A group of quantum researchers has issued a manifesto urging colleagues to resist what it calls the “militarisation” of quantum science. The authors, who describe themselves as “Quantum Scientists for Disarmament”, say they oppose military uses of quantum research, reject military funding for academic work, and want universities to disclose which quantum projects take defence...
Tag: Science
How proteins are being tweaked to be quantum sensors inside the body
For decades, fluorescent proteins have been among the most powerful tools in biology. They glow when illuminated, allowing scientists to see where molecules are inside cells and how they move. From tracking cancer cells to mapping neural circuits, these luminous markers transformed the life sciences, work recognised with a Nobel Prize in 2008. Now, two...
Why does wildfire smoke swirl only one way in the air?
A: Sometimes wildfire smoke in the stratosphere collects into a compact bubble of smoke that spins in a coherent vortex, clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the southern hemisphere. Two new studies, published in Weather and Climate Dynamics and presented at a recent meeting of the American Meteorological Society, have found why. The...
A kernel of truth
There aren’t many everyday routines that are both overtly essential, while at the same time almost a form of art. Cooking, however, is one such routine that blends creativity, skill, and science to transform individual ingredients into dishes that are not just essential for our consumption and living, but also double up as unique, flavourful...
NASA chief rules out March launch of Moon mission over technical issues
NASA chief Jared Isaacman on Saturday (February 21, 2026) ruled out a March launch for Artemis 2, the first crewed flyby mission to the Moon in more than 50 years, citing technical issues. Workers detected a problem with helium flow to the massive SLS rocket that will “take the March launch window out of consideration,”...
NASA report recalls dysfunction, heated emotions during Boeing’s botched Starliner flight
NASA on Thursday (February 19, 2026) released a sweeping report on Boeing’s botched Starliner mission that left two astronauts stuck on the International Space Station for nearly a year, detailing communication breakdowns and “unprofessional behavior” as the agency and its longtime contractor struggled to agree on how to safely return the crew to Earth. NASA...
Observations by Aditya-L1 help decode unusual dawn-time geomagnetic disturbances during strong solar storms
Observations and measurements made by India’s maiden solar mission, Aditya-L1, have helped to decode the unusual dawn-time geomagnetic disturbances during strong solar storms. Geomagnetic storms are large disturbances in Earth’s magnetic field caused by changes in the solar wind- a continuous flow of charged particles released from the Sun. “When sudden increases or decreases in...
NASA conducts successful rehearsal of Artemis 2 lunar launch
NASA on Thursday (February 19, 2026) said it successfully rehearsed the launch of its massive SLS rocket, which will send astronauts around the Moon for the first time in over 50 years. Technical problems in early February cut short an earlier so-called wet dress rehearsal of the launch of the Artemis 2 mission. But on...
The biology of belief, optimism, and good health
Helen Keller, the American author and activist who was deaf and blind, became an international symbol of human potential. She wrote, “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” Optimism can be defined as maintaining positive expectations for the future. It is a human trait that has...
AI’s workhorse: What is a GPU? How does it work? | Explained
The story so far: In 1999, California-based Nvidia Corp. marketed a chip called GeForce 256 as “the world’s first GPU”. Its purpose was to make videogames run better and look better. In the 2.5 decades since, GPUs have moved from the discretionary world of games and visual effects to becoming part of the core infrastructure...
