that we still feel today.

Image: Antonio Sortino

Three thought experiments involving “demons” have haunted physics for centuries. What should we make of them today?

All-optical modulation with single photons using an electron avalanche

For a long time, this has been a major hurdle in optics. Light is an incredible tool for fast, efficient communication and futuristic quantum computers, but it’s notoriously hard to control at such delicate, “single-photon” levels.

Electron avalanche multiplication can enable an all-optical modulator controlled by single photons.

At 92 He is Testing a Mitochondrial Transplant That Could Rewrite Aging | Dr John Cramer

Dr. John Cramer, 92-year-old nuclear physicist, discusses participating in the first mitochondrial transplant trial for aging and his longevity theory.
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Dr. John Cramer is a 92-year-old emeritus professor at the University of Washington who has spent decades researching nuclear physics and quantum mechanics. Now, he’s turned his attention to longevity, and he’s not just theorizing. Dr. Cramer is participating in Mitrix’s groundbreaking mitochondrial transplantation trial, which aims to replace damaged mitochondrial DNA with healthy versions grown in bioreactors.

In this conversation, Dr. Cramer explains why he believes mitochondrial dysfunction is the root cause of aging, not just another hallmark. He discusses how energy depletion cascades into all other aging symptoms, why previous interventions like telomere extension haven’t delivered, and what markers will be tracked throughout his trial. He also shares his personal longevity protocol, including rapamycin, senolytics, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

This is one of the first detailed discussions of autologous mitochondrial transplantation for aging in humans.

Continue reading “At 92 He is Testing a Mitochondrial Transplant That Could Rewrite Aging | Dr John Cramer” | >

Caltech Team Sets Record with 6,100-Qubit Array

Quantum computers will need large numbers of qubits to tackle challenging problems in physics, chemistry, and beyond. Unlike classical bits, qubits can exist in two states at once—a phenomenon called superposition. This quirk of quantum physics gives quantum computers the potential to perform certain complex calculations better than their classical counterparts, but it also means the qubits are fragile. To compensate, researchers are building quantum computers with extra, redundant qubits to correct any errors. That is why robust quantum computers will require hundreds of thousands of qubits.

Now, in a step toward this vision, Caltech physicists have created the largest qubit array ever assembled: 6,100 neutral-atom qubits trapped in a grid by lasers. Previous arrays of this kind contained only hundreds of qubits.

This milestone comes amid a rapidly growing race to scale up quantum computers. There are several approaches in development, including those based on superconducting circuits, trapped ions, and neutral atoms, as used in the new study.

The neutral-atom platform shows promise for scaling up quantum computers.

How Bose-Einstein condensates replicate Shapiro steps

The microscopic processes taking place in superconductors are difficult to observe directly. Researchers at the RPTU University of Kaiserslautern-Landau have therefore implemented a quantum simulation of the Josephson effect: They separated two Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) by means of an extremely thin optical barrier.

The characteristic Shapiro steps were observed in the atomic system. The research was published in the journal Science.

Two superconductors separated by a wafer-thin insulating layer—that’s how simple a Josephson junction looks. But despite its simple structure, it harbors a quantum mechanical effect that is now one of the most important tools of modern technology: Josephson contacts form the heart of many quantum computers and enable high-precision measurements—such as the measurement of very weak magnetic fields.

Pinpointing the glow of a single atom to advance quantum emitter engineering

Researchers have discovered how to design and place single-photon sources at the atomic scale inside ultrathin 2D materials, lighting the path for future quantum innovations.

Like perfectly controlled light switches, quantum emitters can turn on the flow of single particles of light, called photons, one at a time. These tiny switches—the “bits” of many quantum technologies—are created by atomic-scale defects in materials.

Their ability to produce light with such precision makes them essential for the future of quantum technologies, including quantum computing, secure communication and ultraprecise sensing. But finding and controlling these atomic light switches has been a major scientific challenge—until now.

String Theory Inspires a Brilliant, Baffling New Math Proof

When the team posted their proof in August, many mathematicians were excited. It was the biggest advance in the classification project in decades, and hinted at a new way to tackle the classification of polynomial equations well beyond four-folds.

But other mathematicians weren’t so sure. Six years had passed since the lecture in Moscow. Had Kontsevich finally made good on his promise, or were there still details to fill in?

And how could they assuage their doubts, when the proof’s techniques were so completely foreign — the stuff of string theory, not polynomial classification? “They say, ‘This is black magic, what is this machinery?’” Kontsevich said.

Time might not exist — and we’re starting to understand why

Consider two events, A and B, such as flashes of light made by two sources in different places.

Cause and effect means there are three possibilities: 1) Flash A happened before flash B, and via some mechanism, could have triggered B; 2) Flash B happened before Flash A and could have triggered it; 3) Neither one could have triggered the other because they are too far apart in space and too close in time for a triggering signal to have been sent from one location to the other.

Now, Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity states that all observers, no matter how fast they’re moving relative to each other, see light travelling at the same constant speed.

This strange but simple fact can lead to observers seeing events happening in different orders.

For option above, two observers moving relative to each other close to the speed of light might disagree on the ordering of flashes.

Thankfully, there’s no danger of an effect coming before its cause (known as a ‘violation of causality’) since the events are too far apart for either to cause the other.

However, what if options and coexisted in a quantum superposition? The causal order of the two events would no longer be fixed.

Continue reading “Time might not exist — and we’re starting to understand why” | >
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