All posts tagged: global

Global first: Scientists confirm the existence of quantum tornadoes

Global first: Scientists confirm the existence of quantum tornadoes

Published by skeptic

Physicists have uncovered a new quantum phenomenon, proving for the first time that electrons can form vortex-like structures in momentum space. This breakthrough, led by researchers at the Universities of Würzburg and Dresden, sheds light on how electrons behave in topological semimetals and may pave the way for energy-efficient quantum technologies. Mapping Quantum Tornadoes in Momentum Space Understanding how electrons move in materials is central to modern physics. Traditional research focuses on position space, where familiar vortex structures appear in fluids, superfluids, and superconductors. Sketch of the TaAs Brillouin zone with a symmetry-enforced almost movable WNL, denoted in green. (CREDIT: Physical Review X) However, momentum space—which describes electron behavior in terms of energy and movement direction—has remained largely unexplored for such phenomena. Scientists have long theorized that electrons could form vortex-like patterns in momentum space, but until now, experimental confirmation was missing. Using soft x-ray angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (SX-ARPES), researchers mapped the three-dimensional momentum space of tantalum arsenide (TaAs), a quantum semimetal known for hosting exotic electronic states. Their findings, published in the journal Physical …

Clutched by the global faithful and draped on candles and statues, rosaries abound for Pope Francis

Clutched by the global faithful and draped on candles and statues, rosaries abound for Pope Francis

Published by skeptic

VATICAN CITY (AP) — As Pope Francis remains hospitalized in Rome, thousands of faithful from around the world have been gathering by St. Peter’s and by the hospital to pray the rosary for him. Dating to the Middle Ages and popularized in the 16th century, the chain of beads that comprises a rosary is one of the most visible symbols of Christianity — handheld by young and old, hanging from monks’ belts, draped around rearview mirrors in vehicles, crafted in precious stones, olive tree wood from the Holy Land or cheap, even gaudy plastic. Repetitive prayer exists across multiple faiths. For Catholics, the rosary consists of reciting one “Our father” and ten “Hail Mary” prayers, five times over — starting each “decade” with a brief meditation on different mysteries about the life of Jesus and Mary. They vary depending on the day of the week — from “glorious” ones like Mary’s assumption to “sorrowful” ones like Jesus climbing the Calvary hill. “Mary is the mediator between God and humankind,” said the Rev. Enzo Fortunato, a …

Men, economies, and global stability, according to new research

Men, economies, and global stability, according to new research

Published by José

Feminism is facing a backlash, with women’s rights being rolled back in many countries and a significant number of people saying feminism has gone far enough or even too far. Yet women still face basic obstacles to education in some countries and are generally paid less than men. They still suffer from male violence and, in some places, face increasing restrictions to reproductive rights. There are even some places where families force midwives to kill their newborn girls. Many women are also fed up with doing both a full-time job and the lion’s share of domestic duties and unpaid caring jobs. It’s easy to wonder whether gender equality is simply impossible, especially as many men inaccurately perceive that gains for women equate losses for men. But there is hope. Our 62-nation psychological study, which is largest of its kind, suggests that gender equality benefits us all and sexism is harmful to everybody – women, men and nations in many surprising ways. As such, we all have an interest in promoting egalitarianism. As our findings show, …

We now know how much global warming has delayed the next ice age

We now know how much global warming has delayed the next ice age

Published by skeptic

Earth during a glacial period Zoonar/Alexander Savchuk/Alamy Without human-induced climate change, Earth may have been on track to plunge into another glacial period within 11,000 years. This long-term forecast of the planet’s “natural” climate is based on a new analysis of how wobbles in the shape of its orbit and the tilt of its axis combine to change the amount of solar energy reaching the planet. For millions of years, these orbital oscillations – known as Milankovitch cycles – brought the planet in and out of glacial periods about every 41,000 years. But the past 800,000 years have seen these glacial cycles, also known as ice ages, occur only every 100,000 years or so. The term ice age can be used to refer to any time there was ice at Earth’s poles, as there is now, though it is also commonly means periods of widespread glaciation. Ambiguities in the record of when ice sheets advanced and retreated meant it wasn’t possible to explain how orbital changes were involved in driving this longer cycle, a mystery …

The Work Begins to End Global Blasphemy Laws: An Interview with Mubarak Bala

The Work Begins to End Global Blasphemy Laws: An Interview with Mubarak Bala

Published by skeptic

Mubarak Bala, a humanist in Nigeria, was recently released from prison for what amounts to charges of blasphemy. In an interview with Canadian humanist Scott Douglas Jacobsen, Bala reflects on his unjust detention, emphasizing that freedom of expression and belief are crucial for justice and progress. He describes Nigeria’s escalating religious extremism, persecution of humanists, and threats to secularism. Bala highlights the global need to abolish blasphemy laws and the challenges humanists face, particularly in their struggle to stay alive. He advocates for political action, media reform, and international lobbying to promote secularism. Bala plans to run for Nigeria’s presidency in 2031. He expresses joy at reuniting with his family while condemning systemic injustice. His resilience underscores the importance of safeguarding human rights and free thought worldwide. Scott Douglas Jacobsen: How has (unjust) experience shaped your views on the importance of freedom of expression and belief in fostering a just society? Mubarak Bala: Well, even before my unfair abduction and kidnapping, I have always known that the world I live in is not free; it …

'AI regulatory conversations must be globally inclusive, bring in voices of Global South countries'

'AI regulatory conversations must be globally inclusive, bring in voices of Global South countries'

Published by Sam

World leaders and technology executives are convening in Paris on Monday to discuss how to safely embrace artificial intelligence at a time of mounting resistance to red tape that businesses say stifles innovation. Eagerness to rein in AI has waned since previous summits in Britain and South Korea that focused world powers’ attention on technology’s risks after ChatGPT’s viral launch in 2022. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24’s Carys Garland welcomes Damini Satija, Head of the Algorithmic Accountability Lab and Interim Director at Amnesty Tech. She warns that “while some civil societies will be present at the AI Summit in Paris, it’s an inadequate level to ensure that all the voices, concerns of the Global South are truly represented in that forum.” Source link

Is cleaner air accelerating global warming more than we expected?

Is cleaner air accelerating global warming more than we expected?

Published by skeptic

Air pollution can have a cooling effect on the climate Cheunghyo/Getty Images James Hansen, the climate scientist best known for alerting the US Congress to global warming in the 1980s, has redoubled his warnings that we are underestimating the climate impact of declining air pollution. “Humanity made a bad deal, a Faustian bargain, when we used aerosols to offset almost half of greenhouse gas warming,” said Hansen at a briefing hosted by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. But other researchers say this conclusion is based on shaky foundations, and we still don’t know how much reductions in air pollution are contributing to global warming. Hansen’s conclusions are “hovering around the top end of what we’d consider to be plausible”, says Michael Diamond at Florida State University, who wasn’t involved with the research. Record spikes in global average temperatures in 2023 and 2024 have spurred debate about whether the pace of global warming is accelerating faster than expected. Rising levels of greenhouse gases and a warming Pacific Ocean drove most of the temperature increase, …

Extent of global ‘blasphemy’ laws revealed in report

Extent of global ‘blasphemy’ laws revealed in report

Published by skeptic

The overwhelming majority of countries worldwide are failing to respect the rights of the nonreligious, a report has found. The Freedom of Thought Report, published annually by Humanists International, examines rights of nonreligious people around the world. The ‘crime’ of apostasy, or leaving a religion, and blasphemy are punishable by death in “at least 10 countries”*, the report found. Individuals can also be put to death for ‘blasphemy’, or expressing atheism, in Pakistan and Somalia. Pakistan has prosecuted “over a thousand people” for ‘blasphemy’ since the introduction of current anti-blasphemy laws in 1988. Many of those accused of ‘blasphemy’ belong to religious minorities, and very often face extra-judicial violence. Last week Pakistan sentenced four people to death for allegedly posting ‘sacrilegious’ material on social media. Repression of the nonreligious and religious minorities via accusations of ‘blasphemy’ is widespread. Earlier this month, Nigerian atheist Mubarak Bala was freed from prison after spending four years behind bars for supposedly insulting religious sentiments. The National Secular Society, which is a member organisation of Humanists International, contributed to its …

Director Joe Wright on ‘global problem’ of fascism and what can be learnt from ‘deeply flawed’ Mussolini | Ents & Arts News

Director Joe Wright on ‘global problem’ of fascism and what can be learnt from ‘deeply flawed’ Mussolini | Ents & Arts News

Published by skeptic

British director Joe Wright has said fascism is a “global problem” and there is a sense of the ideology “within us all”. Wright, who is best known for films including Darkest Hour and Atonement, described fascism as the “politicisation of toxic masculinity” which he said “exists everywhere”. Speaking to Sky News’ Barbara Serra ahead of the launch of his new eight-part series, Mussolini: Son Of The Century – which documents the rise of the Italian dictator – Wright said he was interested in delving into history as he didn’t fully understand the meaning of fascism. “Growing up in the 80s, the word fascist was bandied about and was used against any authoritarian figure, but I don’t think I really understood what it meant,” he said. “Then with the spread of the far right across the world recently, I felt it was my responsibility to really understand what the word really meant and where it came from.” Image: (L-R) Joe Wright and author Antonio Scurati speaking to Sky News Fascism, by dictionary definition, is an “extreme …

AI models struggle with expert-level global history knowledge

AI models struggle with expert-level global history knowledge

Published by José

Researchers recently evaluated the ability of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models to answer questions about global history using a benchmark derived from the Seshat Global History Databank. The study, presented at the Neural Information Processing Systems conference in Vancouver, revealed that the best-performing model, GPT-4 Turbo, achieved a score of 46% on a multiple-choice test, a marked improvement over random guessing but far from expert comprehension. The findings highlight significant limitations in current AI tools’ ability to process and understand historical knowledge, particularly outside well-documented regions like North America and Western Europe. The motivation for the study stemmed from a desire to explore the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in aiding historical and archaeological research. History and archaeology often involve analyzing vast amounts of complex and unevenly distributed data, making these fields particularly challenging for researchers. Advances in AI, particularly in large language models (LLMs), have demonstrated their utility in fields like law and data labeling, raising the question of whether these tools could similarly assist historians by processing and synthesizing historical knowledge. Researchers …