Engineering & Technology
Secret Manhattan Project ciphers finally solved
While working on the creation of the world’s first atomic bomb, mathematician Paul Olum challenged his colleague, the distinguished theoretical physicist Richard Feynman, to solve his two ciphers – Olum 1 and Olum 2. Feynman failed, and the ciphers went unsolved for more than 75 years. Paul Relkin, an American software developer and cryptanalysis enthusiast, has recently published the first […]
Autoneum – making sustainable acoustic and thermal management of cars a reality
The automotive manufacturing industry has reached a point of no return. Advancing electrification and increasing sustainability standards have forced manufacturers to change strategic tack and design vehicles that are more environmentally responsible in every phase of their lifespan. Swiss company Autoneum is at the cutting edge of acoustic and thermal management solutions for automobiles – an increasingly important component to the […]
Securing communication in quantum anonymous networks
The demand for secure network communication is increasing as online fraud and cybercrime pose threats to users’ security and data confidentiality. Awais Khan, Dr Junaid ur Rehman and Professor Hyundong Shin, from the Kyung Hee University, Korea, have developed two key protocols for quantum anonymous network communication: the quantum anonymous collision detection (QACD) protocol and quantum anonymous notification (QAN) protocol. […]
Discovering the optimal schedule for adiabatic quantum computation
Quantum computers outperform classic machines when it comes to solving complex calculations. Commercial quantum computers are now available, and these perform quantum computation via a process called ‘adiabatic evolution’. The quantum adiabatic theorem states that if a quantum mechanical system is subjected to external conditions that are gradually changing, it can adapt its configuration. Dr Stefan Isermann from T-Systems International […]
The collapse of the Polcevera Viaduct – an avoidable tragedy
The dramatic collapse of the Polcevera Viaduct, in the Italian port city of Genoa in 2018, had all the hallmarks of unfortunate tragedy, but to the trained eye it was inevitable. Twenty-five years before the disaster, Professor Janusz Rymsza, a specialist in bridge design and field testing at Poland’s Road and Bridge Research Institute, warned Italian engineers that the design […]
Continuous flow strategies for accelerated materials discovery
Polymerisation reactions play a crucial role in the design and optimisation of new materials for many existing and emerging technologies. The large commercial demand for tailored polymers requires developing innovative synthetic approaches that afford precision, control, and automation, while addressing environmental and workplace safety concerns. Dr Tim Erdmann and colleagues at IBM Research, Almaden Lab (USA), are exploring new synthetic routes […]
Research evaluation: Citation versus expert opinions
Research evaluation judgements appear to be moving away from expert opinions, with more emphasis instead resting on citation counts. Professor Lawrence Smolinsky and his colleagues from Louisiana State University, USA, examine whether peer reviews and citation metrics measure similar notions of an article’s importance, impact, and value. They explore the relationship between the various phenomena related to the perceived importance […]
A new generation of wearable devices for telemedicine
Wearable gadgets such as smart watches, or wristbands, represent a user-friendly and cost-effective platform for the tracking of physiological parameters, such as heart rate and blood pulse oxygenation levels. However their rigid and opaque nature hinder the development of skin-conformable sensors that provide continuous and accurate data for telemedicine. Dr Emre Ozan Polat and his team from Kadir Has University […]
The Multi-Objective Portfolio Optimization Tool: Helping the pharmaceutical industry manage its portfolio
The pharmaceutical industry is responsible for developing and providing life-saving drugs, yet this industry, like most others, needs to make a profit to survive. The industry’s dynamic portfolio has many inherent uncertainties, and through complex decision-making they attempt to avoid losses and maintain efficiency. Dr Mahboubeh Farid and Mikael Palmblad, from Captario AB, are leading research to help companies make […]
Rethinking the reverse side of Artificial Intelligence
The changes brought by Artificial Intelligence (AI) are shaping our social, economic, and political reality, transforming the human world as we know it. These changes are alleged to be radically different from those experienced in the past. Žilvinas Svigaris, a researcher at the Department of the History of Philosophy and Analytic Philosophy, Vilnius University, Lithuania, challenges this notion as he […]