Cosmic Waves

The molecular gas in galaxies is organised into a hierarchy of structures. It moves along filament-like orbits to centres of gas and dust where it is compressed into stars and planets. To better understand this, an international team of astronomers led by Dr Jonathan Henshaw from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy and Dr Diederik Kruijssen from the Center for Astronomy at Heidelberg University examined gas movements on various size scales. 

The scientists found that the gas flows through different scales are dynamically interconnected: while star and planet formation takes place in compact cores of dense gas, this process is controlled by a cascade of matter flows that begin on galactic scales.

The molecular gas in galaxies is set in motion and structured by physical processes such as galactic rotation and supernova explosions. “In order to understand how these gas movements directly affect the formation of stars and planets, we had to measure them over an unprecedented range of spatial scales and then to connect these movements with the observed physical structures,” explains Dr Henshaw. 

To do this, the scientists measured gas movements in a variety of different environments across the Milky Way and in another nearby galaxy. Using their newly developed software, the team was able to analyse millions of such measurements and visualise the interstellar gas in a novel way.

The researchers found that the motions of the molecular gas appear to fluctuate in velocity, reminiscent in appearance of waves on the surface of the ocean. The scientists were surprised to discover how similar the velocity structure is in different regions. It didn’t matter whether they were looking at an entire galaxy or an individual cloud within the Milky Way – the structure was more or less the same.  TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE...

Quantum Leaps

 FROM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MISIS...


A Russian-German research team has created a quantum sensor that grants access to measurement and manipulation of individual two-level defects in qubits. The study by NUST MISIS, Russian Quantum Center and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, published in npj Quantum Information, may pave the way for quantum computing.

In quantum computing the information is encoded in qubits. Qubits (or quantum bits), the quantum mechanical analog of a classical bit, are coherent two-level systems. A leading qubit modality today is superconducting qubits based on the Josephson junction. That is the kind of qubit IBM and Google use in their quantum processors. However, scientists are still searching for the perfect qubit—one that can be precisely measured and controlled, while remaining unaffected by its environment.

The key element of a superconducting qubit is the nanoscale superconductor-insulator-supercondutor Josephson junction. A Josephson junction is a tunnel junction made of two pieces of superconducting metal separated by a very thin insulating barrier. The most commonly used insulator is aluminum oxide.

Modern techniques do not allow to build a qubit with 100% precision, resulting in so-called tunneling two-level defects that limit the performance of superconducting quantum devices and cause computational errors. Those defects contribute to a qubit's extremely short life span, or decoherence.

Tunneling defects in aluminum oxide and at surfaces of superconductors are an important source of fluctuations and energy losses in superconducting qubits, ultimately limiting the computer run-time. The more material defects occur, the more they affect the qubit's performance, causing more computational errors, the researchers noted.

The new quantum sensor grants access to measurement and manipulation of individual two-level defects in quantum systems. According to Prof. Alexey Ustinov, Head of the Laboratory for Superconducting Metamaterials at NUST MISIS and Group Head at Russian Quantum Center, who co-authored the study, the sensor itself is a superconducting qubit, and it allows the detection and manipulation of individual defects.

Traditional techniques for studying material structure, such as small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), are not sensitive enough to spot small individual defects, therefore using those techniques won't help to build the best qubit. The study may open avenues for quantum material spectroscopy to investigate the structure of tunneling defects and to develop low-loss dielectrics that are urgently required for the advancement of superconducting quantum computers, the researchers believe.

U.S. Has Highest Levels of Illegal Drug Use in the Known World

Drug Use Increasing Worldwide, Survey Finds
Updated on October 27, 2016

In spite of the most stringent drug policies and punitive laws in the world, the United States also has the highest levels of lifetime illegal cocaine and marijuana use, according to a study of more than 54,000 people in 17 countries.

The United States also has the highest rate of lifetime tobacco use but comes in third in alcohol use, behind the Ukraine and Germany. The study, by Louisa Degenhardt of the University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia) and colleagues, is based on the World Health Organization's Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI).

This trend has also been reported in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) conducted annually by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In 2013, that survey indicated that an estimated 24.6 million Americans aged 12 or older—9.4% of the population—had used an illicit drug in the past month.

The number of current illicit drug users (those who have used in the past month) is up from 8.3% in 2002. The increase is mainly due to an increase in the use of marijuana.

While the use of other illegal drugs has leveled off or declined over the past decade, NSDUH figures show that past-month marijuana users increased from 5.8% to 7.5% from 2007 to 2013.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy estimates that $100 billion worth of illegal drugs were sold in the U.S. in 2013.

It is all about the money...

Congress does not want to stop the ILLEGAL DRUG PROBLEM IN AMERICA

States do not want to stop the ILLEGAL DRUG PROBLEM IN AMERICA

Law Enforcement does not want to stop the ILLEGAL DRUG PROBLEM IN AMERICA

Berlin, Germany - Corona Virus Protests

Demonstrators held flags from:  Germany, Russia, the Netherlands, the German Empire, and Bavaria

SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2020

Thousands of people have marched through the German capital Berlin in protest at coronavirus restrictions.

Police imposed mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing - and by midday ordered demonstrators to disperse for flouting the order.

The rally was mostly peaceful, but police later made "numerous arrests".

City authorities had tried to stop the march from going ahead, fearing safety measures would be ignored, but a court overturned the ban.

About 18,000 people took part in Saturday's march, police said.

Although Germany has so far not seen the wave of cases affecting some parts of Europe, its infection rate has been growing. New case numbers are reaching highs last seen in April.

Police issued their order to disperse after participants refused to keep a safe distance from each other, the authorities said.

"Unfortunately, we have no other option," Berlin police said on Twitter. "All the measures taken so far have not led to compliance with the conditions."

Protesters were closely packed in places, and sat together on the ground at one point.

Police said protesters dispersed largely peacefully although there were some pockets of unrest, with officers using pepper spray.

The demonstration was organised by the Stuttgart-based movement Querdenken 711 (or Lateral Thinking 711). The group has more than 16,000 followers on Facebook and communicates largely through encrypted messaging service Telegram.

It believes that coronavirus regulations infringe on basic rights and freedoms enshrined in Germany's constitution and wants them to be lifted.