Space & Physics: Google claims another quantum-computing breakthrough

View in web browser

October 23 — This week, Google claims another quantum-computing breakthrough, an eye-catching comet hits peak brightness in the night sky, and a new study shows Earth is getting darker. All that and more below. Enjoy! —Lee Billings, Senior Editor, Physical Sciences

Top Stories

Google Explores Quantum Chaos on Its Most Powerful Quantum Computer Chip "Quantum echoes" rippling through Google's quantum computer chip Willow could lead to advances in molecular chemistry and the physics of black holes Dan Garisto

How to Catch a Rare Comet and a Meteor Shower A comet visible to the naked eye will make its closest approach to Earth on October 21 Dan Falk

Earth Is Getting Darker, Which Could Accelerate Global Warming The planet's brightness is dimming—changing rainfall, circulation and temperature Ryan Green

When a Galaxy Erupts, What We See Depends on How We See It Voracious supermassive black holes light up the cores of "active" galaxies across the universe. How we see them, however, is a matter of perspective Phil Plait

Immerse yourself in the universe of science with a subscription to Scientific American.

How a Space Rock Became a Scientific Breakthrough—And a Black Market Commodity A massive Somali meteorite containing never-before-seen-on-Earth minerals vanished into the black market, raising ethical questions about science and ownership. Rachel Feltman, Dan Vergano, Jeffery DelViscio, Fonda Mwangi, Alex Sugiura

How the World's Most Famous Code Was Cracked Uncovering the CIA's Kryptos puzzle took three parts math and one part sleuthing Jack Murtagh

Watch These Parasitic Worms Use Static Electricity as a Tractor Beam For microscopic worms, physical laws we seldom notice take on life-or-death importance Cody Cottier

Global Superbugs Surge, Chikungunya Hits Long Island, and Satellites Leak Data A new WHO report warns of rising antimicrobial resistance, and researchers uncover satellite data leaks and insect surprises. Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Jeffery DelViscio, Alex Sugiura

What We're Reading

Elon Musk goes on the offensive against NASA's acting administrator. | Ars Technica How soon will the seas rise? | Quanta Magazine George F. Smoot, who showed how the cosmos began, dies at 80. | New York Times

From the Archive

Quantum Confusion Keeps Coming with Qubits Schrödinger's cat is scratching its head over the "topological" qubit that is causing a buzz in quantum computing. We should be, too Dan Vergano

Subscribe to this and all of our newsletters here. Scientific American One New York Plaza, New York, NY, 10004 Support our mission, subscribe to Scientific American here Unsubscribe  |  Preferences Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us