Susan Valot narrates in-depth news episodes based on Quanta Magazine's articles about mathematics, physics, biology and computer science.
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Dark Energy May Be Weakening, Major Astrophysics Study Finds
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A generation of physicists has referred to the dark energy that permeates the universe as “the cosmological constant.” Now the largest map of the cosmos to date hints that this mysterious energy has been changing over billions of years. The post Dark Energy May Be Weakening, Major Astrophysics Study Finds first appeared on Quanta Magazine…
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Brain's 'Background Noise' May Explain Value of Shock Therapy
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Electroconvulsive therapy is highly effective in treating major depressive disorder, but no one knows why it works. New research suggests it may restore balance between excitation and inhibition in the brain. The post Brain’s ‘Background Noise’ May Explain Value of Shock Therapy first appeared on Quanta Magazine…
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Swirling Forces, Crushing Pressures Measured in the Proton
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Long-anticipated experiments that use light to mimic gravity are revealing the distribution of energies, forces and pressures inside a subatomic particle for the first time. The post Swirling Forces, Crushing Pressures Measured in the Proton first appeared on Quanta MagazineBy Quanta Magazine
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Never-Repeating Tiles Can Safeguard Quantum Information
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Two researchers have proved that Penrose tilings, famous patterns that never repeat, are mathematically equivalent to a kind of quantum error correction. The post Never-Repeating Tiles Can Safeguard Quantum Information first appeared on Quanta MagazineBy Quanta Magazine
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Radio Maps May Reveal the Universe's Biggest Magnetic Fields
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A controversial technique has produced detailed maps of the magnetic fields in colossal galaxy clusters. If confirmed, the approach could be used to reveal where cosmic magnetic fields come from. The post Radio Maps May Reveal the Universe’s Biggest Magnetic Fields first appeared on Quanta MagazineBy Quanta Magazine
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New Clues for What Will Happen When the Sun Eats the Earth
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Recent observations of an aging, alien planetary system are helping to answer the question: What will happen to our planet when the sun dies? The post New Clues for What Will Happen When the Sun Eats the Earth first appeared on Quanta MagazineBy Quanta Magazine
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New Cell Atlases Reveal Untold Variety in the Brain and Beyond
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Recent efforts to map every cell in the human body have researchers floored by unfathomable diversity, with many thousands of subtly different types of cells in the human brain alone. The post New Cell Atlases Reveal Untold Variety in the Brain and Beyond first appeared on Quanta MagazineBy Quanta Magazine
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Extra-Long Blasts Challenge Our Theories of Cosmic Cataclysms
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Astronomers thought they had solved the mystery of gamma-ray bursts. A few recent events suggest otherwise. The post Extra-Long Blasts Challenge Our Theories of Cosmic Cataclysms first appeared on Quanta MagazineBy Quanta Magazine
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Meet Strange Metals: Where Electricity May Flow Without Electrons
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For 50 years, physicists have understood current as a flow of charged particles. But a new experiment has found that in at least one strange material, this understanding falls apart. The post Meet Strange Metals: Where Electricity May Flow Without Electrons first appeared on Quanta MagazineBy Quanta Magazine
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In the Gut's 'Second Brain,' Key Agents of Health Emerge
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Sitting alongside the neurons in your enteric nervous system are underappreciated glial cells, which play key roles in digestion and disease that scientists are only just starting to understand. Read more at QuantaMagazine.org. Music is “Running Out” by Patrick Patrikios.By Quanta Magazine
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During Pregnancy, a Fake 'Infection' Protects the Fetus
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Cells in the placenta have an unusual trick for activating gentle immune defenses and keeping them turned on when no infection is present. It involves crafting and deploying a fake virus. Read more at QuantaMagazine.org. Music is “Unanswered Questions” by Kevin MacLeod.By Quanta Magazine
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Why the Human Brain Perceives Small Numbers Better
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The discovery that the brain has different systems for representing small and large numbers provokes new questions about memory, attention and mathematics. Read more at QuantaMagazine.org. Music is “Quasi Motion” by Kevin MacLeod.By Quanta Magazine
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Inside Scientists' Life-Saving Prediction of the Iceland Eruption
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The Reykjanes Peninsula has entered a new volcanic era. Innovative efforts to map and monitor the subterranean magma are saving lives. The post Inside Scientists’ Life-Saving Prediction of the Iceland Eruption first appeared on Quanta MagazineBy Quanta Magazine
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Echoes of Electromagnetism Found in Number Theory
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A new magnum opus posits the existence of a hidden mathematical link akin to the connection between electricity and magnetism. Read more at QuantaMagazine.org. Music is “Clover 3” by Vibe Mountain.By Quanta Magazine
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To better understand how neural networks learn to simulate writing, researchers trained simpler versions on synthetic children’s stories. Read more at QuantaMagazine.org. Music is “Thought Bot” by Audionautix.By Quanta Magazine
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Rogue Worlds Throw Planetary Ideas Out of Orbit
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Scientists have recently discovered scores of free-floating worlds that defy classification. The new observations have forced them to rethink their theories of star and planet formation. Read more at QuantaMagazine.org. Music is “Light Gazing” by Andrew Langdon.By Quanta Magazine
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What Makes Life Tick? Mitochondria May Keep Time for Cells
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Every species develops at its own unique tempo, leaving scientists to wonder what governs their timing. A suite of new findings suggests that cells use basic metabolic processes as clocks. Read more at QuantaMagazine.org. Music is “Pulse” by Geographer.By Quanta Magazine
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