The hunt for the quantum collapse

The most famous cat in science is Schrödinger’s cat, the quantum mechanical mammal, which can exist in a superposition, a state that is alive as well as dead. The moment you look at it, one of both options is chosen. Leiden University physicists simulated an experiment to catch this mysterious moment of choice red handed. …

For the First Time Since 2008, European Space Agency is On the Hunt for New Astronauts

The European Space Agency is on the hunt for a new, more diverse group of astronauts. From a report: This is the first time ESA has put out the call for more astronauts since 2008. Applications open March 31, and there are a few basic requirements for people hoping to make it as an ESA astronaut. Applicants must be citizens of…

How to spot an alien megastructure: The new search for Dyson spheres

Intelligent extraterrestrials may have built vast solar power plants around their host stars. The hunt for their telltale glow is hotting up Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24933190-800-how-to-spot-an-alien-megastructure-the-new-search-for-dyson-spheres/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

2020 in review: The hunt for life on Venus continues

Clara Sousa-Silva spent most of 2020 sitting on a huge secret – the apparent detection of phosphine, a potential sign of life, on Venus. She tells New Scientist what it felt like and what comes next Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24833135-400-2020-in-review-the-hunt-for-life-on-venus-continues/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

In a Major Scientific Breakthrough, AI Predicts the Exact Shape of Proteins

Researchers have made a major breakthrough using artificial intelligence that could revolutionize the hunt for new medicines. The scientists have created A.I. software that uses a protein’s DNA sequence to predict its three-dimensional structure to within an atomâ(TM)s width of accuracy. weiserfireman shares a report: The achievement, which solves a 50-year-old challenge in molecular biology, was accomplished by a team from…

Sean Connery Dies at Age 90. Remembered as ‘The Best of Many’ James Bonds

In 1962 Sean Connery became the first actor to appear in movies as secret agent James Bond, and according to long-time Slashdot reader schwit1 was “The best of the many Bonds, by far.” An anonymous reader writes:
Connery influenced the character deeply. The Huffington Post once wrote that James Bond wasn’t Scottish until Sean Connery played the role. Ian Fleming was still…

Lighting a path to find Planet Nine

The search for Planet Nine – a hypothesized 9th planet in our solar system – may come down to pinpointing the faintest orbital trails in an incredibly dark corner of space. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/lighting-path-to-find-planet-nine…