I did the research and taste-testing to find the best greens powders worth your money. Bloom Nutrition’s Superfood Greens Powder is my tried-and-true pick.
I did the research and taste-testing to find the best greens powders worth your money. Bloom Nutrition’s Superfood Greens Powder is my tried-and-true pick.
Why, in the age of Starlink and Low Earth Orbit satellites, is the British state despoiling the countryside with telegraph poles, asks Joanna Gray. It's 2026 FFS.
In a groundbreaking stride toward the future of quantum technology, researchers have unlocked a new mechanism to control quantum emitters embedded in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), a layered two-dimensional material. This breakthrough could serve as a critical leap forward in integrating quantum emitters into practical devices, bringing quantum computing, secure quantum communications, and ultra-sensitive quantum sensors closer to reality. This promising development emerged from meticulous experimental studies demonstrating the ability to reversibly tune the color and wavelength of light emitted by quantum defects in hBN simply by twisting its atomic layers.
Quantum emitters are nanoscopic sources of light that emit photons with quantum characteristics, pivotal for next-generation technologies reliant on quantum information processing. However, a formidable challenge in utilizing these emitters has been the difficulty in precisely controlling their optical properties post-fabrication. Dr. Angus Gale, the lead scientist behind this research, elucidated how their work provides an innovative “lever” by exploiting the intrinsic layered nature of hBN to adjust the quantum emission properties dynamically. Unlike traditional solid-state hosts such as diamond or silicon carbide, whose structures are rigid and three-dimensional, hBN’s atomically thin layers can be mechanically manipulated, lending itself to an unprecedented degree of tunability.
The team’s experiments demonstrated that by picking up, stacking, twisting, and restacking these ultra-thin hBN slices at varied angles, they could modulate the quantum emitters’ light emission dramatically. These shifts in wavelength were not minor perturbations but substantial changes far exceeding what has been typically achievable in similar solid-state quantum systems. This finding challenges the traditional paradigm which often seeks to stabilize quantum defect behavior within rigid host materials. Instead, the researchers embraced the inherent flexibility and twistability of hBN to realize a new class of quantum control.
Professor Igor Aharonovich, the supervising author, emphasized the broader implications of this twist-controlled modulation approach. He noted that coupling two-dimensional materials at specific twist angles opens up an entirely fresh set of physical phenomena that were previously inaccessible. By assembling layers with precision angular misalignment, new quantum states can emerge, potentially transforming the landscape of material engineering for quantum applications. This strategic layering and twisting, known as “twistronics,” has already inspired revolutionary advances in graphene-based systems, yet this study extends the concept into the realm of quantum emitters embedded in hBN.
One key advantage of using hBN is that its layered crystal structure allows researchers to systematically alter the interaction between layers, effectively tuning the electronic environment surrounding the defects responsible for quantum light emission. As Dr. Gale metaphorically illustrated, far from being a solid block, hBN behaves more like a stack of cheese slices. Just as peeling and recombining slices of cheese can change how flavors intermingle, twisting hBN slices changes the interaction between atomic planes, which in turn alters quantum emitter characteristics. This mechanical engineering at the nanoscale provides a versatile platform for on-demand tuning of quantum light sources.
This technology breakthrough is fundamentally experimental but holds widespread implications. Adjustable quantum emitters could accelerate the development of quantum computing hardware, where precise photon control is essential for encoding and manipulating qubits. Similarly, secure quantum communication protocols rely on tailored quantum light sources to guarantee the generation and distribution of entangled photons immune to interception. Moreover, quantum sensing that exploits the extreme sensitivity of quantum states to environmental changes stands to benefit significantly from tunable quantum emitters, pushing the boundaries of detection limits in fields ranging from medicine to navigation.
Another remarkable facet of the research is the ability to repeatedly pick up, twist, and restack hBN layers without degrading the quantum emitter properties. This reversibility enables iterative fine-tuning of device characteristics and might yield adaptable quantum systems reconfigurable post-production, a feature highly desirable from a technological deployment perspective. This contrasts sharply with permanent structural modifications used in conventional quantum emitter fabrication, which restrict adjustable control and device flexibility.
The team’s methodology involved sophisticated nanofabrication techniques and high-resolution optical spectroscopy to probe the quantum emitters’ response to twist-induced modifications. By correlating the angular misalignment with spectral shifts in emitted light, they constructed a detailed understanding of the underlying physics governing emission control. These insights provide a blueprint for engineering tailored quantum emitters with bespoke characteristics suitable for specific applications.
The research findings have been detailed in a paper published in the eminent journal Science Advances, signaling the scientific community’s enthusiasm for the potential unlocked by twistable quantum systems. Importantly, the authors have declared no competing interests, affirming the independent and foundational nature of this inquiry. Funded by the Australian Research Council and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the work highlights the vibrant collaboration between academic institutions and funding bodies committed to propelling quantum technologies.
This discovery heralds a new era in quantum material science, where layered two-dimensional crystals are no longer passive hosts but active tunable platforms. By harnessing the mechanical and electronic versatility of materials like hBN, researchers are gradually unlocking complex quantum phenomena with precision control previously deemed unachievable. The implications extend well beyond fundamental research, marking exciting progress toward quantum devices that could redefine computational power, information security, and sensory precision globally.
In summary, the twist-controlled modulation of quantum emitters in hexagonal boron nitride exemplifies the convergence of cutting-edge experimental physics and materials science innovation. By capitalizing on the unique layered architecture of hBN and the emerging discipline of twistronics, this research pioneers functional tunability in quantum light sources. As the scientific community continues to develop and refine these approaches, we edge closer to the practical implementation of quantum technologies that promise profound societal and technological transformation.
Subject of Research: Not applicable
Article Title: Twist-controlled modulation of quantum emitters in hexagonal boron nitride
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Un complément alimentaire économique pourrait améliorer significativement les capacités cognitives des personnes de plus de 60 ans. Cette découverte, issue d'une étude sur des jumeaux, ouvre de nouvelles perspectives sur le lien entre l'intestin et le cerveau. Et si prendre soin de notre...
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Semaglutide delivered dramatic weight loss and health benefits in adults over 65, offering new hope for healthier aging. A new analysis of data from the STEP clinical trial program suggests that semaglutide remains both effective and generally safe for older adults living with obesity. The research, conducted by Prof. Luca Busetto of the University of [...]
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Consciousness may arise in systems far different than the biology on Earth we are used to, according to University of California, Riverside (UCR) researchers, who argue that many forms of conscious experience may be possible in alien lifeforms.
Eric Schwitzgebel of UCR worked with Jeremy Pober, a former graduate student, not to understand what consciousness is, but rather, to explore whether it could arise in beings that differ radically from Earth’s biological standards.
At a time when questions about the possibility of alien life visiting Earth are on many minds, their work examines what unexpected forms might achieve consciousness—the first step toward intelligence.
Substrates and Consciousness
Central to the pair’s work is the idea of “substrates,” from the Latin for “the level below,” referring to the underlying material base from which something is made. Although the term may be most familiar from geology, it can be applied conceptually across many disciplines, from biology to linguistics, to describe an underlying structure or form.
The researchers framed their core question around what they call “substrate flexibility”: can a specific property be achieved across many substrates, or is it more limited? One example they use is computer data storage. Information can be stored in many ways, including optical, magnetic, and solid-state media, indicating that storage exhibits a high degree of substrate flexibility.
But what about consciousness? Can it also be achieved flexibly? Perhaps the answer depends on the specificity of the question and whether we are considering human consciousness or a broader concept of consciousness itself.
A Diverse Universe
The researchers began by considering the scale and nature of our universe as it is presently understood. That includes roughly a trillion galaxies containing countless planets unlike our own, which they estimate may have given rise to more than a thousand alien civilizations during the 13.8 billion years since the Big Bang. Notably, they do not focus solely on Earth-like planets that might theoretically harbor biological life recognizable to us.
“With that many draws from the lottery, some of these life forms will be strange indeed,” the pair writes in their paper.
This idea is not far-fetched, as astrobiologists have long hypothesized that life in the cosmos may take forms radically different from those on Earth, composed of available local materials, possibly including entirely different chemical structures.
The pair does not argue that such exotic lifeforms definitely exist in some corner of the universe, only that, in such a large and diverse universe, it is relatively unlikely that the same building blocks would commonly arrange themselves in precisely the same way as on Earth.
Consciousness Isn’t Special
Taking inspiration from the idea of Nicholas Copernicus, the researchers argue that since the Earth, and thereby humanity, are not the center of the universe, it is likely that consciousness is also not a unique feature of our planet, or even recognizable biology.
However, the authors are quick to note that simply because consciousness may exist in multiple substrates does not mean it must exist in every substrate. AI systems, for example, may represent a form of silicon-based life, but they are not necessarily conscious at present. Additionally, perhaps how they are conscious should be considered more broadly, taking into account the variety of possible substrates, rather than simply assessing how well AI models the human brain.
That broader perspective is a crucial element of the pair’s conclusions. Consciousness should be considered in terms wider than simply assessing how well something replicates the human mind. While the authors concede that a similar substrate may be required to perfectly reproduce human consciousness, a broader view of the phenomenon may be necessary to recognize forms of consciousness that are fundamentally alien to our own.
Ryan Whalen covers science and technology for The Debrief. He holds an MA in History and a Master of Library and Information Science with a certificate in Data Science. He can be contacted at ryan@thedebrief.org, and follow him on Twitter @mdntwvlf.
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Semaglutide was linked to greater weight loss and a 15% lower fracture risk in people with type 2 diabetes, raising the possibility of an unexpected bone health benefit. People with type 2 diabetes who took semaglutide experienced greater weight loss and a lower risk of bone fractures than those using several other weight-loss medications, according [...] 
Semaglutide delivered dramatic weight loss and health benefits in adults over 65, offering new hope for healthier aging. A new analysis of data from the STEP clinical trial program suggests that semaglutide remains both effective and generally safe for older adults living with obesity. The research, conducted by Prof. Luca Busetto of the University of [...] 
