Quantum computers have long been a potential threat to encryption sakkmesterke/Shutterstock Quantum computers could crack a common data encryption technique once they have a million qubits, or quantum bits. While this is still well beyond the capabilities of existing quantum computers, this new estimate is 20 times lower than previously thought, suggesting the day encryption…
This month, we visit a trendy (but fictional) spa with an unusual feature: hot mud beds. You lay a plastic sheet on the mud. Then you lay your body upon the sheet. Without any direct contact between mud and body, you spend several minutes enjoying the soft and saunalike heat, sweating all over the plastic….
CLIMATEWIRE | The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration insists it’s ready for the above-average hurricane season that meteorologists expect this summer. But scientists across the country are sounding the alarm about personnel shortages and budget cuts, which they say could strain the agency’s resources and risk burnout among its staff. The tension was on display…
Red kites sometimes put plastic objects in their nests Mike Read / Alamy Stock Photo Birds may decorate nests with artificial objects and feathers to deter magpies and ravens from taking their eggs. Many birds have been observed placing human-made objects in their nests, such as plastic, wires or even anti-bird spikes from buildings. Often,…
Pruney fingertips aren’t swollen sponges — the wrinkles actually come from blood vessels constricting and pulling skin inward.
Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. There are a few animals that pretty much everyone likes: fluffy pandas, cute kittens and regal tigers. Dolphins would probably make the list for most folks; they’re intelligent, playful and have that permanent smile on their face. Watching them darting around in the water kind…
The word angelic is considered to be more feminine than masculine Matheus Frade/Unsplash Think of an imaginary person who has a strong moral compass. According to a series of recent experiments, you probably just pictured a woman or a girl. Scientists have found that we tend to associate morality more closely with femininity than masculinity,…
A mere decade ago, astronomers knew of just 62 moons around Saturn. Today the ringed planet boasts a staggering 274 official satellites. That’s more than any other world in the solar system—and far too many for most people to keep track of. Astronomer Edward Ashton is no exception, even though he has helped to discover…
Adelie penguins on sea ice off the Antarctic Peninsula Ashley Cooper pics/Alamy Fumes of ammonia rising from piles of droppings in Antarctica’s crowded penguin colonies help boost the formation of clouds, which have a cooling effect by reflecting sunlight away from the surface. “This demonstrates a deep connection between the ecosystem and atmospheric processes,” says Matthew…
Bird Flu Vaccine for Cows Passes Early Test Researchers have tested an mRNA vaccine against avian influenza in calves with promising results By Humberto Basilio & Nature magazine As bird flu sweeps across US poultry and cattle farms, researchers are racing to find ways to contain the outbreaks before they ignite a human pandemic. Now,…
