In April 2019, London introduced the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to tackle severe traffic-related air pollution in the city center.

Five years of data from this real-world experiment now suggests that the ULEZ, along with the earlier Toxicity Charge, significantly benefited the lung health of children living in central London.

Evidence That Clean-Air Policies Can Protect Children’s Lungs

The findings offer encouraging evidence for similar clean-air policies worldwide. Researchers say the study provides the first evidence linking improved air quality after the introduction of a clean-air zone with healthier lung development in children.

They recommend that policymakers around the world consider implementing clean-air zones more quickly to protect children’s respiratory health.

Research shows that exposure to traffic-related air pollution can increase the risk of serious lung conditions, including cancer, as well as premature death.

Air Pollution Can Hinder Children’s Lung Development

For children and teenagers, prolonged exposure is particularly concerning because it can interfere with normal lung development. This may increase their likelihood of developing asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiometabolic problems, and experiencing a shorter lifespan later in life.

Official figures indicate that since the introduction of the ULEZ, roadside nitrogen dioxide levels—a major pollutant produced by heavy traffic—have dropped by 54% in central London and 27% across the city.

However, until recently, there has been little concrete evidence showing how much policies such as London’s ULEZ actually improve residents’ health. This lack of data has fueled criticism from people concerned about the financial burden the scheme places on drivers.

The issue became even more controversial after the ULEZ was expanded to cover the whole of Greater London.

Researchers from several UK institutions assessed the lung function and development of 3,414 children who were between six and nine years old when the study began.

About half of the participants lived in central London, while the others lived roughly 56 kilometers (35 miles) away in Luton, a busy industrial town that had not implemented a clean air zone.

Researchers Track Children’s Lung Function Over Time

During annual school assessments, the researchers evaluated the children’s lung function by measuring how much air they could forcefully exhale in one second. This is a standard medical method for determining lung performance and monitoring lung development in children.

With a population of about 225,000, Luton is naturally different from London as a place for children to grow up.

However, researchers designed the study on the assumption that children in both locations followed broadly similar lifestyles, with the main differences being their exposure to air pollution and the introduction of the ULEZ in London.

ULEZ Helps Close the Lung Development Gap Between London and Luton Children

During the first year of the study, before introducing the ULEZ in central London, researchers found that London children had slower average lung growth than children in Luton.

Their estimated yearly exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) was also 18.95 μg/m³ higher than that of children in Luton.

However, after the ULEZ was introduced, the gap began to narrow. London children experienced lung function growth that was, on average, 10 mL per year faster than that of their peers in Luton.

At the same time, nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) levels in central London fell by an average of 3.77 μg/m³ each year, compared with a smaller decline of 1.77 μg/m³ annually in Luton.

Strong Evidence Links ULEZ to Better Lung Health

The likelihood that both the reduction in pollution and the improvement in lung growth happened purely by chance is extremely low, providing strong evidence that the ULEZ played a significant role.

Four years after introducing the ULEZ, researchers found that London children had lung function levels comparable to those of children in Luton.

Researchers also found that as air pollution levels declined in central London, the proportion of children with clinically impaired lung function decreased from 14% before the ULEZ was introduced to just 9% five years later.

Parents, children, and teachers also reported noticeable improvements, describing cleaner air, less traffic congestion, and fewer problems with asthma.

As air quality improved, children in London were four times more likely than those in Luton to begin walking or cycling to school.

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Bogotá/Panama City/Geneva, 11 August 2026 — The Colombia earthquake response remains underway as Colombian Red Cross teams continue supporting communities affected by the powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia on Monday morning. Rescue operations, emergency assessments and humanitarian coordination remain active as authorities gather more information about the impact.

Red Cross teams focus on search and rescue

The earthquake struck near San José del Palmar in Chocó Department and generated strong shaking across large parts of Colombia. People in neighbouring countries also reported feeling the earthquake. Several aftershocks have followed the main event, adding further challenges for emergency teams working in affected communities.

For the Colombian Red Cross, protecting lives remains the immediate priority. The organization has activated its National Crisis Room and deployed specialized search-and-rescue personnel. Teams from Antioquia, Quindío and Caldas are participating in the emergency response, while 30 responders from Antioquia have travelled to Chocó to support operations in one of the hardest-hit areas.

Damage assessments continue across affected areas

Initial reports indicate damage to homes, schools, healthcare facilities, roads and bridges. Some buildings have also collapsed. However, emergency agencies continue to assess the situation, so information about casualties and structural damage remains preliminary and may change as rescue teams reach more communities.

Meanwhile, access to some affected areas remains difficult, particularly in Chocó. Damage to transportation routes and disruptions affecting airports are complicating logistics and slowing the movement of emergency personnel and supplies.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has activated its readiness plan for large-scale emergencies. It is assessing the situation and determining how best to strengthen the Colombian Red Cross response as teams continue gathering information from affected communities.

Read Original: Colombia earthquake update – Red Cross response ongoing

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Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a cyber espionage campaign targeting government and information technology organizations in Myanmar. Named Operation QUICSILVER, the campaign uses fake graduation ceremony invitations to trick victims into opening malicious files. Researchers at Seqrite Labs assess with moderate confidence that the activity is linked to a China-nexus threat actor.

Fake Invitations Hide a Malware Attack

The campaign was first observed in April 2026 and later evolved to use Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) files. Inside these files is a Windows Shortcut (LNK) disguised as a PDF. When opened, victims see a fake Burmese-language graduation invitation supposedly issued by Myanmar’s Information Technology and Cyber Security Department. Meanwhile, the malicious shortcut secretly launches additional commands using Microsoft’s legitimate ftp.exe utility. The attack then reconstructs the next-stage payload from hidden files.

QUICAgent Connects to Remote Servers

The final payload is a Go-based backdoor called QUICAgent. It uses several techniques designed to avoid automated security analysis, including random delays and repeated SHA-256 calculations. After activation, the malware contacts a command-and-control server using the QUIC protocol over UDP port 443. It can execute commands, transfer files, browse directories and change its communication interval. The malware can also establish persistence by placing an LNK file in the Windows Startup folder.

Broader China-Linked Activity

The disclosure comes alongside reports of updated COOLCLIENT malware associated with the China-linked Mustang Panda group. Researchers found a new signed kernel-mode driver that increases the malware’s ability to remain hidden. COOLCLIENT has capabilities including credential theft, keylogging, clipboard collection and file management. The findings highlight how cyber espionage campaigns continue to combine social engineering, legitimate Windows tools and increasingly stealthy malware to target organizations across multiple countries.

Read the Original: Operation QUICSILVER Targets Myanmar Government and IT with QUICAgent Backdoor

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OpenAI has introduced GPT-5.6-Cyber, a cybersecurity-focused AI model designed to help authorized security professionals research vulnerabilities, validate security findings, conduct penetration testing, and respond to cyber incidents. The release comes as AI becomes increasingly important in both cyber defense and offensive security research. OpenAI is positioning the model for trusted organizations that need more specialized capabilities while keeping access subject to verification and security controls.

GPT-5.6-Cyber targets advanced cybersecurity research

According to OpenAI, GPT-5.6-Cyber builds on its GPT-5.6 family and receives specialized training for cybersecurity workflows. These include vulnerability discovery, security testing, exploit validation, and other advanced research activities that general-purpose AI systems may restrict more heavily.

The company introduced the model through its Daybreak initiative, which provides controlled access to cybersecurity capabilities for approved organizations and professionals. OpenAI says the program is intended for work involving systems, applications, networks, accounts, and data that customers own or have explicit permission to test.

This approach reflects an important distinction. The model is not intended to provide unrestricted access to offensive cyber capabilities. Instead, OpenAI uses additional verification and account-level controls for higher-risk security work. Depending on the approved access level, organizations can use the technology for secure software development, vulnerability triage, threat hunting, malware analysis, penetration testing, red teaming, and security validation.

Moreover, OpenAI’s current documentation makes clear that trusted access does not eliminate every safeguard. The company continues to apply its usage policies, security controls, and authorization requirements. Therefore, GPT-5.6-Cyber should be viewed as a specialized tool for legitimate cybersecurity teams rather than a general-purpose system with its protections simply switched off.

Testing shows a major difference in advanced cyber tasks

OpenAI says its internal testing found a substantial difference between GPT-5.6-Cyber and versions operating with more restrictive cybersecurity safeguards. In one evaluation, GPT-5.6-Cyber completed approximately 95% of requests associated with advanced cybersecurity scenarios.

Those scenarios included areas such as vulnerability research, authentication testing, privilege-related security analysis, and complex security workflows. By comparison, the standard configuration reportedly completed only a small percentage of the same requests.

The result highlights one of the central challenges surrounding AI in cybersecurity: a model that refuses too many legitimate requests can limit defenders, while a model that responds too freely can increase misuse risks.

Consequently, OpenAI has chosen a controlled-access approach. Instead of giving every user the same level of capability, the company can apply different access requirements depending on the nature of the cybersecurity work.

This distinction matters because cybersecurity professionals often need to examine weaknesses in software before criminals discover or exploit them. Security teams may need to reproduce a vulnerability inside an authorized testing environment, determine its severity, and verify whether a fix actually addresses the underlying problem.

At the same time, the same technical capabilities could create serious risks if someone applies them against systems without permission. OpenAI’s Daybreak documentation therefore emphasizes authorized security work and says approval is not automatic. Organizations may need to provide information about their security capabilities, intended workflows, and verification details before receiving access.

AI is increasingly helping researchers discover vulnerabilities

One of the most significant applications of specialized cybersecurity AI involves finding software weaknesses that human researchers may otherwise take considerably longer to identify.

OpenAI has reported that its cybersecurity systems have helped identify previously unknown vulnerabilities. A notable example involves CVE-2026-15903, a high-severity vulnerability affecting Google’s V8 JavaScript engine.

Google’s security bulletin describes CVE-2026-15903 as an out-of-bounds read and write issue in V8. The vulnerability could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code within the browser sandbox under certain conditions. Google lists the issue as high severity and credits OpenAI Codex Security with reporting it on July 6, 2026.

Google subsequently included the vulnerability among the security problems addressed in its July Chrome update. The company also temporarily restricted detailed information about some security issues while users received the necessary updates, a common practice for vulnerabilities that could create additional risk before widespread patching.

This example demonstrates why AI-assisted vulnerability research has attracted significant attention. An AI system can examine large amounts of code, identify unusual behavior, and help researchers prioritize potential weaknesses.

However, discovering a vulnerability does not automatically mean that an AI system can handle every part of the security process correctly. Human researchers still need to validate findings, assess their real-world impact, coordinate responsible disclosure, and ensure that remediation works as intended.

Specialized models can still make mistakes

Despite improvements in automated vulnerability discovery, cybersecurity AI remains far from a completely autonomous replacement for experienced security professionals.

OpenAI has acknowledged that specialized models can perform differently depending on the task. A system may perform strongly when identifying a particular vulnerability while producing weaker results when asked to complete a broader research workflow or create a detailed security report.

That limitation is important because cybersecurity involves more than identifying a technical weakness. Researchers must understand the surrounding application, determine whether the issue is reproducible, assess its severity, document the evidence, and communicate the findings clearly enough for developers to act.

Furthermore, AI-generated fixes require careful review. Research cited by 1Password found that AI-generated patches did not reliably resolve vulnerabilities without introducing other problems. Its analysis reported that fully successful patches represented only a minority of tested cases, while many generated patches either failed to resolve the original problem, changed application behavior, or introduced additional issues.

The lesson is straightforward: AI can accelerate security work, but acceleration does not remove the need for human validation.

In practice, security teams can use AI to examine code, organize findings, suggest possible causes, and support testing. Nevertheless, qualified professionals should review important findings and changes before deploying them to production systems.

This human oversight becomes even more important when organizations use models with greater cybersecurity capabilities. The more technically capable the system becomes, the greater the potential consequences of an incorrect decision.

AI is changing the balance between attackers and defenders

The arrival of specialized cybersecurity models reflects a wider change in the threat landscape. AI tools can help legitimate security teams examine software faster, but attackers can also use artificial intelligence to automate portions of their operations.

Security researchers are increasingly concerned that AI could lower the technical barrier for some cybercriminal activities. Instead of requiring a large team to perform every stage of research manually, attackers may use AI systems to assist with tasks such as code analysis, vulnerability identification, reconnaissance, and other parts of an attack workflow.

At the same time, current evidence does not mean that AI has completely replaced human expertise. Complex attacks still depend on infrastructure, access, decision-making, and knowledge of specific targets. AI can improve efficiency, but it does not eliminate all technical and operational challenges.

The growing speed of vulnerability research also creates another concern. Once a security weakness becomes public, defenders and attackers may race to understand and address it. AI could shorten the amount of time required to analyze newly disclosed vulnerabilities, increasing pressure on organizations to patch critical systems quickly.

For that reason, companies increasingly need strong vulnerability-management processes, timely software updates, network monitoring, access controls, and incident-response plans.

OpenAI is keeping access focused on trusted organizations

OpenAI’s Daybreak strategy separates ordinary AI use from specialized cybersecurity work. Its current Trusted Access for Cyber documentation describes different levels of access, with more specialized capabilities reserved for approved workflows.

The program supports several categories of security work, including secure software development, application security, defensive operations, threat intelligence, vulnerability management, penetration testing, red teaming, and controlled security research.

OpenAI also emphasizes that organizations must use these capabilities only on systems they own, operate, or have explicit authorization to test. In addition, access can require verification and approval rather than being automatically available to every customer.

This model reflects the difficult balance facing AI developers. Cybersecurity researchers want systems that can provide meaningful assistance when investigating serious vulnerabilities. At the same time, companies need to prevent those same capabilities from becoming an easy way to facilitate unauthorized attacks.

Therefore, the future of cybersecurity AI will likely depend not only on how capable models become, but also on how effectively companies control their deployment.

Human expertise remains essential as cyber AI advances

GPT-5.6-Cyber represents another step toward AI systems that can participate more deeply in cybersecurity research. Its reported performance suggests that specialized models can contribute to sophisticated defensive workflows and help researchers identify security weaknesses more efficiently.

However, stronger AI capabilities also increase the importance of responsible access. A cybersecurity model that can assist with advanced research must operate within clearly defined authorization boundaries, particularly when its capabilities involve higher-risk tasks.

The CVE-2026-15903 case shows the potential value of AI-assisted vulnerability discovery. Google confirmed that OpenAI Codex Security reported the V8 vulnerability, which the company subsequently addressed through a Chrome security update.

Even so, AI should not be treated as an independent security authority. Human experts remain necessary to validate findings, assess risks, review fixes, and make decisions about production systems.

Ultimately, the most useful role for models such as GPT-5.6-Cyber may be to increase the speed and scale of security teams rather than replace them. As cyber threats continue to evolve, organizations will need both advanced AI capabilities and strong human oversight to keep their systems secure.

Read Original: OpenAI Launches GPT-5.6-Cyber with Reduced Safeguards for Exploit Development
Related Topic: Artificial Intelligence

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Growing up in the same room as a brother or sister can turn everyday disagreements into regular opportunities to practice living with someone else. Sibling relationships can help children learn to negotiate, share, listen, compromise and understand different points of view. However, research does not show that sharing a bedroom alone creates these skills, nor does it suggest that only children need therapy to develop them.

How Living With a Sibling Can Create Everyday Negotiation

During childhood, siblings often have to share attention, belongings, household rules and decisions. As a result, ordinary situations can create opportunities to express an opinion, listen to another person and look for an agreement.

Sharing a bedroom can increase the amount of daily contact between siblings. They may have to negotiate when to turn off the lights, where to keep their belongings, when to be quiet or how to use their shared space. Nevertheless, the physical space itself does not automatically teach patience or cooperation.

Current research focuses much more strongly on the quality of sibling relationships than on whether children sleep in the same room. The evidence therefore does not support the idea that a shared bedroom directly causes children to become better negotiators.

The American Psychological Association describes siblings as important partners in children’s social learning. Psychologist Laurie Kramer has explained that siblings can give children repeated opportunities to deal with disagreements, express their viewpoints and learn how to navigate social situations.

At the same time, researchers emphasize that children need to learn how to manage conflict constructively. In other words, simply putting two children in the same room does not guarantee a positive developmental outcome. The relationship, family environment and way adults respond to disagreements all matter.

What Children Can Learn From Everyday Sibling Conflicts

A disagreement between siblings is not necessarily harmful. Arguments about toys, personal space, noise, schedules or parental attention can force children to recognize that another person has different wishes and boundaries.

When adults help children communicate and find constructive solutions, these moments can become opportunities to practice emotional regulation, cooperation and negotiation. Children can learn to explain what they want, listen to another person’s perspective, wait for their turn and search for a solution that works for both sides.

However, the important factor is not simply the existence of conflict. Instead, children benefit when they gradually develop the skills needed to manage disagreements without aggression.

Research on sibling relationships shows that warmth and conflict can coexist. Brothers and sisters may be close friends at one moment and disagree strongly at another. These interactions can provide valuable social experiences, particularly because siblings often spend considerable time together.

Still, it would be misleading to describe every sibling argument as a useful “lesson.” Persistent hostility, bullying or aggression can be associated with poorer emotional and behavioral outcomes. A meta-analysis of 34 studies involving 12,257 children and adolescents found that greater sibling warmth and lower conflict were associated with fewer internalizing and externalizing problems.

Therefore, the developmental value comes from learning how to handle disagreement, rather than from fighting itself. Parents can support that process by helping children understand each other’s perspectives and work toward reasonable solutions.

Does Living With Siblings Automatically Make Children More Patient?

Patience does not appear simply because a child grows up with brothers or sisters. Instead, many factors can influence how children respond to frustration, including temperament, age, parenting practices, family circumstances and the quality of relationships at home.

For example, two siblings may share the same bedroom for several years while developing completely different ways of dealing with waiting, disagreement and personal boundaries. Consequently, it would be too simplistic to attribute a child’s patience to the bedroom they share.

The broader research supports this more careful interpretation. A meta-analysis examining sibling relationships found that the effects of sibling warmth and conflict varied according to factors such as children’s ages, the age difference between siblings and the developmental stage being studied.

This distinction matters because correlation does not necessarily mean causation. Children who have healthier sibling relationships may also grow up in family environments that support communication and emotional development. Likewise, children who experience frequent conflict may face other circumstances that influence their behavior.

Furthermore, sibling relationships change across development. The APA notes that siblings can remain important throughout life, although their closeness and the amount of interaction can change as children become adolescents and adults.

Sharing a bedroom can certainly create more opportunities for interaction. However, those opportunities can lead to cooperation or frustration depending on the circumstances. Therefore, the strongest scientific conclusion is not that a shared bedroom creates patience, but that positive sibling interactions can provide repeated opportunities to practice social and emotional skills.

Do Only Children Need Therapy to Learn These Skills?

There is no scientific basis for claiming that only children need years of therapy to learn patience, negotiation or cooperation.

The American Psychological Association’s review of research on only children challenges traditional stereotypes that they are necessarily selfish, lonely or socially poorly adjusted. Overall, research does not show substantial differences between only children and children who grow up with siblings in areas such as personality, cognitive ability, social aptitude or well-being.

Of course, growing up without siblings creates a different family experience. An only child does not have the same everyday opportunities for sibling rivalry, shared bedroom negotiations or disagreements over household resources. However, that does not mean the child lacks opportunities to develop social skills.

Only children interact with parents, relatives, classmates, teachers, friends and other members of their communities. These relationships can also involve cooperation, disagreement, compromise, boundaries and frustration.

In addition, research on only children is largely about associations rather than simple cause-and-effect explanations. Family size alone cannot predict whether a child will become patient, cooperative or socially skilled.

The APA’s review also points out that only children can experience both advantages and challenges. They may receive more individual attention from parents, while some may also experience particular expectations or pressures. These experiences vary considerably between families.

As a result, being an only child should not automatically be treated as a developmental problem. Psychological therapy can be useful when a child has a specific emotional, behavioral or mental-health concern, but being an only child is not, by itself, an indication for therapy.

The Shared Bedroom Is Only One Part of the Story

The strongest evidence points toward the quality of sibling relationships, rather than the number of bedrooms in a home, as an important part of children’s social development.

Siblings can give one another repeated opportunities to practice communication, cooperation, disagreement and problem-solving. In a shared bedroom, those interactions may happen even more frequently because children have less physical separation. Nevertheless, the same environment can also produce frustration when children have different needs for privacy, sleep, quiet or personal space.

Parents therefore play an important role in helping children develop constructive ways to handle disagreements. Research discussed by the APA suggests that younger children may need active coaching to learn how to express their viewpoints, understand another child’s perspective and solve conflicts effectively.

Ultimately, there is no evidence that sharing a bedroom guarantees greater patience or negotiation skills. Likewise, there is no evidence that only children are automatically behind their peers or require therapy simply because they grow up without siblings.

What matters more is the quality of children’s relationships and the opportunities they receive to communicate, cooperate and manage disagreements. A shared room can provide some of those opportunities, but it is the way children interact—not the room itself—that carries the greater developmental significance.

Read Original: Dividir quarto com irmãos desenvolve habilidades sociais
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Average ocean temperatures reached a record 21.10°C (69.98°F) on August 22, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).

While that temperature is far below that of a warm bath, it marks the highest global ocean temperature recorded since C3S began collecting data in 1979.

Climate Warming Continues to Drive Ocean Temperatures Higher

Climate scientist Zachary Labe of Climate Central says the record is not unexpected, as it aligns with decades of research showing that the planet’s warming climate is driving ocean temperatures higher. He warns that without reducing fossil fuel use, this warming trend will continue.

The previous record was 21.09°C (69.96°F), recorded in March 2024, according to C3S.

The new record also comes as the world enters an exceptionally strong El Niño period. This natural climate cycle brings unusually warm Pacific Ocean waters, which can influence weather patterns around the globe.

“This latest record is yet another strong indication that the world’s oceans are facing increasing pressure,” said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), in the same statement.

Rising Ocean Temperatures Threaten Global Security

Labe explains that rising ocean temperatures can accelerate sea-level rise, alter weather patterns and threaten marine ecosystems, including coral reefs. “These changes can have consequences across almost every area of society, from the economy and coastal infrastructure to global security,” he says.

However, Labe warns that the record may not remain in place for long. “This is unlikely to be the last time we report a record like this, and sadly, we may surpass it again within the coming months,” he says.

Read the original article on: scientific american

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Researchers at the University of Tokyo’s Rekimoto Lab have developed a backpack that transforms ordinary jumps into moon-like leaps. Known as Lunavity—or Augmented Jump in the research paper—the device mounts a multi-rotor aircraft on the wearer’s back and generates continuous upward thrust. By reducing the user’s effective weight, it enables higher jumps, longer airtime, and softer landings, creating an experience similar to moving across the Moon’s low gravity.

A circular frame measuring about 1.5 meters in diameter sits above the wearer’s head, with eight rotors arranged like an octocopter. The prototype stands nearly 1.3 meters tall and weighs about 60 kilograms, with its batteries alone accounting for roughly 24 kilograms of that weight.

Lunavity Creates a Low-Gravity Experience

Designed as a proof of concept, Lunavity provides enough continuous upward thrust to offset up to 50 kilograms of the wearer’s weight, reducing the effects of gravity to about 25% of normal. Users still jump using their own leg power, but once they leave the ground, the rotors slow their descent, allowing them to jump higher, remain airborne longer, and land more gently.

Smart Sensors Keep Users in Control

The system requires no complex controls. Instead, built-in sensors detect the wearer’s natural movements and continuously adjust the upward thrust, making each jump feel smooth and intuitive rather than mechanical. While airborne, the sensors can also recognize the user’s posture and hand gestures, allowing them to change their orientation before landing. Rather than taking control, Lunavity is designed to enhance the wearer’s own movements and keep them in command.

Early testing and demonstrations show that the Lunavity prototype enables users to jump higher and remain airborne longer than they could unaided. In 2018, the research team showcased its potential through tech demos, including a person leaping across a zebra crossing in a single bound, dunking a basketball, and reaching fruit high in a tree. The name Lunavity reflects the project’s central goal: recreating the feeling of low gravity on Earth.

Read the original article on: techeblog

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As computers become faster, light seems like the ideal medium because nothing travels faster. Yet high-speed computing depends not only on speed but also on precise timing. Although scientists can control the flow of light, today’s photonic hardware is typically built for one fixed design and operating speed. The challenge is finding a way to make light arrive earlier or later using the same chip.

Researchers from Seoul National University and the University of Seoul developed a programmable photonic chip that can dynamically adjust light-pulse delays, bandwidth, and frequency response after fabrication.

Although the technology has so far been demonstrated only through theory, numerical modeling, and electromagnetic simulations, the team believes it could provide essential functions such as synchronization, buffering, and signal processing for future optical computers and ultra-fast communication networks.

The Growing Need for Light-Based Computing

Unlike conventional CPUs and GPUs, which transmit information as electrical signals carried by electrons through metal connections, photonic systems use light. As modern processors and AI workloads continue to grow, electrical interconnects consume more power and increasingly limit data bandwidth.

Instead of transmitting data with electrons, photonic technology encodes information into light. Because photons travel at extremely high speeds and produce much less resistive heat, they offer a promising alternative for handling massive amounts of data.

However, the fastest possible speed is not always ideal for computing. Signals often follow different routes and complete different operations before they must be combined, so they need to arrive at precisely the right moment. That requires delaying, synchronizing, buffering, and filtering optical signals—tasks that electronics performs well but photonics finds more difficult. While light itself cannot be slowed down, its arrival time can be delayed.

One existing solution is coupled-resonator-induced transparency (CRIT). It uses tiny optical resonators that trap specific light frequencies and allow their waves to interact. The resulting interference creates a narrow transmission window where selected frequencies pass through with a controlled delay, much like a carefully engineered roundabout that slows traffic so vehicles reach their destination on schedule.

The Limitations of Fixed Photonic Circuits

CRIT systems can make light signals arrive at precisely the right time, but they lack flexibility. Once the resonators and their connections are designed for a particular function, their performance is largely fixed. Factors such as operating wavelength, transmission bandwidth, and delay are determined by the resonator geometry and coupling configuration. Changing these properties often requires manufacturing an entirely new chip.

The researchers from Seoul propose a more flexible approach: making the photonic circuit programmable. Their design incorporates tunable components that allow the same resonator network to be reconfigured after fabrication. CRIT architectures generally use two optical states called bright and dark modes. The bright mode interacts strongly with incoming light, while the dark mode interacts more weakly and can retain optical energy for longer periods. Their interaction produces the characteristic transmission and delay effects.

The proposed architecture combines these two modes into a single controllable system and adds two tunable loop couplers to the resonator network. Adjusting the couplers changes the interactions between the resonators, allowing the same circuit to generate different optical responses. The researchers could tune the transmission band, light efficiency, and optical pulse delay.

A Single Chip for Multiple Optical Functions

Numerical simulations further suggested that the delay could be modified dynamically while the circuit was operating. The system could also alter the frequency of transmitted light, potentially reducing the need for separate frequency-conversion components. This versatility is one of the concept’s key advantages. A programmable resonator network could handle multiple functions, including signal delay, filtering, and processing.

However, a design that works perfectly in theoretical models can face significant challenges when it is actually manufactured.

The researchers modeled the design on a silicon-nitride photonic platform and used 3D electromagnetic simulations to account for real-world imperfections such as material losses, backscattering, coupling variations, phase errors, and thermal crosstalk.

The researchers found that the architecture remained effective despite manufacturing imperfections, suggesting it could be built with existing technology. If experimentally validated, it could synchronize, delay, filter, and convert optical signals for communications and photonic AI systems.

A New Approach to More Flexible Photonic Circuits

According to Seoul National University’s Prof. Namkyoo Park, the study is important because it introduces a new design approach that allows the movement of light through photonic integrated circuits to be reconfigured when needed, significantly increasing their flexibility.

The researchers’ next step is to fabricate the device and test it experimentally, with the longer-term goal of developing larger programmable photonic circuits. So far, the concept exists only in theory and simulations, but the results indicate that it could be physically realizable. Making light delays programmable could advance more flexible light-based computing.

Read the original article on: newatlas

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The internet relies on cables, servers, and encryption systems that remain vulnerable to attacks. For years, researchers have explored quantum physics as a possible foundation for a more secure alternative. An experiment using standard fiber optics has overcome a major hurdle, bringing quantum technology closer to real-world networks.

A new milestone has been reached in the development of the so-called quantum internet. Scientists have successfully transmitted entangled light particles over a distance of 61 kilometers using ordinary optical fiber.

The breakthrough was achieved by a research team led by Thomas Gerrits of the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and was reported in the Journal of Optical Communications and Networking.

Quantum Entanglement at the Heart of the Experiment

At the center of the experiment is quantum entanglement.This occurs when two particles become linked through shared quantum properties, causing their measurements to remain closely correlated. Research into quantum entanglement played a key role in the work recognized by the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics.

This property could be used to develop new communication methods and cryptographic key distribution systems that can detect attempts to intercept data.

The main challenge, however, is keeping these delicate quantum states intact as they travel over long distances. The problem becomes even more complicated when researchers try to use the telecommunications infrastructure already installed across cities.

Using standard optical fiber is particularly important because a future quantum internet would be impractical if it required entirely new networks to be built from scratch. Cities already contain vast fiber-optic infrastructures, making it possible to gradually incorporate quantum technologies into existing communication systems.

In reality, though, the process is far from straightforward.

Environmental Disturbances Threaten Quantum Signals

Entangled photon pairs are highly sensitive to their surroundings. Temperature fluctuations, vibrations, cable movement, and other physical disturbances can change the properties of the fiber and reduce the quality of the quantum signal.

As a result, a system that performs reliably under controlled laboratory conditions may encounter much greater challenges when operating on a real-world telecommunications network.

The American researchers addressed this challenge by introducing one of the experiment’s key components.

The team created an active stabilization system that continuously tracks changes in the fiber through reference signals. Whenever distortions occur, the system automatically applies real-time corrections, maintaining the conditions required for reliable quantum transmission.

The researchers then tested the system under real-world conditions rather than in a controlled laboratory environment.

Researchers tested the system using an existing 61-kilometer connection linking a NIST facility with the University of Maryland.

The network includes aerial sections in which the fiber runs along poles and other exposed structures. As a result, it faces far more environmental fluctuations and external interference than a fiber-optic cable operating under the controlled conditions of a laboratory.

The system was continuously tested for 24 hours.

The results were particularly encouraging. During 92.8% of the test period, the network maintained optimal operating conditions, while automatic calibration accounted for just 7.2% of the total time.

The Challenge of Maintaining Continuous Quantum Transmission

Maintaining stable transmission for such an extended period is important because practical communication networks must function continuously. A system that depended on frequent manual adjustments or highly controlled environments would be difficult to deploy on a large scale.

With automatic stabilization, however, that possibility becomes much more realistic.

The concept of a quantum internet is often linked to highly secure communications, but its potential extends well beyond cybersecurity.

Quantum networks could connect quantum computers in different locations, support new forms of distributed computing, and enable highly sensitive and precise sensing technologies.

Security remains one of the most compelling applications, however.

Quantum Mechanics Enables Ultra-Secure Key Distribution

Quantum mechanics makes it possible to design communication protocols in which attempts to observe certain quantum states can produce detectable changes. This could enable quantum cryptographic key distribution with security properties that cannot be achieved through classical systems alone.

Despite these advances, significant obstacles remain before a global quantum internet can become feasible. Researchers must extend transmission distances, improve reliability, develop quantum repeaters, and connect different quantum networks.

The 61-kilometer test does not overcome all of these challenges.

However, it demonstrates a crucial point: highly fragile quantum effects can be preserved while traveling through optical fibers similar to those already deployed across modern cities.

If this technology continues to develop, the same infrastructure that today carries videos, messages, and web traffic could eventually transmit an entirely new form of information.

Read the original article on: gizmodo

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Europe, gripped by a record-breaking heatwave, is warming faster than any other continent and extends into the rapidly heating Arctic. Britain, Ireland, and France have already set new May temperature records, with even more extreme heat expected in the days ahead.

A heat dome is driving the scorching conditions, trapping a mass of hot air from northern Africa beneath a high-pressure system over western Europe. This weather pattern has produced temperatures more typical of peak summer than late spring.

Europe Is Warming Far Faster Than the Planet as a Whole

The planet has warmed by about 1.4°C since the preindustrial period (1850–1900). In contrast, Europe has heated up by approximately 2.4°C, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

“Nearly all of this warming is caused by the human-driven greenhouse effect from fossil fuel emissions, while several other factors influence how that excess heat is distributed,” Ben Clarke, an extreme weather and climate researcher at Imperial College London, told AFP.

According to Copernicus, changes in atmospheric circulation have made European summer heatwaves more frequent and more intense. High-pressure systems, which create stable weather and hotter conditions, are now occurring more often across the continent.

Persistent High-Pressure Systems Are Fueling More Heatwaves

“There has been a growing prevalence of these anticyclonic weather patterns over the past 20 to 30 years, particularly in summer, making heatwaves more likely,” Copernicus Director Carlo Buontempo told AFP.

Buontempo said scientists are still debating whether the growing frequency of this particular type of high-pressure system is a result of climate change or simply a natural statistical fluctuation.

These high-pressure systems, known as blocking highs, can remain fixed over a region and prevent other weather systems from moving in. As a result, they trap heat and prolong hot, dry conditions.

Mary Bourke, a geography professor at Trinity College Dublin, explained to AFP that the lack of cloud cover allows the sun to heat the surface directly, while the stable air mass pushes warm air downward and removes moisture, making the air both hotter and drier.

Geography is another key factor. According to Ben Clarke, Europe is directly connected to the Arctic, a region that is warming much faster than the rest of the world.

Arctic Warming Accelerates as Melting Ice Amplifies Heat Absorption

According to Copernicus, the Arctic has warmed by about 3.2°C since the preindustrial era. Much of this rapid warming is driven by the albedo feedback process.

Bright snow and ice reflect a large share of the Sun’s energy back into space. As they melt, they expose darker surfaces like land and ocean, which absorb much more heat.

“As sea ice disappears, more heat is absorbed, warming the water further and accelerating the melting of even more ice,” Clarke explained.

In other parts of Europe, areas that once regularly experienced heavy winter snowfall have become smaller, according to Buontempo. Many regions that historically had a week or more of freezing temperatures now experience far fewer such conditions, leaving darker land exposed instead of reflective snow.

Stricter air-quality regulations have also reduced aerosol emissions since the 1980s. Although these particles contribute to air pollution, they can also have a cooling effect by reflecting sunlight and increasing cloud reflectivity. As a result, cleaner air has allowed more solar energy to reach the surface, potentially contributing to additional warming.

Warming Rates Vary Across Europe, With Some Regions Heating Much Faster

The pace of warming varies considerably across Europe. Copernicus reports that eastern and southeastern Europe, along with parts of central Europe such as the Alps, have warmed by around 0.5°C–1°C per decade over the past 30 years. Western and southwestern Europe, as well as sub-Arctic areas of Finland, Norway, and Sweden, have experienced warming of about 0.2°C–0.5°C per decade.

The most dramatic warming has occurred in Svalbard, a Norwegian Arctic archipelago known for its polar bears, where temperatures have risen by roughly 1.5°C–2°C per decade. One of the fastest-warming regions on Earth, Svalbard recorded unusually high summer temperatures from 2022 to 2024 and experienced its fourth-warmest summer on record last year.

Read the original article on: sciencealert

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