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Quantum Computing Gets Closer

October 14, 2014 By Jason Leathers Leave a Comment

The computing world has been abuzz for years regarding the concept of developing quantum computing. Now, two research teams from Australia have made a major breakthrough in the first stages of this technology by developing the first silicon quantum silicon chip.

This chip is said to be able to hold data well over 99% accuracy.

The teams developed the breakthrough at the lab at UNSW (University of South Wales) in Australia. Believe it or not but both teams found solutions to creating the technology. Called ‘qubits’ the term for quantum bits, these ‘qubits’ stand as the basic foundation for quantum computing. Each displayed the ability to process quantum data with over a 99% accuracy.

Getting the ‘qubits’ wot work at extremely low error rates means that making quantum computing a reality gets closer. Director of the Australian National Fabrication Facility at UNSW explained in his statement. His team created what is called an artificial atom qubit which is similar in engineering to the silicon transistors that we find in today’s electronics. Lead author of the paper, Menno Veldhorst stated that it is amazing that they could achieve what they have using the same tools already in existence for phones and computers.

The big achievement is that there are ways to correct errors, in order for this quantum technology to work is that the error rate has to be less than 1% and that’s what they’ve achieved. It was observing what they refer to as a natural qubit, in particular the phosphorus atom qubit. The phosphorus atom holds two qubits, the electron and nucleus. Focusing on the nucleus they achieved that 99.99% accuracy which translate in just one error for every 10,000 quantum operations, outlined Dr. Juha Muhonen from the other team.

This is indeed a major breakthrough in computing of all sorts. The sheer magnitude of the possible applications of this technology, once made available, could stagger the minds of mankind as a whole. Ships and vehicles and planes that can sense and avoid danger at mind blurring speeds. Operational systems that can diagnose and repair themselves. Space and medical applications that could analyze potential hazards or create remedies at the drop of a hat once the data is put into them.

Quantum computing is far more advanced than it may seem here but in the near future it will be part of the fundamental infrastructure to all our lives from now on.

Hundreds Evacuated, California Wildfires Still Threaten

September 15, 2014 By Rebecca McGhee Leave a Comment

Firefighters are still battling it out to help quell the raging wildfires in California and at present the crews are trying to get better access to a wildfire near Yosemite National Park that is located in deep and treacherous terrain.

Over 900 residents of some 400 homes have been evacuated so far since the fire started Sunday afternoon. So far the blaze has destroyed one home and damaged around two dozen other structures. 200 homes in Orange County’s Silverado Canyon had been earmarked for evacuation but that order was lifted as the firefighter teams finally contained over 80% of the blaze on late Sunday.

Overall, well over 1,200 people were asked or forced out of their homes during the two blazes. The fires started around 1:30 pm on Sunday near Brass Lake in Central California. Authorities quickly had to issue orders for around 1,000 people to evacuate. Damage in the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported the ground battle information. They reported that the fire initially started on a road outside of Oakhurst which is a foothill community located south of the entrance to Yosemite National Park. It spread to to the edge of Bass lake propelled by winds and quickly charred over 320 acres. At present the fire is only 20-30% contained.

A popular tourist and recreation area, the lakeside area is active year round. To help out the Red Cross has opened a shelter at the Oakhurst Community Center.

Quick to go into action, Gov. Jerry Brown secured a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cover 75 percent of the cost of fire fighting according to state officials.

Even farther north another wildfire about 60 miles east of Sacramento forced the evacuation of 133 homes. The Sheriff of El Dorado County stated that residents from 400 plus more homes are prepared to evacuate as well. The fire started on Saturday in a remote area but went full blaze by Sunday deep inside a canyon full of thick, dry brush thus burning up 4 square miles. That fire is only over 10 percent contained.

So far six firefighters have suffered only minor injuries, mostly from the hot temperatures that are over 100 degrees.

As news of these fires spreads so do the fires themselves. In the Sierra Nevada foothills between Sacramento and Reno another 250 acres burned, destroying only a few structures. In addition hundreds of other homes are threatened by the fires. In Mendocino County a 400 plus acre fire also destroyed a few structures but was last reported at 50 percent contained.

Half of the North America’s Birds at Risk due to Climate Change

September 14, 2014 By Jason Leathers 13 Comments

A lot of animals, birds, fish, and plants will have to displace to keep up their current climate conditions, as global warming progresses. Several species will be able to acclimatize well. Some will struggle. Yet others might just die off.

Recently, The National Audubon Society has published the report regarding “How America’s bird will react to anticipated climate changes”. As per the report of the Audubon Society, there are almost half of all 588 species in North America together with the bald Eagle, which is a national symbol, are facing hefty climate shifts that eventually could cut their haunt and becomes the source of harsh population turn down of 314 species till 2080, as if the climate changes with the same pace.

The Audubon Bird Study seems to be the most fortunate and comprehensive study as it used more than 30 years of North American Climate data. They used global-warming projections in order to get an estimate for where those birds were likely to move as the world warms thinking that the birds needed to keep up their present climatic conditions. They also gathered the report from the American Breeding Bird Survey and the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, and also get the climate projections from a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

If you talk about the Common Loon, it presently breeds throughout Canada and parts of the northern United States during the summer. It prefers large lake areas in order to catch fish and then makes its way behind both US coasts during the winter. Since the earth gets hotter, the bird is possibly to drop roughly 56 % of its preferred breeding range. Once-frequent loon sightings in Minnesota may be a thing of the past till 2080.

Michelle Nijhuis in Audubon states that “Suitable breeding grounds for the Baird’s Sparrow could disappear entirely, and the Piping Plover, an icon of the Atlantic Flyway, may vanish from many eastern shores.”

According to another striking finding; as many as nine states may see their state birds vanish from within their borders in the coming century, thanks to this habitat shift.

A chief scientist, Gary Langham, led the team of Audubon bird study ornithologists. They scrutinized more than 500 bird species at a time. Researchers have developed various scenarios of birds’ geographic distribution during breeding and non-breeding seasons. With the help of these scenarios, they marked 126 of the species as “climate endangered” as their entire haunts/habitats will change in about 65 years. These researchers also mark the birds with less threat and they have the chances to expand their habitat. These birds are American Robin, crow and blue jay.

The Audubon Bird Study also displays the interactive colored maps for most of the species. You can filter the maps either by species or state or province. For instance, the map color is darker for specific species; it means that the condition for survival is more favorable for that specie. Moreover, the outlined areas represent the current range for each season.

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