Friday, February 13

Science

Leading quantum at an inflection point | MIT News
Science

Leading quantum at an inflection point | MIT News

Danna Freedman is seeking the early adopters.She is the faculty director of the nascent MIT Quantum Initiative, or QMIT. In this new role, Freedman is giving shape to an ambitious, Institute-wide effort to apply quantum breakthroughs to the most consequential challenges in science, technology, industry, and national security.The interdisciplinary endeavor, the newest of MIT President Sally Kornbluth’s strategic initiatives, will bring together MIT researchers and domain experts from a range of industries to identify and tackle practical challenges wherever quantum solutions could achieve the greatest impact.“We’ve already seen how the breadth of progress in quantum has created opportunities to rethink the future of security and encryption, imagine new modes of navigation, and even measure ...
PlayStation State of Play announced for tomorrow
Science

PlayStation State of Play announced for tomorrow

Sony has announced a PlayStation State of Play. Things will kick off tomorrow, 11th November, at 2pm PT/ 5pm ET. That's 10pm for those of us in the UK. It will focus on PS5 games from Japan and Asia, and has been called "State of Play Japan" by Sony. It will run for roughly 40 minutes, the team has said. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings "From beloved series to distinctive indie creations, the show, hosted by voice actor Yuki Kaji, will be packed with great games, interviews, and new looks at anticipated titles," reads the PlayStation Blog. While nothing specific beyond that blurb has been said, we can possibly expect something from Where Winds Meet, the upcoming action game from Chinese developer Everstone Studio. The game was previo...
Harms of the Federal Funding Freeze on Science
Science

Harms of the Federal Funding Freeze on Science

In the Trump administration’s first week, the White House ordered a “temporary pause” on billions in congressionally approved funding, disrupting critical services ranging from education and health care to scientific research. The ensuing chaos led multiple states and federal grantees to sue, setting up legal fights over the breadth of executive power.Federal courts have temporarily blocked the categorical freeze as unlawful because presidents cannot arbitrarily halt funding that Congress has already approved, restoring some of the money for now. Still, the future is uncertain for the many who rely on this funding, including those at the forefront of science, technology, and innovation. The early directive is one of several ways the administration is destabilizing support for scientific re...
State of Play Announced for 11th November, Focus on Japanese PS5 Games
Science

State of Play Announced for 11th November, Focus on Japanese PS5 Games

Sony has confirmed it's hosting a new State of Play livestream tomorrow, 11th November 2025. This will be a showcase focusing on PS5 games from Japan and Asia, dubbed "State of Play Japan", and will run for more than 40 minutes. It'll focus on "games created in Japan and across Asia, alongside a few other exciting update". The PlayStation Blog post continues: "From beloved series to distinctive indie creations, the show, hosted by voice actor Yuki Kaji, will be packed with great games, interviews, and new looks at anticipated titles." The livestream will be presented in Japanese with English subtitles. State of Play Japan streams live on Tuesday, 11th November 2025 at the following times:North America: 2pm PST / 3pm MST / 4pm CST / 5pm ESTUK/Ire: 10pm GMTEurope: 11pm CET / 12am (Wed) EETAs...
Apple to Hide Selfie Camera Under Display of 20th Anniversary iPhone
Science

Apple to Hide Selfie Camera Under Display of 20th Anniversary iPhone

Apple will conceal the front-facing camera under the screen of its 2027 iPhone, a Chinese leaker said today, corroborating reports that Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone will have no visible cutouts in the display. Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station said Apple's development of under-screen camera technology was progressing as planned for adoption in 2027, one year after it will reportedly debut under-screen Face ID technology on iPhone 18 Pro models. Several Android phones already feature under-display selfie cameras, but image quality typically suffers due to the lens being behind display layers. Apple has likely resisted adoption for this reason, but the company has reportedly been working on its own solution for some time, and we could see it debut as soon as next year in Apple's fi...
Latest science news: Mysterious Andean holes | Superbug breakthrough | COP30 updates
Science

Latest science news: Mysterious Andean holes | Superbug breakthrough | COP30 updates

Refresh 2025-11-10T12:59:20.365Z Monkey business is closed A rhesus macaque phographed in India. (Image credit: McDonald Wildlife Photography Inc. via Getty Images) Two weeks ago, Patrick covered news of several lab monkeys that escaped from an overturned truck in Mississippi that were allegedly diseased and dangerous. On Friday night, we finally got news that the last of these monkeys has been tracked down, following a report from a resident whose dog alerted her to its presence.Five of the escaped rhesus macaques were sadly killed by police, yet authorities say that this monkey was "successfully recovered." 2025-11-10T12:58:23.653Z Good COP, bad COP Brazil's COP30 summit gets underway this week. It's efficacy is more uncertain than ever. (Image credit: Shutterstock)Good morn...
Latest Samsung Galaxy S26 series report brings all good news on two different fronts
Science

Latest Samsung Galaxy S26 series report brings all good news on two different fronts

Perhaps more than any of their forerunners, the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra remain covered in secrecy from numerous key standpoints with just a few months ahead of their official announcement. But at least according to a new Korean media report (translated here), Samsung may have finally clarified some of the last uncertainties surrounding the company's "next big things"... in all the best ways.Expect Unpacked movement "as early as late January"Yes, it appears all those rumors of a March 2026 launch for the Galaxy S26 trio were greatly exaggerated, as a "late January" unveiling is now purportedly on the table, followed by a commercial debut (presumably, around the world) in "mid-February." The S2...
Arc Raiders adds new map conditions to mix things up, including a mysterious bunker with an unsolved puzzle
Science

Arc Raiders adds new map conditions to mix things up, including a mysterious bunker with an unsolved puzzle

Arc Raiders has received a selection of new map conditions that are mixing up the typical experience significantly for players. As part of these new conditions, an underground bunker on Spaceport has been introduced, with a mysterious puzzle that still appears unsolved. First introduced over the weekend the three major map condition additions are night raids for Blue Gate, Electromagnetic Storms (across Dam Battleground, Spaceport, and Blue Gate), plus the Hidden Bunker on Spaceport. You can also now see the Harvester event on the Blue Gate map, which previously was locked to Dam Battlegrounds. Now, all of these are cool, but the Hidden Bunker is the particularly intriguing one. This event requires several antennas to be turned on across the map by players, which in turn opens doors in the...
Aja Gabel’s new novel, ‘Lightbreakers,’ explores the intersection of art and science
Science

Aja Gabel’s new novel, ‘Lightbreakers,’ explores the intersection of art and science

Aja Gabel’s 2018 debut novel, The Ensemble, chronicled four young orchestra performers navigating the cutthroat world of classical music. Her new novel returns to the realm of fine arts, but this time fuses art and science in a fantastical story that explores time travel and the mysteries of the universe. Lightbreakers opens with a young couple who find each other in the wake of devastating loss. Noah is a quantum ...
Windows 11 26H1 Focuses on New Silicon Support, Not New Features
Science

Windows 11 26H1 Focuses on New Silicon Support, Not New Features

Microsoft has released a new Windows 11 26H1 preview build for Windows Insiders, named Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28000. Contrary to expectations of significant UI and functionality changes, the upcoming Windows 26H1 update is primarily focused on supporting the latest silicon, likely from Qualcomm and NVIDIA. According to Microsoft on its Windows Blog, "26H1 is not a feature update for version 25H2 and only includes platform changes to support specific silicon. There is no action required from customers." This means that future 26H1 users will receive minor OS improvements and general bug fixes, with no major changes to the system's core.Microsoft is focusing on providing full support for the new Windows-on-Arm platforms, which are expected to be released soon. These platforms inclu...