Cloning goes horribly wrong in The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey, a darkly funny debut science-fiction novel with just enough science to make it believable Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24933230-400-the-echo-wife-review-a-darkly-comedic-look-at-the-risks-of-cloning/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Tag: novel
Lack of symmetry in qubits can’t fix errors in quantum computing, might explain matter/antimatter
A team of quantum theorists seeking to cure a basic problem with quantum annealing computers—they have to run at a relatively slow pace to operate properly—found something intriguing instead. While probing how quantum annealers perform when operated faster than desired, the team unexpectedly discovered a new effect that may account for the imbalanced distribution of matter and antimatter in the universe…
Sophisticated New Malware Found on 30,000 Macs Stumps Security Pros
Long-time Slashdot reader b0s0z0ku quotes Ars Technica:
A previously undetected piece of malware found on almost 30,000 Macs worldwide is generating intrigue in security circles, which are still trying to understand precisely what it does and what purpose its self-destruct capability serves. Once an hour, infected Macs check a control server to see if there are any new commands the malware should…
Upheaval and extinctions linked to magnetic reversal 42,000 years ago
42,000 years ago, a breakdown in Earth’s magnetic field led to environmental catastrophes and mass extinctions. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/magnetic-field-reversal-42000-years-ago-neanderthal-extinction…
Still no evidence of COVID-19 transmission from food, FDA says
The FDA statement pours cold water on a theory that the novel coronavirus emerged outside China and was brought in on imported frozen food. Source: https://www.livescience.com/fda-food-packaging-coronavirus.html
Investigating the wave properties of matter with vibrating molecules
The working group led by Prof. Stephan Schiller, Ph.D. from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) has used a novel, high-precision laser spectroscopic experiment to measure the internal vibration of the simplest molecule. This allowed the researchers to investigate the wave character of the motion of atomic nuclei with unprecedented accuracy. They present their findings in the current edition of Nature Physics….
Unity review: A powerful debut sci-fi novel packed full of ideas
In Unity, Elly Bangs conjures a post-apocalyptic Earth where her protagonist, once part of a hive mind, faces a dangerous, fractured future. The novel is a powerful exploration of union, trauma and consent, says Bethan Ackerley Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24933220-900-unity-review-a-powerful-debut-sci-fi-novel-packed-full-of-ideas/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Stained-glass ‘graphic novel’ reveals miracles of Archbishop of Canterbury
Thomas Becket’s miraculous acts — presented “graphic-novel-style” in stained glass — leave Canterbury Cathedral for a museum exhibit. Source: https://www.livescience.com/stained-glass-miracles-becket.html
Can you see Canopus, the 2nd-brightest star?
Here’s how to spot Canopus, the 2nd-brightest star in the sky as seen from Earth, on February evenings. Source: https://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/few-know-the-second-brightest-star-canopus…
Next coronavirus vaccines may be drops, pills or printed on demand
The world needs new vaccines to beat novel coronavirus variants, overcome delays and solve global inequality over vaccine access – here’s what’s in the works for 2021 and beyond Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24933213-800-next-coronavirus-vaccines-may-be-drops-pills-or-printed-on-demand/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…