Aggregator

A surfer has revealed the terrifying moment he was dragged underwater by a shark in Australia — and the simple trick he used to escape with his life.

A New Shortcut To Quantum Entanglement

Authored by University of Chicago via ScienceDaily,

Many of the most promising quantum technologies, including advanced sensors and future quantum computers, depend on a phenomenon known as entanglement, where particles become deeply connected and influence one another in ways that cannot be explained by classical physics. Creating the complex entangled states needed for these technologies has traditionally required sophisticated equipment and carefully designed experimental systems.

Researchers have shown that a few simple adjustments to a standard quantum optics setup can generate a surprising range of highly entangled quantum states. Credit: Clerk Group

Researchers at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering have now proposed a much simpler approach. Their new theoretical method can generate and control a wide range of entangled quantum states using tools that are already common in many quantum physics laboratories.

The work, published in Physical Review X, could help advance ultra precise quantum sensing and open new opportunities for exploring fundamental physics.

"We wanted to take simple ingredients that you find in a lot of physical platforms and put these together in a minimal way to get something interesting, complex and powerful," said Aashish Clerk, professor of molecular engineering at UChicago PME and senior author of the new study.

The research was supported by Q-NEXT, a U.S. Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Center led by DOE's Argonne National Laboratory.

Rethinking Cavity QED Systems

The team's approach is based on cavity quantum electrodynamics, commonly known as cavity QED. In these experiments, atoms or other particles are placed inside an optical cavity, which consists of two mirrors that trap light between them. The particles then interact with the confined light inside the cavity.

A limitation of many cavity QED systems is that all of the atoms interact with the light in exactly the same way. Because the atoms are effectively indistinguishable, the range of quantum states that can be produced is restricted.

"The challenge has always been that these systems have too much symmetry. All the atoms are talking to light in the same way," Clerk said. "That really restricts what kind of entangled states you get."

In a typical cavity QED setup, each atom has a ground state and an excited state separated by a specific energy difference.

The researchers found a straightforward way to reduce the system's symmetry. While all atoms continue to be driven by the same laser, additional lasers or magnetic fields are used to shift the excited state energies of different groups of atoms. The atoms are arranged so that each one is paired with another atom that has an equal but opposite energy offset.

This simple modification allows atoms to behave differently from one another while preserving enough structure for the system to remain controllable and predictable. By changing which atoms receive particular energy shifts, scientists can tune the system to produce a variety of entangled states without altering the physical hardware.

"You turn these lasers on and wait, and at some point the system stabilizes into an interesting, highly entangled quantum state," said Anjun Chu, a postdoctoral researcher in the Clerk group and first author of the new work. "By simply adjusting the lasers, we can access kinds of entangled states that no one had thought about before."

Building Better Quantum Sensors

One of the most promising uses for the new approach is quantum sensing.

In theory, entangled quantum states can detect extremely small differences in magnetic fields or gravitational fields between separate locations. However, developing states that are both highly sensitive and resistant to noise has remained a major challenge.

The researchers demonstrated that a version of their proposed system containing two groups of atoms could be used to measure field gradients. When the two atomic ensembles are placed in different locations, the resulting quantum state reflects the difference between the local magnetic or gravitational fields. At the same time, it naturally rejects background noise that affects both locations equally.

"You're able to do two things that are normally not compatible with one another: Use entanglement to build an exquisitely sensitive sensor but also have robustness to arbitrarily large amounts of noise," Clerk said. "Normally, entanglement is very fragile. This approach has some amazing resilience."

Another advantage is that the information stored in these quantum states can be extracted using standard Ramsey measurement techniques, eliminating the need for specialized or exotic measurement methods.

Applications Beyond Sensing

The researchers also showed that the same platform can generate unusual quantum states that have long attracted interest from physicists.

One example is the AKLT state, a well known many body entangled state first introduced in the 1980s to describe unusual magnetic materials. The team found that their relatively simple setup can stabilize this state. In addition to helping scientists study complex magnetic systems, the AKLT state may also have applications in quantum computing.

Next Steps For The Research

The work remains theoretical for now, but the researchers are already discussing possible experimental tests with other groups.

They are also investigating more sophisticated ways to arrange atoms within the system and exploring the full range of quantum states that their method may be capable of producing.

"The fact that such simple ingredients can generate such complex and useful quantum states gives us hope that even before we reach the dream of a general all-purpose quantum computer, we can already generate quantum states that let us do things we couldn't do in a purely classical world," Clerk said.

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science National Quantum Information Science Research Centers as part of the Q-NEXT center.

Journal Reference: Anjun Chu, Mikhail Mamaev, Martin Koppenhofer, Ming Yuan, Aashish A. Clerk. "Reconfigurable Dissipative Entanglement between Many Spin Ensembles: From Robust Quantum Sensing to Many-Body State Engineering." Physical Review X, 2026; 16 (2). DOI: 10.1103/qdh9-2pc7

Tyler Durden Sat, 06/06/2026 - 22:10

The body of a girl who was mutilated, decapitated and dumped in a Massachusetts parking lot over 25 years ago has finally been identified as a missing teen from more than 300 miles away.

California’s election system is a farce. Balloting guardrails? Gone. Voter ID? Racist, we’re told.

California health officials discovered evidence of measles in routine wastewater testing as the state faces a sharp resurgence of the disease.

Jorge Polanco’s imminent return to the Mets may not be so imminent.

Look at Los Angeles. Saturday’s batch of 58,558 late-counted votes in the mayor’s race broke 40.2% for Nithya Raman, 33% for Karen Bass and a mere 17.6% for Spencer Pratt — no doubt a reflection of late-voting Democrats in a city where only about 16% of voters are registered Republican.  Pratt’s lead for the second...

UN Food Agency Warns Millions Pushed Into Hunger By Prolonged Iran War

The United Nations food agency is sounding a catastrophic alarm on the macroeconomic fallout of the ongoing conflict in Iran and the Persian Gulf region. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), millions of people are actively being plunged into acute hunger due to the war - realizing a grim trajectory the agency previously warned would occur if the Middle East crisis stayed prolonged and global oil prices remained elevated.

Fragile economies are feeling the most pain, with WFP analysis of three highly vulnerable nations revealing that an additional 2.5 million people in Somalia, 2.3 million in Afghanistan, and 1.3 million in Sri Lanka are currently struggling to meet their most basic daily nutritional needs. Back in March, the WFP estimated that a staggering 45 million people globally could be pushed into severe food insecurity by the end of June, compounding the over 300 million people globally who were already facing critical food shortages before the war erupted.

via EPA

The Rome-based UN agency issued a new detailed assessment at the end of this past week, describing how that the Middle East crisis is actively generating "significant spillovers" - by driving up the cost of food and fuel while heavily disrupting global trade networks. 

Crucially, the agency warned that the economic bleeding will not stop immediately, even if a diplomatic breakthrough occurs. "These impacts are expected to intensify in the coming months, even if the crisis in the Middle East de-escalates," it wrote.

"We remain by that prognosis," WFP’s acting Executive Director Carl Skau informed a UN press briefing. "That’s mainly because the correlation between the prices of energy and food is so tight in many places, and also that in the poorest countries people are already spending all their money on food, and hence when food prices rise, they eat less."

Even prior to the Iran war's start, near the beginning of the war, United Nations agencies themselves were feeling the crunch after a significant drawdown in US support and funding.

The Trump administration slashed support over criticism that the UN has long failed to promote American interests.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has been warning that outstanding dues reached a record $1.568 billion at the end of 2025 and that collections covered only 76.7% of assessed contributions, leaving the organization dangerously exposed. 

As for how this impacts the WFP, it says it has already been forced to strictly ration and limit aid to millions of impoverished people due to drastic international funding cuts.

The agency has issued urgent plea to global donors to immediately step up financial contributions, with a specific focus on stabilizing Somalia and Afghanistan, "because the human consequences of not doing more will be massive."

Tyler Durden Sat, 06/06/2026 - 21:35

Peter Hotez, a molecular biologist and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Houston's Baylor College of Medicine, rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic and is known for tangling with Joe Rogan on social media after the podcaster challenged the scientist to debate vaccines with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Will Smith was scratched on Saturday with a stiff neck, but manager Dave Roberts said he expected him to be back in the lineup the next day for the finale of the Dodgers’ three-game series against the Angels.

Here is a selection of the best NYC venues celebrating the World Cups most popular nations in flavorful and festive ways, from the June 11 opener in Mexico City through the July 19 Final at MetLife Stadium. Fans will be able to enjoy 104 matches among 48 teams.

The 19-year-old became the youngest women’s champion at Roland Garros in 34 years with a dominant 6-3, 6-2 victory over the Polish qualifier in the final.

French guard Marine Fauthoux has typically stood on the outskirts of the team huddle during timeouts.

Cherie DeVaux, Golden Tempo’s trainer, made more history Saturday at the Belmont Stakes, which her horse won after also taking the Kentucky Derby.

Protesters Target NV Energy At Utility Conference As Anger Over Soaring Electricity Prices Boils Over

By Herman Trabish of UtilityDive

Protesters shouting affordability complaints and chanting slogans interrupted a speech by NV Energy President and CEO Brandon Barkhuff on Wednesday. Barkhuff was speaking to some 1,000 utility executives and electricity industry stakeholders during the Edison Electric Institute 2026 conference at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

After being escorted out by security, the protesters spoke to the media outside the hotel to demand the cancellation of a daily demand charge for NV Energy customers slated to take effect Jan. 1, 2027, as well as to demand action on clean energy and high electricity bills.

The confrontation shows the extent to which energy costs have stoked public anger, raising pressure on utilities and their regulators.  

Leslie Vega, climate equity policy fellow at the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, speaks to the media on June 3, 2026, after protests at an electric utility conference in Las Vegas. The group was protesting high electricity bills and NV Energy’s use of residential demand charges. 

Utilities have made affordability a cornerstone of their public messaging as they prepare to spend over $1 trillion over the next five years to meet a surge in demand, much of it driven by large-load data centers. 

In Nevada, The Public Utility Commission in September unanimously approved a demand charge and new rate design for NV Energy customers in the southern portion of the state. It also approved changing the utility’s net metering design in ways that solar advocates said would weaken customer protections and set back Nevada’s clean energy goals. 

“In Las Vegas, one of the fastest-warming cities in the country, you cannot live without electricity,” said protest organizer Leslie Vega. Vega, a climate equity policy fellow at the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, said she’s lost loved ones to heatstroke and sees the demand charge as air conditioning rationing.

“We’re not just asking for lower rates. We’re asking for survival,” she said.

NV Energy issued a statement following the protest citing “misinformation and confusion” about the daily demand charge. 

“Daily demand [charges] will lower bills for the majority of our southern Nevada customers,” it said. “We understand that energy costs are an important issue for our customers, and that’s exactly why daily demand [charges are] critical in stopping subsidies that shift costs to other customers.”

Demand charges are tied to a customer’s peak electricity use, and NV Energy’s daily demand charge is based on the energy a customer consumes during a 15-minute period of peak usage each day. The utility expects the demand charge to add about 49 cents/day to a typical customer’s bill, but says most southern Nevada customers will see monthly bills that are similar to or slightly lower under the new structure.

Regulators and the utility have said that consumers who are concerned about potential spikes on their bill from the charge can shift their electricity use, but advocates say that’s not realistic, especially for cooling. Las Vegas temperatures on Wednesday reached 103 degrees as the city experiences its longest 100-degree streak of the year, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

“It’s impossible” not to run air conditioning during peak hours, said Vega. She was joined outside the hotel by several dozen other protesters with the United Ratepayers coalition.

The coalition is demanding cancellation of the demand charge, which Vega called a “financial threat” against Nevadans who don’t know how it will affect their bills and can’t manage it, as well as other changes.

“What we ask is lower rates for our lower-income community, an increase in solar energy and green energy and getting away from fossil fuels,” she said. “We might not be economists and engineers, but I would like to remind our Public Utility Commission that approved Nevada Energy’s daily demand charge that their own staff economists and engineers advised them against the daily demand charge.”

Vega said the coalition will continue to lobby elected officials.

A spokesperson for the Edison Electric Institute, which represents investor-owned utilities and organized the conference where Barkhuff was speaking, said in a statement that EEI understands “people are frustrated about their energy bills” and shares those concerns. 

“That’s why we’re here — working to do everything we can to lower customers’ bills and serve communities,” they said.

Tyler Durden Sat, 06/06/2026 - 21:00

Los Angeles is gearing up for a citywide takeover of the FIFA World Cup 2026, with bars, breweries, restaurants, and major venues across the region preparing for packed watch parties, extended hours, and match-day screenings that will stretch from neighborhood dives to large-scale immersive experiences.

“Beaches in Spain and Italy and Greece and Bulgaria. Boats and men arrive,” Hegseth said.

Lebanese Army Officers Among 9 Killed In Israeli Airstrike On South Lebanon

In a rare, major development related to the Israel-Hezbollah war, fresh Saturday Israeli airstrikes on Southern Lebanon on Saturday took out a group of Lebanese Army forces.

What's more is that several officers were reported killed: "Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon Saturday killed nine people including three members of the Lebanese military, the Lebanese army and state media said, days after the two sides reached a new ceasefire deal," The Associated Press reports.

Via Reuters

"An airstrike on the road linking the city of Nabatiyeh with the town of Marjayoun occurred in the morning killing a brigadier general, a captain and another soldier, the army said without immediately releasing their names," the report continues.

"The continued, deliberate, and repeated Israeli aggression against Lebanon, its people and its army only strengthens our resolve, faith and determination," the Lebanese national forces said in its statement.

It accused Israel of thwarting all efforts "to reach a solution that would restore stability, establish a comprehensive ceasefire and lead to the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Lebanese territories."

According to the BBC:

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it has launched an investigation after confirming it attacked a vehicle carrying Lebanese soldiers in southern Lebanon on Saturday morning.

The Lebanese Army said two officers and a soldier were killed in the strike on a car, which it described as an "aggressive and barbaric raid". The IDF said the vehicle was "moving suspiciously towards forces" and gunfire had been reported in the area.

Currently Washington is applying immense pressure on the national government and army to move to 'disarm' Hezbollah; however, the Shia paramilitary group has long been the most well-armed and powerful faction in Lebanon, and is seen by most analysts as stronger than even the national army.

This is partly because the United States severely limits the kind of weaponry the Lebanese armed forces can possess, essentially sanctioning the army, on fears these weapons could be turned on Israel.

But if Lebanese officers are being killed under Israeli fire, the army is likely to feel even less incentive to move against Hezbollah. There's also serious political limitations - as Lebanon has long been a nation divided, and the end of the 20th century saw decades of internecine civil war and brutal infighting.

All of this is likely to make some of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's statements to CNN this week deeply unpopular. He had blasted both Iran and Hezbollah for turning Lebanon into a 'bargaining chip' with the West. 

Lebanon’s Army confirms Israel has killed three army personnel on Saturday morning: two officers, with ranks of brigadier general and captain, and a soldier. https://t.co/ml8XllZqd5

— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) June 6, 2026

Many Lebanese have criticized him for criticizing Hezbollah instead of heaping all the blame on the invading Israeli military.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has also responded, stating sarcastically in a post on X Saturday that given Aoun's comments, "one would think it’s Iran that has occupied a fifth of Lebanon, displaced a quarter of Lebanese and is bombing his country on daily basis."

"Had Lebanon been a bargaining chip for Iran, we’d have a deal long ago. Save Lebanon from your real foe, Mr. President," Araghchi wrote in reference to Israel.

Tyler Durden Sat, 06/06/2026 - 20:25

Spencer Pratt’s once-comfortable lead in the Los Angeles mayoral primary has been slashed yet again — as a fresh batch of ballots delivered another major boost to progressive City Councilmember Nithya Raman in their race to the November runoff. New results released Saturday show Pratt’s advantage over Raman shrinking to just 7,494 votes, down from...

The Yankees and Red Sox will have to wait until Sunday to resume their second series of the season.