A team of physicists has proposed a new method for  producing superheavy elements by using ⁴⁰Ar as the projectile in fusion reactions. This approach not only offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional methods but also enables the production of key isotopes, such as element 114. Furthermore, it provides a potential route for synthesizing the crucial isotope ²⁸⁶Mc, aiding in the identification of the new element 119.

Detecting lies and deception has always challenged scientists and authorities, but AI-based lie detection devices may have the potential to rise to the challenge.

The molecular arrangement of thalidomide in its crystalline form significantly influences its behavior at high temperatures. Comparative analysis of its different crystal forms revealed distinct differences in thermal expansion and molecular motion, driven by symmetry. These findings highlight the critical role of crystal packing in determining solid-state properties and provide a valuable framework for enhancing the stability and performance of pharmaceuticals through targeted crystal engineering strategies.

Designed proteins are anticipated to have groundbreaking impact on a range of issues from treating disease to tackling environmental problems. With a DKK 700 million grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation and headed by Professor Dek Woolfson, a new Center for Protein Design (CPD) at the University of Copenhagen has ambitions to match this potential. The CPD will spearhead developments in protein design and its applications through strong interdisciplinary collaborations across the university and partnerships in Denmark and internationally.

This work marks the first practical use of boson sampling, long seen as a key demonstration of quantum computing’s potential to outperform classical methods.

The researchers used computer simulations to model a quantum optical experiment that recognizes images using just three photons, successfully identifying images from several well-known datasets.

This paves the way towards future applications of quantum AI in complex image recognition, and represents a step toward low-resource, energy-efficient quantum computing.