☕️ Scientists Solve a 40-Year Quantum Mystery That Could Change Electronics Forever.

Good morning. Apologies for no Brew yesterday.

The AIP congress has been in full swing and I’ve seen some awesome talks. Watched one today about how gravitons could be detected in quantum sensors, something I’m building. I also saw a talk today by a CSIRO researcher who’s trying to do something very similar to me and we agreed on a collab plan! She is collaborating with an MIT researcher so I might be able to get in on that.

I’ve also had some unexpected experiences through meeting some cool new people. I met a professor of physics at Melbourne University who recognized me as we follow each other on Instagram… She then proceeded to embarrass me by sharing that she’d also seen my YouTube.

I’ll save the best story thus far for tomorrow’s Brew, the final day of the congress.

Dylan J. Dance

SCIENCE

🕳️ Evidence of Primordial Black Holes May Be Hiding in Planets, or Even Everyday Objects Here on Earth. New research co-led by the University at Buffalo suggests that primordial black holes could be hiding in everyday materials on Earth or even in hollow planetoids in space. "The chances of finding these signatures are small, but searching for them would not require many resources," said co-author Dejan Stojkovic.

🌀 Scientists Solve a 40-Year Quantum Mystery That Could Change Electronics Forever. Researchers have confirmed the existence of quantum scars using advanced imaging techniques on graphene, potentially revolutionizing electronics. "Quantum scarring is not a curiosity but a window onto the strange quantum world," said physicist Eric Heller, indicating how this breakthrough could lead to low-power, highly efficient transistors.

🌀 Revolutionary AI Unlocks the Superfluidity Secrets of Neutron Stars. A groundbreaking study has used artificial intelligence to refine our understanding of neutron superfluidity in neutron stars. "The harnessing of artificial neural networks has offered new insights into quantum many-body correlations," explained Bryce Fore, a co-author of the study, indicating a significant step forward in understanding neutron star cooling and glitches.

🧠 Stanford Scientists Discover New Class of Neurological Diseases. Stanford Medicine researchers have discovered a new class of neurological disorders called TRiCopathies, caused by mutations in the TRiC protein-folding complex. "This opens a whole new way of thinking about the role of chaperones in brain development," said senior author Judith Frydman, adding that TRiCopathies are linked to developmental disorders such as seizures and intellectual disability.

TECH

🤖 Teens Are Forming Intense Relationships With AI Entities, and Parents Have No Idea. A new study has revealed that teenagers are forming intense relationships with AI chatbots, using them for emotional support and even romantic fulfillment, while their parents remain unaware of this usage. "AI technologies are evolving so quickly, and so are the ways people use them," said study co-author Yang Wang, highlighting the need for better understanding of AI's impact on youth.

🌿 Amazon AI Data Centers to Double as Carbon Capture Machines. Amazon has partnered with Orbital Materials to transform its AI data centers into carbon capture machines. Orbital Materials CEO Jonathan Godwin stated, "The process will capture enough carbon to exceed the fossil fuel consumption used to power AI data centers, providing a net negative impact on climate change."

🔒 Salt Typhoon: China Phone Hacks Worsen Amid Major Attack. A massive hacking campaign, dubbed Salt Typhoon, has targeted major U.S. telecommunications companies like AT&T and Verizon, leading U.S. officials to recommend Americans use encrypted apps. "Encryption is your friend, whether it’s on text messaging or voice communication," said Jeff Greene, executive assistant director for cybersecurity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

📱 U.S. Officials Urge Americans to Use Encrypted Apps Amid Cyberattack. U.S. officials are urging citizens to use encrypted apps in response to an unprecedented cyberattack on telecoms like AT&T and Verizon. Jeff Greene of CISA advised, "Even if the adversary is able to intercept the data, if it is encrypted, it will make it impossible" to read the contents.

HEALTH

💪 Why Do Muscles Age? New Study Answers the Regeneration Puzzle. Cornell University researchers have created the most comprehensive portrait to date of how aging muscles lose their regenerative abilities by studying immune and stem cell interactions. "The immune cells are playing the wrong music—they're out of step with each other in the older muscles," said Ben Cosgrove, associate professor of biomedical engineering.

💦 Lose Weight and Prevent Sickness: Scientists Uncover Surprising Health Benefits of Drinking Plenty of Water. A new UCSF study reveals that drinking adequate water can prevent kidney stones, aid in weight loss, and improve conditions like migraines, diabetes, UTIs, and low blood pressure. "For such a ubiquitous and simple intervention, the evidence hasn’t been clear, so we wanted to take a closer look," said Dr. Benjamin Breyer.

🥫 How Processed Foods Trigger Fat Build-Up in Muscle Tissue. A study by the Radiological Society of North America found that a diet rich in ultra-processed foods is linked to increased fat accumulation in thigh muscles, regardless of physical activity. "The novelty of this study is that it investigates the impact of diet quality, specifically the role of ultra-processed foods," said Dr. Zehra Akkaya, highlighting the need for dietary changes to manage or prevent knee osteoarthritis.

SPACE

🛰️ The Voyager Probes Are Dying. NASA's Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft are approaching the end of their decades-long missions as their power sources deplete. Despite efforts to conserve power, the probes' days are numbered. "We’re all happy and relieved that the Voyager probes have both operated long enough to make it past this milestone," said Voyager project manager Suzanne Dodd, as they continue to push into interstellar space.

🚀 SpaceX Dragon Prepped for Earth Splashdown: Science, Bacteria, and Space Plants Aboard. The Expedition 72 crew is preparing completed science experiments for their return aboard the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft. The team has been studying antibiotic-resistant bacteria and setting up equipment for plant experiments in space, which could have important implications for growing food both in space and on Earth.

CLIMATE

☀️ U.S. Climate-Changing Tracking Efforts Begin. The United States is setting up a system to track climate-changing geoengineering efforts globally. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) aims to detect solar geoengineering activities to understand their potential impact. "If a country... is building up capabilities, can our scientists tell us what they’re trying to do, and what the impact of that would be?" asked Kelly Wanser, founder of SilverLining, a geoengineering watchdog group.

WORLD

🛰️ Trump Names Billionaire Space Tourist Jared Isaacman as Head of NASA. President-elect Donald Trump has named billionaire Jared Isaacman as NASA's new head. "Jared will drive NASA's mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements," Trump stated. Isaacman’s appointment has stirred controversy due to his lack of experience in government and NASA.

🚤 Drug Smugglers Caught with $4.25 Billion Worth of Meth Were Using SpaceX Starlink for Navigation. Drug smugglers in India were caught using SpaceX's Starlink to navigate their boat with $4.25 billion worth of meth. "This is different because it is bypassing all the legal channels," said Andaman police officer Hargobinder S. Dhaliwal, as authorities investigate how smugglers accessed Starlink.

🤖 South Korea Becomes First Country to Replace 10% of Its Workforce with Robots. South Korea has officially become the first country to replace 10% of its workforce with robots, tackling labor shortages due to a low birth rate. "Robot density has increased by 5% on average each year since 2018," the report noted, highlighting the nation’s focus on robotics across industries from healthcare to manufacturing