At the interface between light and magnetism: Physicists from Konstanz show how spin waves (magnons) can be converted into signals that can be used by computers.

ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, today named Charles H. Bennett and Gilles Brassard as the recipients of the 2025 ACM A.M. Turing Award for their essential role in establishing the foundations of quantum information science and transforming secure communication and computing.

– California condors are behaving more “wild,” feeding far less on lead-free carcasses provided to them. Nearly three decades of monitoring data show the birds venturing farther from release sites, into areas where lead-bullet bans and public education may not be as strong.

– More wild-pig hunting may be contributing to rising lead exposure. As wild-pig numbers increase and more are shot, condors may feed on abandoned carcasses containing bullet fragments. Just one contaminated meal can be lethal to a condor.

– Lead poisoning remains the top killer, underscoring the need for continued protections. In the central and southern flocks, lead poisoning accounts for 62% and 44% of deaths. 

– Using long-term data to account for changes in condor behavior, pig hunting, and other factors that contribute to lead exposure, the study concluded that outreach and lead ammunition bans reduced lead levels in condors. Without sustained outreach and enforcement, hard-won gains in the recovery effort could stall or reverse.