Encore: The Princess and the Egg – WBUR

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Whens the last time you made a promise?

Maybe you gave your word that youd help wash the dinner dishes. Or you borrowed a friends book, and told her youd return it by the end of the week.

When we make promises, were giving the message that well do what we say.

In this favorite tale from Circle Round Season 2, we meet a princess who makes an important promise. But when she tries to keep that promise, shes thrown for a real loop!

Story continues below

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Our tale is called The Princess and the Egg. Youll hear versions of this story in many places, from Portugal and Denmark in Europe, to the Mediterranean world and Middle East, to the island nation of Haiti!

Voices in this episode include Luis Negron, Jeff Song and Amber Stevens West. Grown-ups, watch for Amber on the CBS sitcom, Happy Together, as well as the Starz comedy, Run the World.

This episode was adapted for Circle Round by Rebecca Sheir. Original music and sound design is by Eric Shimelonis. Our artist is Sabina Hahn.

This episode was originally released on October 23, 2018.

Coloring Page

ADULTS! PRINT THISso everyone can color while listening. Were also keeping an album so share your picture on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and tag it with #CircleRound. We'd love to see it! To access all the coloring pages for past episodes click HERE. Our resident artist is Sabina Hahn and you can learn more about her HERE.

Things To Think About After Listening

Think of a promise youve made.

What was your promise?

And who did you make it to?

Now, find someone you like to have fun with a family member or friend and tell that person all about your promise and whether you did, indeed, follow through!

Musical Spotlight: Harpsichord

The stringed keyboard instrument known as the harpsichord is shaped like a grand piano, and most likely was developed in the late Middle Ages.

The harpsichord can have one keyboard or two; either way, when you hit a key, a small piece of material known as a plectrum plucks a metal string and voila! You have sound. The problem is, you dont have control over how loud or soft that sound is, so when the more dynamic piano came along, that more modern instrument pretty much superseded the harpsichord. Still, youll hear plenty of the harpsichords charming, elegant, even formal sound in renaissance and baroque music and in 1960s baroque pop songs by such bands as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

Script:

NARRATOR: All her life Princess Pearl dreamed of traveling the world. She wanted to see new places, try new foods, and meet new friends.

But what she didnt want was to have people bowing down to her at every port of call, just because she was royalty. So she swore that when she finally got to embark on her adventure, she would never wear her crown. No one would know she was a princess.

Once Princess Pearl finished all of her schooling, the King and Queen surprised their daughter with a swift, sturdy sailboat to whisk her around the high seas, and a brand new atlas, so she wouldnt lose her way.

PEARL: Oh, Mother! Father! Thank you for these gifts! I cant wait to start my journey. I promise Ill send you a letter from every port I visit!

NARRATOR: But Princess Pearl was not able to fulfill that promise.

On her very first night at sea, do you know what happened? A massive storm blew in, and gusts of wind and rain tossed her sailboat this way and that!

Pearl clung to the boats ropes as wave after wave frothed and foamed across the deck. The next thing she knew, it was morning and she and her ship were washed up on an empty beach.

PEARL: Well, this trip isnt off to a very good start. (as she looks at boat) Yikes - look at this boat! What a wreck. I should thank my lucky stars it got me to shore!

NARRATOR: Pearl pulled off her soggy shoes and jumped down from the splintered remains of her sailboat. As her bare feet touched the soft, warm sand, the princess looked around her. Her heart leapt when she spotted a quaint seaside town in the distance.

PEARL: Oh boy! Civilization!

NARRATOR: Pearl sprinted across the beach. When she got to town, she stepped inside the first establishment she saw: a tiny little bed and breakfast. Thats a small hotel, or inn, where people can spend the night and enjoy a nice morning meal.

The innkeeper narrowed his eyes as Pearl entered. He wrinkled his nose as he beheld her torn, drenched clothing and bare feet - not to mention the seashells and seaweed sticking out of her soaking-wet hair!

INNKEEPER: May I help you?

NARRATOR: Pearl flashed her warmest smile.

PEARL: Why, yes, you may - thank you! Do you serve breakfast? Im so hungry I could eat a life preserver!

NARRATOR: The innkeeper sniffed.

INNKEEPER: Well, it just so happens we do serve breakfast... given that were a bed and breakfast and all. But were about to close the kitchen.

NARRATOR: One thing you should know about the innkeeper: he was a very greedy man. So although the kitchen was closing, he suddenly realized he had one last chance to make a few extra bucks. He softened his tone.

INNKEEPER: Look. I tell you what. Ill have the cook whip up something for you - something fast and simple. How about... a scrambled egg?

NARRATOR: Pearls mouth watered.

PEARL: Oh - that would be lovely! My stomachs rumbling so loudly, youd think Ive got an orchestra in there! Not a very good one... the timpani is way too loud and the tuba is hopelessly out of tune... but -

INNKEEPER: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Have a seat. One scrambled egg, coming right up.

NARRATOR: As you can imagine, that one scrambled egg was the best scrambled egg Pearl had ever tasted! Within seconds, her plate was empty. She raised her hand and called the innkeeper over.

INNKEEPER: What now?

PEARL: Well, first, thank you for the egg, sir. It was delicious! But, you see, when I rushed over here for breakfast, I kind of forgot one teensy-weeny little thing. I dont have any money.

NARRATOR: The innkeepers eyebrows shot up so high, they disappeared into his hairline.

INNKEEPER: Come again?

PEARL: I said, I dont have any money. You see, yesterday, I set out on a sailing trip around the world. Then this massive storm blew in, and I was sure I was a goner. But the winds blew me to your lovely town... and when I came to your inn for breakfast, I didnt even think about the fact that my money everything I own, actually got lost at sea!

NARRATOR: The innkeeper took a deep breath.

INNKEEPER: Okay So how, then, do you propose paying for that one scrambled egg? It costs two gold coins, you know!

PEARL: I know. And I promise: I will return to this town, and when I do, you will get your money.

NARRATOR: The innkeeper glanced again at Pearls bare feet and soggy clothing and the seashells and seaweed sticking out of her hair.

INNKEEPER: And why should I believe youll actually come back and pay up?

NARRATOR: Pearl shrugged.

PEARL: Lets just say I have some savings back home. Thanks again for the egg, sir. Have a good day!

NARRATOR: As Pearl waltzed out of the bed and breakfast and onto the street, the innkeeper grumbled to himself.

INNKEEPER: I have some savings back home. Sure ya do! Ugh. What a waste of a perfectly good egg. I bet Ill never see that ragamuffin again!

NARRATOR: As it turns out, the innkeeper was right and very, very wrong.

NARRATOR: What do you think will happen? Will the princess come back to settle her debt?

Well find out, after a quick break.

[MIDROLL]

NARRATOR: Welcome back to Circle Round. Im Rebecca Sheir. Today our story is called The Princess and the Egg." When we left off, Princess Pearl had promised a greedy innkeeper that shed come back and pay for one scrambled egg. Her sailboat had crashed in the innkeepers quaint seaside town, so she wasnt able to give him the two gold coins necessary to cover the meal.

After her shipwreck, Princess Pearl eventually found her way back to her own kingdom. The king and queen hugged their daughter extra tight when she got home. Then they surprised her with an even bigger boat, with even more sails so that she could try again with her world travels.

And she did.

Several months into her journey, she found herself back at the quaint seaside town: the one where shed been shipwrecked and where she had a debt to settle with the owner of the bed and breakfast.

But this time when she stepped into the cafe, she was not barefoot; on her feet she wore a pair of fine leather boots. Her clothing was well-tailored and trim. And her hair wasnt disheveled and strewn with sea life; it was tucked neatly beneath a green velvet cap.

As you can imagine, the innkeeper did not recognize her.

INNKEEPER: May I help you?

PEARL: Yes, I think you may! Several months ago, I got into a shipwreck and was unable to pay you for one scrambled egg: a humble breakfast that cost two gold coins. I promised Id come back and pay for that delicious meal. And... here I am!

NARRATOR: The innkeeper stared at Pearl with disbelief. Was this really the same ragamuffin from all those months ago? She looked so fancy, so elegant!

PEARL: And further, sir, to thank you for your generosity and your patience I intend to pay you double. No - make it quadruple. So, instead of two gold coins, that would be, what, eight?

NARRATOR: The innkeeper thought for a moment. Why should this prosperous woman pay a mere eight gold coins when obviously she could pay so much more?

INNKEEPER: Im sorry. Eight gold coins, you say? No, no! You owe me far more than eight gold coins.

NARRATOR: Pearl was confused.

PEARL: I do?

INNKEEPER: You bet you do! Think about it. If I hadnt served you that one scrambled egg, that egg would have hatched into a chick! And then that chick would have grown up and laid eggs and hatched a dozen more chicks! And each one of those chicks would have gone on to lay eggs and hatch a dozen more chicks! You see where Im going with this?

NARRATOR: Pearl shook her head.

PEARL: Um, Im not sure I -

INNKEEPER: Long story short... you dont owe me eight gold coins. You owe me

NARRATOR: He pulled out a pencil, grabbed a napkin, and began scribbling.

INNKEEPER: (to himself, as he scribbles his calculations on the napkin) Lets see multiply this times this, add up that and that Okay uh-huh alright. You owe me eight-million gold coins.

PEARL: Im sorry eight-million?!?!

INNKEEPER: Yup! Eight-million! I mean, give or take a few thousand. I rounded down. Figured Id give you a bit of a discount.

NARRATOR: Pearl could hardly believe what she was hearing.

PEARL: But sir, I cant pay you eight-million gold coins!

NARRATOR: The innkeeper scowled.

INNKEEPER: Really? You cant pay?

NARRATOR: He gestured toward Pearls fancy clothes and shoes.

INNKEEPER: ...or you wont pay?

NARRATOR: Pearls mind raced. She reached into her purse.

PEARL: Look. What do you say I give you a hundred gold coins and we call it a deal.

NARRATOR: The innkeeper fixed Pearl with a steely gaze. He crossed his arms.

INNKEEPER: Nope. Eight-million gold coins, or I see you in court. Tomorrow.

NARRATOR: Pearl sighed.

PEARL: Alright, then. See you in court.

NARRATOR: As Pearl sat down to dinner that night in another hotel, blocks away from the bed and breakfast she was so distraught could hardly eat. She picked at her boiled peas took half-hearted nibbles of her steamed corn and by the time dessert was served a warm bowl of roasted chestnuts she couldnt even take a bite.

She stared at her plate of food, wondering what in the world she would do tomorrow in court.

Then, suddenly, it hit her.

PEARL: Ive got it! The answer is in the peas! And the corn! And the chestnuts! Id better get some sleep; tomorrow is going to be a big day.

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Encore: The Princess and the Egg - WBUR

‘Smart drugs’ are real here’s what’s scientifically proven and how to tell if nootropics are right for you – Insider

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Whether you're a student cramming for finals, an employee on a project deadline, or your mind just isn't as clear as it once was, you might wish there was a magic pill you could take that would supercharge your brain and make everything a little easier.

Nootropics aren't magic pills, and they won't supercharge your brain, but they do have the potential to improve your cognitive functioning under the right circumstances.

Here's more about nootropics as well as specific types that have been proven to provide some level of cognitive enhancement.

Nootropics are colloquially called "smart drugs" or "cognitive enhancers" due to the fact that they might theoretically boost brain function especially regarding energy, focus, and memory.

Natural nootropics may also increase blood circulation and oxygen flow to the brain, according to a 2016 study. This is beneficial for brain health, since the brain depends on a continuous supply of oxygen and nutrients to function properly.

But nootropics likely won't provide you much benefit if you're not already experiencing symptoms such as trouble focusing or poor memory, says David A. Merrill, MD, a psychiatrist and director of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute's Pacific Brain Health Center at Providence Saint John's Health Center.

There are a number of factors that can affect your cognitive performance such as your sleep, stress levels, diet, and exercise regimen. You should try to improve these factors rather than simply relying on nootropics, as this will be much more beneficial in the long run, Merrill says.

There are various natural, over-the-counter, nootropics to choose from that are available in supplement form. You can usually find them at your local grocery or online. Here are five common nootropics as well as how they work.

Caffeine in the form of coffee, tea, energy drinks, supplements, and more is the most commonly used nootropic worldwide.

It works by blocking adenosine receptors in the brain that make you feel tired. That's why caffeine often makes people feel less tired and more alert and focused.

However, Merrill notes that there are two problems with caffeine. First, if you consume it often, you will become tolerant to it, meaning that you will require more and more caffeine to feel a boost. Secondly, if you overdo your caffeine consumption, it can lead to side effects like anxiety, insomnia, and tremors.

Ginkgo biloba is a plant, and you can find its extract in supplement form. Merrill says ginkgo biloba extract works by increasing blood flow to the brain, or cerebral blood flow. In theory, this can be beneficial because it prevents decreased cerebral blood flow, which can result in cognitive decline.

Much of the research surrounding ginkgo biloba is in regards to Alzheimer's. For example, a 2020 review of 28 studies found that taking 240 milligrams of ginkgo biloba daily had a positive impact on cognitive function including reaction time and memory in adults with mild Alzheimer's.

However, if you're not already suffering from cognitive decline, Merrill says you may not experience any kind of boost from ginkgo biloba.

L-theanine is found naturally in green tea and black tea, but it can also be taken as a supplement. Merrill says it tends to have a calming, relaxing effect while also boosting alertnesswhich is why it's categorized as a nootropic.

L-theanine works by boosting serotonin, dopamine, and GABA levels. GABA are neurotransmitters that play a part in mood and stress regulation.

A 2019 study found that participants who took 200 milligrams of L-theanine tablets for four weeks experienced reduced stress and improved executive functioning.

"Omega-3 fatty acids are the building blocks of brain cell membranes, increasing cell membrane fluidity, which is important for the functioning of each brain cell," says Merrill.

A 2012 analysis showed that adults with a mild form of cognitive impairment who took omega-3 supplements saw an improvement in cognitive function.

But while some research has been promising, other studies found that omega-3s had no effect on cognition for a sample of healthy adults aged 18-35. Therefore, omega-3 supplements may be most beneficial for people who are already experiencing some form of cognitive decline.

Creatine is an amino acid that may benefit cognitive function due to the way it interacts with brain cells.

"Brain cells require high amounts of energy to function, and creatine can help brain cells continue to produce the energy needed to think," says Merrill.

A 2018 systematic review found that taking creatine supplements can improve short-term memory in healthy individuals.

Those who have a condition that severely impairs their cognitive function may benefit from more potent, prescription nootropics. Here are two common prescription nootropics and how they work.

Adderall is a prescription drug commonly prescribed to people with ADHD but it may also be prescribed for narcolepsy. Merrill says Adderall is a stimulant that works by increasing your levels of dopamine and norepinephrine. These chemicals can improve your focus and concentration.

Additionally, Adderall has been shown to boost alertness, energy levels, and attention span in people with ADHD or narcolepsy.

"There appears to be a ceiling effect with stimulants like Adderall, so they can reduce attention deficits, but they won't make individuals with already normal levels of attention super-smart," says Merrill.

Modafinil is a prescription drug that promotes wakefulness, and it's prescribed to people who have narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, or shift work sleep disorder.

The way modafinil works is mostly to increase dopamine levels. These increased dopamine levels may help concentration, memory, and motivation,, says Merrill.

A 2020 study found that modafinil improves cognitive function in healthy adults, such as improving working memory and accuracy when completing tasks. However, it is not usually prescribed to people who don't have a sleep disorder.

There are many nootropics to choose from if you're looking to boost your cognitive function. However, it's important to be realistic and remember that you will likely not experience drastic changes, if any changes at all if you're otherwise healthy. Always consult your doctor before taking any supplements such as these nootropics.

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'Smart drugs' are real here's what's scientifically proven and how to tell if nootropics are right for you - Insider

Do Brain Supplements Really Improve Focus & Memory? Here’s What the Science Says – Yahoo Lifestyle

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Who doesn't want to be smarter, sharper and more focused and creative? Nootropics (pronounced new-traw-picks) promise all of this and more. These "smart pills"-which are a group of natural and synthetic compounds, often found in supplement or prescription form- might sound new, but nootropics have been around since the early 1970s, when Romanian psychologist and chemist Corneliu Giurgea created a synthetic substance called piracetam to improve learning and memory and coined the term.

Nootropics gets its name from the Greek words nous ("mind") and trepein ("bend or turn"). There are more than 130 over-the-counter nootropics-including ginseng, ginkgo, guarana, creatine, caffeine and Bacopa monnieri as well as piracetam-plus Rx versions, such as the ADHD medications Adderall and Ritalin, and Aricept, an Alzheimer's treatment.

Today, nootropics and other brain health supplements are a billion-dollar industry in the U.S. And of the estimated 16 million American adults who use stimulants like Adderall, about 5 million do so off-label, with half of those specifically aiming to enhance their brainpower. "People will jump at any opportunity to try something that might be mentally curative or restorative," says Maya Babu, M.D., M.B.A., a neurosurgeon at Cleveland Clinic Martin Health in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. "Younger people are interested in potential memory and attention benefits, while those who are older are concerned about dementia."

Getty Images / JESPER KLAUSEN / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / ViewStock

But do OTC nootropics work? The research says: not so much. When scientists reviewed 394 studies for a 2020 Nutrients review on nootropics, they ended up tossing out 73% due to low quality (meaning the results didn't hold up to rigorous scientific scrutiny). After scrutinizing those that remained, they concluded that the only supplement that might be useful was caffeine, showing promise for improving memory, attention, problem-solving and reasoning. And even that was mostly among sleep-deprived people.

There are also safety concerns. Supplements aren't subject to the same clinical trials as prescription drugs, and many of their labels are riddled with unsubstantiated claims. The issue is so problematic that in 2019, the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission sent letters to three nootropic supplement manufacturers demanding them to promptly correct the false or misleading claims on their labels. One ginkgo biloba brand got a slap on the wrist for touting its ability to improve memory. And a purveyor of colostrum supplements got called out for its Alzheimer's prevention claims.

As for prescription nootropics? "For patients with true ADHD or dementia, certain medications can be tremendously helpful for attention, alertness and focus," says Babu. "But for those without these underlying conditions, I haven't seen data that nootropics can increase performance in any way." Indeed, a 2016 American Academy of Family Physicians review found no evidence that Alzheimer's medications do anything to improve mental function in healthy people and that the impact of ADHD medications for those without the condition are modest at best. "In the end, I don't think nootropics can replace sleep, healthy diet, physical activity and memory exercises," says Babu. "I'd hate to see people think they will benefit them in any meaningful way." Next time you're looking for a brain boost? Her advice: Try a strong cup of coffee.

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Do Brain Supplements Really Improve Focus & Memory? Here's What the Science Says - Yahoo Lifestyle

Nootropics Brain Supplements Market 2021 2027 | Growth Dynamics, Revenue Outlook and Opportunities Forecast Excelerol, Zhou Nutrition, Neurofuse The…

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TOC

1 Nootropics Brain Supplements Market Overview1.1 Nootropics Brain Supplements Product Overview1.2 Nootropics Brain Supplements Market Segment by Type1.2.1 Pills1.2.2 Liquid1.2.3 Capsule1.2.4 Other1.3 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Market Size by Type1.3.1 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Market Size Overview by Type (2016-2027)1.3.2 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Historic Market Size Review by Type (2016-2021)

1.3.2.1 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales Breakdown in Volume by Type (2016-2021)

1.3.2.2 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales Breakdown in Value by Type (2016-2021)

1.3.2.3 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Average Selling Price (ASP) by Type (2016-2021)1.3.3 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Forecasted Market Size by Type (2022-2027)

1.3.3.1 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales Breakdown in Volume by Type (2022-2027)

1.3.3.2 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales Breakdown in Value by Type (2022-2027)

1.3.3.3 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Average Selling Price (ASP) by Type (2022-2027)1.4 Key Regions Market Size Segment by Type1.4.1 North America Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales Breakdown by Type (2016-2021)1.4.2 Europe Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales Breakdown by Type (2016-2021)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales Breakdown by Type (2016-2021)1.4.4 Latin America Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales Breakdown by Type (2016-2021)1.4.5 Middle East and Africa Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales Breakdown by Type (2016-2021) 2 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Market Competition by Company2.1 Global Top Players by Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales (2016-2021)2.2 Global Top Players by Nootropics Brain Supplements Revenue (2016-2021)2.3 Global Top Players Nootropics Brain Supplements Price (2016-2021)2.4 Global Top Manufacturers Nootropics Brain Supplements Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area, Product Type2.5 Nootropics Brain Supplements Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Nootropics Brain Supplements Market Concentration Rate (2016-2021)2.5.2 Global 5 and 10 Largest Manufacturers by Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales and Revenue in 20202.6 Global Top Manufacturers by Company Type (Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3) & (based on the Revenue in Nootropics Brain Supplements as of 2020)2.7 Date of Key Manufacturers Enter into Nootropics Brain Supplements Market2.8 Key Manufacturers Nootropics Brain Supplements Product Offered2.9 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion 3 Nootropics Brain Supplements Status and Outlook by Region3.1 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Market Size and CAGR by Region: 2016 VS 2021 VS 20263.2 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Historic Market Size by Region3.2.1 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Volume by Region (2016-2021)3.2.2 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Value by Region (2016-2021)3.2.3 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales (Volume & Value) Price and Gross Margin (2016-2021)3.3 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Forecasted Market Size by Region3.3.1 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Volume by Region (2022-2027)3.3.2 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Value by Region (2022-2027)3.3.3 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales (Volume & Value), Price and Gross Margin (2022-2027) 4 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements by Application4.1 Nootropics Brain Supplements Market Segment by Application4.1.1 Students4.1.2 Athletes4.1.3 Older Adults4.1.4 Others4.2 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Market Size by Application4.2.1 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Market Size Overview by Application (2016-2027)4.2.2 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Historic Market Size Review by Application (2016-2021)

4.2.2.1 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales Breakdown in Volume, by Application (2016-2021)

4.2.2.2 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales Breakdown in Value, by Application (2016-2021)

4.2.2.3 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Average Selling Price (ASP) by Application (2016-2021)4.2.3 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Forecasted Market Size by Application (2022-2027)

4.2.3.1 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales Breakdown in Volume, by Application (2022-2027)

4.2.3.2 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales Breakdown in Value, by Application (2022-2027)

4.2.3.3 Global Nootropics Brain Supplements Average Selling Price (ASP) by Application (2022-2027)4.3 Key Regions Market Size Segment by Application4.3.1 North America Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales Breakdown by Application (2016-2021)4.3.2 Europe Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales Breakdown by Application (2016-2021)4.3.3 Asia-Pacific Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales Breakdown by Application (2016-2021)4.3.4 Latin America Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales Breakdown by Application (2016-2021)4.3.5 Middle East and Africa Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales Breakdown by Application (2016-2021) 5 North America Nootropics Brain Supplements by Country5.1 North America Nootropics Brain Supplements Historic Market Size by Country5.1.1 North America Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Volume by Country (2016-2021)5.1.2 North America Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Value by Country (2016-2021)5.2 North America Nootropics Brain Supplements Forecasted Market Size by Country5.2.1 North America Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Volume by Country (2022-2027)5.2.2 North America Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Value by Country (2022-2027) 6 Europe Nootropics Brain Supplements by Country6.1 Europe Nootropics Brain Supplements Historic Market Size by Country6.1.1 Europe Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Volume by Country (2016-2021)6.1.2 Europe Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Value by Country (2016-2021)6.2 Europe Nootropics Brain Supplements Forecasted Market Size by Country6.2.1 Europe Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Volume by Country (2022-2027)6.2.2 Europe Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Value by Country (2022-2027) 7 Asia-Pacific Nootropics Brain Supplements by Region7.1 Asia-Pacific Nootropics Brain Supplements Historic Market Size by Region7.1.1 Asia-Pacific Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Volume by Region (2016-2021)7.1.2 Asia-Pacific Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Value by Region (2016-2021)7.2 Asia-Pacific Nootropics Brain Supplements Forecasted Market Size by Region7.2.1 Asia-Pacific Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Volume by Region (2022-2027)7.2.2 Asia-Pacific Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Value by Region (2022-2027) 8 Latin America Nootropics Brain Supplements by Country8.1 Latin America Nootropics Brain Supplements Historic Market Size by Country8.1.1 Latin America Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Volume by Country (2016-2021)8.1.2 Latin America Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Value by Country (2016-2021)8.2 Latin America Nootropics Brain Supplements Forecasted Market Size by Country8.2.1 Latin America Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Volume by Country (2022-2027)8.2.2 Latin America Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Value by Country (2022-2027) 9 Middle East and Africa Nootropics Brain Supplements by Country9.1 Middle East and Africa Nootropics Brain Supplements Historic Market Size by Country9.1.1 Middle East and Africa Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Volume by Country (2016-2021)9.1.2 Middle East and Africa Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Value by Country (2016-2021)9.2 Middle East and Africa Nootropics Brain Supplements Forecasted Market Size by Country9.2.1 Middle East and Africa Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Volume by Country (2022-2027)9.2.2 Middle East and Africa Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales in Value by Country (2022-2027) 10 Company Profiles and Key Figures in Nootropics Brain Supplements Business10.1 NOOESIS10.1.1 NOOESIS Corporation Information10.1.2 NOOESIS Introduction and Business Overview10.1.3 NOOESIS Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2016-2021)10.1.4 NOOESIS Nootropics Brain Supplements Products Offered10.1.5 NOOESIS Recent Development10.2 Excelerol10.2.1 Excelerol Corporation Information10.2.2 Excelerol Introduction and Business Overview10.2.3 Excelerol Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2016-2021)10.2.4 NOOESIS Nootropics Brain Supplements Products Offered10.2.5 Excelerol Recent Development10.3 Zhou Nutrition10.3.1 Zhou Nutrition Corporation Information10.3.2 Zhou Nutrition Introduction and Business Overview10.3.3 Zhou Nutrition Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2016-2021)10.3.4 Zhou Nutrition Nootropics Brain Supplements Products Offered10.3.5 Zhou Nutrition Recent Development10.4 Neurofuse10.4.1 Neurofuse Corporation Information10.4.2 Neurofuse Introduction and Business Overview10.4.3 Neurofuse Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2016-2021)10.4.4 Neurofuse Nootropics Brain Supplements Products Offered10.4.5 Neurofuse Recent Development10.5 LFI Labs10.5.1 LFI Labs Corporation Information10.5.2 LFI Labs Introduction and Business Overview10.5.3 LFI Labs Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2016-2021)10.5.4 LFI Labs Nootropics Brain Supplements Products Offered10.5.5 LFI Labs Recent Development10.6 Opti-Nutra LTD.10.6.1 Opti-Nutra LTD. Corporation Information10.6.2 Opti-Nutra LTD. Introduction and Business Overview10.6.3 Opti-Nutra LTD. Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2016-2021)10.6.4 Opti-Nutra LTD. Nootropics Brain Supplements Products Offered10.6.5 Opti-Nutra LTD. Recent Development10.7 Onnit10.7.1 Onnit Corporation Information10.7.2 Onnit Introduction and Business Overview10.7.3 Onnit Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2016-2021)10.7.4 Onnit Nootropics Brain Supplements Products Offered10.7.5 Onnit Recent Development10.8 Synergy10.8.1 Synergy Corporation Information10.8.2 Synergy Introduction and Business Overview10.8.3 Synergy Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2016-2021)10.8.4 Synergy Nootropics Brain Supplements Products Offered10.8.5 Synergy Recent Development10.9 Cognetix Labs10.9.1 Cognetix Labs Corporation Information10.9.2 Cognetix Labs Introduction and Business Overview10.9.3 Cognetix Labs Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2016-2021)10.9.4 Cognetix Labs Nootropics Brain Supplements Products Offered10.9.5 Cognetix Labs Recent Development10.10 AlternaScript10.10.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors10.10.2 Nootropics Brain Supplements Product Category, Application and Specification10.10.3 AlternaScript Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2016-2021)10.10.4 Main Business Overview10.10.5 AlternaScript Recent Development10.11 Nootrostax10.11.1 Nootrostax Corporation Information10.11.2 Nootrostax Introduction and Business Overview10.11.3 Nootrostax Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2016-2021)10.11.4 Nootrostax Nootropics Brain Supplements Products Offered10.11.5 Nootrostax Recent Development10.12 Neurohacker Collective10.12.1 Neurohacker Collective Corporation Information10.12.2 Neurohacker Collective Introduction and Business Overview10.12.3 Neurohacker Collective Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2016-2021)10.12.4 Neurohacker Collective Nootropics Brain Supplements Products Offered10.12.5 Neurohacker Collective Recent Development10.13 Mind Lab Pro10.13.1 Mind Lab Pro Corporation Information10.13.2 Mind Lab Pro Introduction and Business Overview10.13.3 Mind Lab Pro Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2016-2021)10.13.4 Mind Lab Pro Nootropics Brain Supplements Products Offered10.13.5 Mind Lab Pro Recent Development10.14 CILTEP10.14.1 CILTEP Corporation Information10.14.2 CILTEP Introduction and Business Overview10.14.3 CILTEP Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2016-2021)10.14.4 CILTEP Nootropics Brain Supplements Products Offered10.14.5 CILTEP Recent Development10.15 Nooflux10.15.1 Nooflux Corporation Information10.15.2 Nooflux Introduction and Business Overview10.15.3 Nooflux Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2016-2021)10.15.4 Nooflux Nootropics Brain Supplements Products Offered10.15.5 Nooflux Recent Development10.16 EVO-X10.16.1 EVO-X Corporation Information10.16.2 EVO-X Introduction and Business Overview10.16.3 EVO-X Nootropics Brain Supplements Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2016-2021)10.16.4 EVO-X Nootropics Brain Supplements Products Offered10.16.5 EVO-X Recent Development 11 Upstream, Opportunities, Challenges, Risks and Influences Factors Analysis11.1 Nootropics Brain Supplements Key Raw Materials11.1.1 Key Raw Materials11.1.2 Key Raw Materials Price11.1.3 Raw Materials Key Suppliers11.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure11.2.1 Raw Materials11.2.2 Labor Cost11.2.3 Manufacturing Expenses11.3 Nootropics Brain Supplements Industrial Chain Analysis11.4 Nootropics Brain Supplements Market Dynamics11.4.1 Industry Trends11.4.2 Market Drivers11.4.3 Market Challenges11.4.4 Market Restraints 12 Market Strategy Analysis, Distributors12.1 Sales Channel12.2 Nootropics Brain Supplements Distributors12.3 Nootropics Brain Supplements Downstream Customers 13 Research Findings and Conclusion 14 Appendix14.1 Research Methodology14.1.1 Methodology/Research Approach

14.1.1.1 Research Programs/Design

14.1.1.2 Market Size Estimation

14.1.1.3 Market Breakdown and Data Triangulation14.1.2 Data Source

14.1.2.1 Secondary Sources

14.1.2.2 Primary Sources14.2 Author Details14.3 Disclaimer

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Nootropics Brain Supplements Market 2021 2027 | Growth Dynamics, Revenue Outlook and Opportunities Forecast Excelerol, Zhou Nutrition, Neurofuse The...

Gus Kenworthy Joins beam as Global Athlete and Wellness Ambassador and Investor – PRNewswire

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"As a busy athlete training for the 2022 Winter Olympics my schedule is stacked with training, traveling and balancing career demands. Rest and recovery are essential to optimize performance as I continue to push my own physical limits," said Gus Kenworthy, two-time Olympic Skier and Olympic Silver Medalist. "beam's recovery and sleep lines are vital to that process and, now as an investor, I can support their mission to improve physical and mental wellness by prioritizing rest and recovery in a culture that glorifies overworking ourselves."

Kenworthy joins a world class roster of high-performing athletes and Olympians working with beam alongside two-time CrossFit champion, Katrn Davsdttir; Olympic Gold-medalist, Gwen Jorgensen; and 2021 Summer Olympian, Molly Seidel. The brand's organic growth has been accelerated by their athlete ambassador network, counting Danica Patrick, Baker Mayfield, Billy Horschel and Mat Fraser within their tribe as brand evangelists and agents.

"Gus joining our roster of athlete ambassadors will continue our mission to diversify our partners that are at the top of their sport. We pride ourselves in partnerships that happen organically -- beam is committed to working with community leaders that truly use our products to enhance their overall wellness," said Kevin Moran and Matt Lombardi, co-founders of beam.

Not only is Gus gearing up for his debut on Great Britain's team in the 2022 Winter Olympics, he has secured a spot on NBC's on-air talent roster to cover the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Kenworthy's alignment with beam naturally assists him to find balance for an array of upcoming projects for this year, in addition to continuing his support of a variety of humanitarian causes.

beam gives backCore to beam's philosophy is to align with and support organizations working to make positive change in the world. In alignment with the partnership and Pride Month, beam will donate 1% of net sales from the month of June to Greater Boston PFLAG. Greater Boston PFLAG (GBPFLAG) works to create environments of understanding so that all people can live with dignity and respect through support, education, and advocacy. GBPFLAG provides opportunities for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity, and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity. For more information about beam's give back initiatives visit beam gives back.

To download hi-res images click HERE.

ABOUT BEAMFounded by former professional athletes, beam is a Boston-based wellness company with a mission to help people experience what better feels like through all-natural functional products that use rigorously-tested THC-free CBD, adaptogens, nootropics and electrolytes. The company was recently honored by Inc. as one of the Best Workplaces for 2021. For more information visit beamtlc.com.

ABOUT GREATER BOSTON PFLAGGreater Boston PFLAG works to create environments of understanding so that all people can live with dignity and respect through support, education, and advocacy. GBPFLAG provides opportunities for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity, and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity. For more information about Greater Boston PFLAG call 781.891.5966, find us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram @GBPFLAG or visit http://www.gbpflag.org.

MEDIA CONTACTJack Taylor PRMorgan Kilmer[emailprotected] 816-868-5229

SOURCE beam

http://beamtlc.com

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Gus Kenworthy Joins beam as Global Athlete and Wellness Ambassador and Investor - PRNewswire

As blockchain becomes widely used in banking, what are its security risks? – Forkast News

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Today, everybody understands the importance of investing in technology and the surplus returns it brings. Blockchain is currently one of the hottest technologies on the market.

Not only have investors made their fair share of investments in blockchain for the first time ever, but investment banks also now issue bonds using this technology.

Blockchain technology is a form of decentralized database that stores information in blocks that are chained together. It computes, stores and analyzes data stored in this database and functions differently from the traditional centralized database in very specific ways.

Blockchain is decentralized because no single individual controls the information within the database or network. It is accessible to anyone around the world to command or access.

Every piece of information sent into it is stored in a new block until that block is filled with data. Then it is chained to the preceding block to link them chronologically.

It is mainly used as a ledger for transactions because every bit of information sent to it can never be erased or tampered with, making it a transparent platform for carrying out payments.

For cryptocurrency, blockchain is used in a decentralized way so that no single individual can have control over the information about cryptocurrency that is being inputted into the network. The data is permanently recorded and viewable by all.

Blockchain technology in the banking and finance sector is becoming paramount and sought-after now because of the benefits and opportunities it presents.

But as the digital world expands and evolves, cybercriminals are also developing new tools to remove blocks from their way. This is why banks have seen the need to be a step ahead of the game.

With blockchain technology, disbursing and receiving funds becomes decentralized. This spells a lot of things for the banking industry:

There is a reduction in fraudulent crimes and activities because the decentralized database is less susceptible to data breaches, hacking or the figures tampered with. This also means a more transparent system of banking too.

Blockchain technology spells an improvement in the speed at which banks will send payments since it runs on real-time payment executions.

It is also helpful for spotting foul play in banking activities and quickly identifying criminal dealings.

Blockchain also ensures there are little to no human errors because the information sent to the blockchain cannot be erased, modified or tampered with. It is also available for everyone to see.

Banks have steadily started to integrate blockchain technology into some of their processes. We see the first of its kind in investment banking, with the European Investment Bank (EIB).

In April 2021, EIB further stamped the interests of the capital market in bringing in blockchain technology in its processes when it registered a two-year digital bond in the public Ethereum blockchain network.

This action was welcomed with a -0.601% yield, sending Ether, one of the worlds largest cryptocurrencies, to a record high. This digital bond yielded over US$120 million (100 million euros), which the funding officials at the bank confirmed to be the first time it was making such a sale.

Of course, this move indicates many things for the capital market and its investment processes.

Blockchain comes on the capital market to make the issuance of bonds and other securities smoother and more convenient. Although blockchain was initially created for decentralizing Bitcoin, capital market players are starting to see it as the solution to the capital markets challenges.

Before now, raising capital in the market traditionally was not only expensive but tedious and yielded only little results. With blockchain, it is obvious there would be a turnaround in the capital market. Blockchain would boost transparency of the bonds and securities issuance process and still reduce expenses and time.

Officials at the EIB believe that the introduction of blockchain technology and its benefits are a game changer for the capital market.

However, fully adopting and switching to this technology has not been the easiest, seeing as the EIB has devoted a lot of work and effort since 2019 to put in the issuance.

Surely, blockchain takes care of the many risks of fraud and criminal activities in the banking industry, but what risks do using blockchain technology pose for the industry?

While blockchain technology may be the future of investment banking and other finance industry sectors, it remains pertinent not to discard the cybersecurity risks it may present. Adequate preparation to prevent these risks is vital to avoid colossal loss of securities for investors and shareholders.

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As blockchain becomes widely used in banking, what are its security risks? - Forkast News

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang weighs in on the metaverse, blockchain, and chip shortage – VentureBeat

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Elevate your enterprise data technology and strategy at Transform 2021.

Conversations with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang are always blunt and illuminating because he still likes to have freewheeling chats with the press. During the recent online-only Computex event, he held a briefing with the press where he talked about the companys recent announcements and then took a lot of questions.

I asked him about the metaverse, the universe of virtual worlds that are all interconnected, like in novels such asSnow CrashandReady Player One. And he gave a detailed answer. Huang addressed a wide range of issues. He talked about Nvidias pending bid to buy Arm for $40 billion, as well as Nvidias effort to create Grace, an Arm-based CPU.

He also addressed progress on Nvidias own Omniverse, dubbed a metaverse for engineers. Huang talked about Nvidias presence in the Chinese market, the companys efforts to discourage miners from buying all of its GPUs, Nvidias data processing units (DPUs), and Moores Laws future and building fabs, competition from Advanced Micro Devices in graphics processing units (GPUs), and Nvidias reaction to the global semiconductor shortage.

I was part of a group of journalists who quizzed Huang. Heres an edited transcript of the group interview.

Above: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is its new card.

Image Credit: GamesBeat

Jensen Huang: Today Im coming to you from Nvidias new building, called Voyager. This is our new facility. It was started about 2-and-a-half years ago. For the last year-and-a-half, Ive not seen it. Todays my first day on campus. Literally, for our event today, this is my first day on campus. Its beautiful here. This facility is going to be the home of 3,500 Nvidians. Its designed as a city inside a building. If you look behind me, its a sprawling city, and its a very large open space. Its largely naturally lit. In fact, right now, as we speak, theres a light in front of me, but everything behind us is barely lit. The reason for that is because there are all these panels in the sky that let light in.

We simulated this entire building using raytracing on our supercomputer DGX. The reason we did that is so we can balance the amount of light that comes in and the amount of energy, or otherwise heat, that we have to remove with air conditioning. The more light you bring in, the more AC you have to use. The less light you bring in, the more lighting you have to use. We have to simulate that fine balance.

The roof of this building is angled in just the right way such that the morning sun doesnt come straight in, and the afternoon sun doesnt come straight in. The slope of the roof line, the slope of the windows along the side, youll see everything was designed in such a way as to balance between natural light, which is comfortable for the eyes, and not having to use as much air conditioning as otherwise necessary. At the moment, no AC at all. This is the first day weve been in here. Its incredibly comfortable.

Using a supercomputer to simulate architecture, I think this is going to happen for all buildings in the future. Youre going to design a building completely in virtual reality. The building is also designed to accommodate many robots. Youll notice the hallways are very wide. In the future we imagine robots roaming the hallways carrying things to people, but also for telepresence, virtual presence. You can upload yourself into a robot and sit at your desk in your VR or AR headset and roam around the campus.

Youre the first in the world to be here. Welcome all of you, and I thank you for joining me today. I also want to send my thoughts and recognize that in Taiwan, COVID cases are growing again. Im very sorry about that. I hope all of you are safe. I know that Taiwan was so rigorous in keeping the infection rates down, and so Im terribly sorry to see it go up now. I know they can get it under control, and soon all of us will be able to see each other in person.

Let me say a couple of words about the announcement. We announced two basic things. In GeForce gaming, where Taiwan is the central hub of where our add-in card partners and many of our leading laptop partners are based, and the home of, the epicenter if you will, the GeForce ecosystem. It all starts there. Its manufactured and assembled and integrated, and it goes to the market through our add-in card partners and laptop builders.

Above: Nvidias RTX is used in more than 130 games.

Image Credit: Nvidia

The GeForce business is doing incredibly well. The invention of RTX has been a home run. It has reset and redefined computer graphics, completely reinvented modern computer graphics. Its a journey that started more than 10 years ago, and a dream that started 35 years ago. It took that long for us to invent the possibility of doing real-time raytracing, which is really hard to do. It wasnt until we were able to fuse our hardware accelerated raytracing core with the Tensor core GPU, AI processing, and a bunch of new rendering algorithms, that we were able to bring real-time raytracing to reality. RTX has reinvented computer graphics in the marketplace. RTX 30, the 30 family, the Ampere architecture family, has been fantastic.

We announced several things. We announced that we upgraded the RTX 30 family with the 3080Ti and the 3070Ti. Its our regularly planned once per year upgrade to our high end GPUs. We also, with the partnership with all of our laptop partners, our AICs, launched 140 different laptops. Our laptop business is one of the fastest growing businesses in our company. This year we have twice as many notebooks going into the marketplace as we did with Turing, our last generation, RTX 20. This is one of the fastest growing businesses. The laptop business is the fastest growing segment of PCs. Nvidia laptops are growing at seven times the rate of the overall laptop business. It gives a sense of how fast RTX laptops are growing.

If you think about RTX laptops as a game console, its the largest game console in the world. There are more RTX laptops shipped each year than game consoles. If you were to compare the performance of a game console to an RTX, even an RTX 3060 would be 30-50% faster than a PlayStation 5. We have a game console, literally, in this little thin notebook, which is one of the reasons its selling so well. The same laptop also brings with it all of the software stacks and rendering stacks necessary for design applications, like Adobe and Autodesk and all of these wonderful design and creative tools. The RTX laptop, RTX 3080Ti, RTX 3070Ti, and a whole bunch of new games, that was one major announcement.

The second thrust is enterprise, datacenters. As you know, AI is software that can write software. Using machines you can write software that no human possibly can. It can learn from an enormous amount of data using an algorithm in an approach called deep learning. Deep learning isnt just one algorithm. Deep learning is a whole bunch of algorithms. Some for image recognition, some for recognizing 2D to 3D, some for recognizing sequences, some for reinforcement learning in robotics. Theres a whole bunch of different algorithms that are associated with deep learning. But theres no question that we can now write software that weve not been able to write before. We can automate a bunch of things that we never thought would be possible in our generation.

One of the most important things is natural language understanding. Its now so good that you can summarize an entire chapter of a book, or the whole book. Pretty soon you can summarize a movie. Watch the movie, listen to the words, and summarize it in a wonderful way. You can have questions and answers with an NLU model.

AI has made tremendous breakthroughs, but has largely been used by the internet companies, the cloud service providers and internet services. What we announced at GTC initially a few weeks ago, and then what we announced at Computex, is a brand new platform thats called Nvidia Certified AI for Enterprise. Nvidia Certified systems running a software stack we call Nvidia AI Enterprise. The software stack makes it possible to achieve world class capabilities in AI with a bunch of tools and pre-trained AI models. A pre-trained AI model is like a new college grad. They got a bunch of education. Theyre trained. But you have to adapt them into your job and to your profession, your industry. But theyre pre-trained and really smart. Theyre smart at image recognition, at language understanding, and so on.

We have this Nvidia AI Enterprise that sits on top of a body of work that we collaborated on with VMware. That sits on top of Nvidia Certified servers from the worlds leading computer makers, many of them in Taiwan, all over the world, and these are high-volume servers that incorporate our Ampere generation datacenter GPUs and our Mellanox BlueField DPUs. This whole stack gives you a cloud native its like having an AI cloud, but its in your company. It comes with a bunch of tools and capabilities for you to be able to adapt it.

How would you use it? Health care would use it for image recognition in radiology, for example. Retail will use it for automatic checkout. Warehouses and logistics, moving products, tracking inventory automatically. Cities would use these to monitor traffic. Airports would use it in case someone lost baggage, it could instantly find it. There are all kinds of applications for AI in enterprises. I expect enterprise AI, what some people call the industrial edge, will be the largest opportunity of all. Itll be the largest AI opportunity.

With the overall trend, what all of these announcements show is that Nvidia accelerated computing is gaining momentum. We had our company grow a lot last year, as many of you know. This last quarter we had a record quarter across all our product lines. We expect the next quarter to be another great quarter, and the second half also to be a great growth second half. Its very clear that the world of computing is changing, that accelerated computing is making a contribution, and one of the most important applications is AI.

Above: BMW Group is using Nvidias Omniverse to build a digital factory that will mirror a real-world place.

Image Credit: Nvidia

Question: I wonder about your latest thoughts on the metaverse and how were making progress toward that. Do you see steps happening in the process of creating the metaverse?

Huang: Youve been talking about the metaverse for some time, and youve had interest in this area for a long time. I believe were right on the cusp of it. The metaverse, as you know, for all of you who are learning about it and hearing about it, its a virtual world that connects to the world that we live in. Its a virtual world that is shared by a lot of people. It has real design. It has a real economy. You have a real avatar. That avatar belongs to you and is you. It could be a photoreal avatar of you, or a character.

In these metaverses, youll spend time with your friends. Youll communicate, for example. We could be, in the future, in a metaverse right now. It will be a communications metaverse. It wont be flat. Itll be 3D. Well be able to almost feel like were there with each other. Its how we do time travel. Its how we travel to far places at the speed of light. It could simulate the future. There will be many types of metaverses, and video games are one of them, for example. Fortnite will eventually evolve into a form of metaverse, or some derivative of it. World of Warcraft, you can imagine, will someday evolve into a form of metaverse. There will be video game versions.

There will be AR versions, where the art that you have is a digital art. You own it using NFT. Youll display that beautiful art, thats one of a kind, and its completely digital. Youll have our glasses on or your phone. You can see that its sitting right there, perfectly lit, and it belongs to you. Well see this overlay, a metaverse overlay if you will, into our physical world.

In the world of industry, the example I was giving earlier, this building exists fully in virtual reality. This building completely exists in VR. We designed it completely digitally. Were going to build it out so that there will be a digital twin of this very physical building in VR. Well be able to simulate everything, train our robots in it. We can simulate how best to distribute the air conditioning to reduce the energy consumption. Design certain shapeshifting mechanisms that block sunlight while letting in as much light as possible. We can simulate all of that in our digital twin, our building metaverse, before we deploy anything here in the physical world. Well be able to go in and out of it using VR and AR.

Those are all pieces that have to come together. One of the most important technologies that we have to build, for several of them in the case of consumers, one of the important technologies is AR, and its coming along. AR is important. VR is becoming more accessible and easier to use. Its coming along. In the case of the industrial metaverse, one of the most important technologies is physically based, physically simulated VR environments. An object that you design in the metaverse, if you drop it to the ground, itll fall to the ground, because it obeys the laws of physics. The lighting condition will be exactly as we see. Materials will be simulated physically.

These things are essential components of it, and thats the reason why we invented the Nvidia Omniverse. If you havent had a chance to look at it, its so important. Its one of our most important bodies of work. It combines almost everything that Nvidia has ever built. Omniverse is now in open beta. Its being tested by 400 companies around the world. Its used at BMW to create a digital factory. Its used by WPP, the worlds largest advertising agency. Its used by large simulation architects. Bentley, the worlds largest designer of large infrastructure, they just announced that theyll use Omniverse to create digital twins. Omniverse is very important work, and its worth taking a look at.

Above: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics card.

Image Credit: Nvidia

Question: You mentioned the opportunities ahead of Nvidia. The recent trend in China is that China has seen a lot of GPU startups emerge in the last one or two years. Its received billions in funding from VCs. China has a lot of reasons to develop its own Nvidia in the next few years. Are you concerned that your Chinese customers are hoping to develop a rival for you in this market?

Huang: Weve had competition, intense competition, from companies that are gigantic, since the founding of our company. What we need to do is we need to make sure we continue to run very fast. Our company is able to invest, in a couple of years, which is one generation, $10 billion to do one thing. After investing in it for 30 years. We have a great deal of expertise and scale. We have the ability to invest greatly. We care deeply about this marketplace. Were going to continue to run very fast. Our companys position, of course, is not certain. We have to take all of the competition, respect them, and take them seriously, and recognize that there are many places where you could contribute to AI. We just have to keep on running hard.

However, heres my prediction. Every datacenter and every server will be accelerated. The GPU is the ideal accelerator for these general purpose applications. There will be hundreds of millions of datacenters. Not just 100 datacenters or 1,000 datacenters, but 100 million. The datacenters will be in retail stores, in 5G base stations, in warehouses, in schools and banks and airports. Theyll be everywhere. Street corners. They will all be datacenters. The market opportunity is quite large. This is the largest market opportunity the IT industry has ever seen. I can understand why it inspires so many competitors. We just need to continue to do our best work and run as fast as we can.

Question: Are you also worried about the government interfering in this space?

Huang: I believe that we add value to the marketplace. Nvidias position in China, and our contribution to China, is good. It has helped the internet companies, helped many startups, helped researchers developing AI. Its wonderful for the gaming business and the design business. We make a lot of contributions to the IT ecosystem in China. I think the government recognizes that. My sense is that were welcome in China and well continue to work hard to deserve to be welcome in China, and every other country for that matter. Well do that.

Above: Nvidias GeForce RTX 3050 will power new laptops.

Image Credit: Nvidia

Question: Weve seen a few keynotes about games, and weve seen more and more Chinese games, games developed by Chinese companies. How do you position or commend Chinese developers? What does Nvidia plan to do to support the Chinese gaming ecosystem?

Huang: We do several things that developers love. The first thing is our installed base is very big. If youre a developer and you develop on Nvidias platform, because all of our platform, all of our GeForce, are compatible we work so hard to make sure that all of the software is high quality. We maintain and continue to update the software, to keep tuning every single GPU for every game. Every GPU, every game, were constantly tuning. We have a large group of engineers constantly studying and looking for ways to improve. We use our platform called GeForce Experience to update the software for the gamer.

The first thing is our installed base is very large, then. Our software quality is very good. But very important, one of the things that content developers, game developers love is our expertise in computer graphics, working with them to bring beautiful graphics to their games is excellent. Weve invented so many algorithms. We invented programmable shading, as you know. This is almost 20 years ago, we invented the programmable pixel and vertex shaders in the GPU. We invented RTX. We teach people how to use programmable shading to create special effects, how to use RTX to create raytracing and ambient occlusion and global illumination, really beautiful computer graphics. We have a lot of expertise and a lot of technology that we can use to work with gamers to incorporate that into their games so that theyre as beautiful as possible.

When its done, we have fantastic marketing. We have such a large reach, we can help the developers promote their games all over the world. Many of the Chinese developers would like to reach the rest of the world, because their games are now triple-A quality, and they should be able to go all over the world. There are several reasons why game developers enjoy working with us, and those are the reasons.

Above: Nvidias Grace CPU for datacenters is named after Grace Hopper.

Image Credit: Nvidia

Question: At GTC you announced Grace, which seems like a big project. An Arm CPU is hard to implement. Do you think Arm can overtake the x86 processor in the server market in the future?

Huang: First of all, I think the future world is very diversified. It will be x86. It will be Arm. It will be big CPUs, small CPUs, edge CPUs, datacenter CPUs, supercomputing CPUs, enterprise computing CPUs, lots of CPUs. I think the world is very diversified. There is no one answer.

Our strategy is one where well continue to support the x86 CPUs in the markets we serve. We dont serve every market. We serve high-performance computing. We serve AI. We serve computer graphics. We serve the markets that we serve. For the markets that we serve, not every CPU is perfect, but some CPUs are quite ideal. Depending on the market, and depending on the application, the computing requirements, we will use the right CPU.

Sometimes the right CPU is Intel x86. For example, we have 140 laptops. The vast majority of them are Intel CPUs. We have DGX systems. We need a lot of PCI Express. It was great to use the AMD CPU. In the case of 5G base stations, Marvells CPU is ideal. Theyre based on Arm. Cloud hyperscale, Ampere Computings Altra CPU is excellent. Graviton 2 is excellent. Its fantastic. We support those. In Japan, Fujitsus CPU is incredible for supercomputing. Well support that. Different types of CPUs are designed for different applications.

The CPU we designed has never been designed before. No CPU has ever been able to achieve the level of memory bandwidth and memory capacity that we have designed for. It is designed for big data analytics. Its designed for the state of the art in AI. There are two primary models, or AI models, that we are very interested in advancing, because theyre so important. The first one is the recommender system. Its the most valuable piece of software, approach of software, that the world has ever known. It drives all the internet companies, all the internet services. The recommender system is very important, incredibly important science. Its designed for that. The second is natural language understanding, which requires a lot of memory, a lot of data, to train a very smart AI for having conversational AI, answering questions, making recommendations, and so on.

These two models are probably, my estimation, the most valuable software in the world today. It requires a very large machine. We decided that we would design something just for those types of applications, where big AI is necessary. Meanwhile, there are so many different markets and edges and enterprises and this and that. Well support the CPUs that are right for them. I believe the future is about diversity. I believe the future is about variability and customization and those kinds of things. Arm is a great strategy for us, and x86 will remain a great strategy for us.

Above: Simon Segars is CEO of Arm.

Image Credit: Arm

Question: You recently had the earnings call where you talked a bit about the Arm deal, and Simon Segars keynote mentioned it as well, that hes looking forward to the deal, combining their ecosystem plus all the AI capabilities of Nvidia. Is there any update about the next steps for you guys?

Huang: Were going through the regulatory approval. It takes about 18 months. The process typically goes U.S., then the EC, and then China last. Thats the typical journey. Mellanox took about 18 months, or close to it. I expect this one to take about 18 months. That makes it early next year, or late this year.

Im confident about the transaction. The regulators are looking for, is this good for competition? Is it pro-competitive? Does it bring innovation to the market? Does it give customers more choice? Does it give customers more offerings and more choice? You can see that on first principles, because our companies are completely complementary they build CPUs, we build GPUs and DPUs. They dont build GPUs. Our companies are complementary, and so by nature well bring innovations that come as a result of coming together offering complementary things. Its like ketchup and mustard coming together. Its good for innovation.

Question: You mentioned that the acquisition will increase competition. Can you explain which areas you see for future competition? We see that AMD and also other players are starting to compete in GPUs, CPUs, and datacenters.

Huang: First of all, its pro-competitive because it brings customers more choice. If we combine Nvidia and Arm, Arms R&D scale will be much larger. As you know, Arm is a big company. Its not a small company. But Nvidia is much bigger. Our R&D budget is many times larger than Arms. Our combination will give them more R&D scale. It will give them technology that they dont have the ability to build themselves, or the scale to build themselves, like all of the AI expertise that we have. We can bring those capabilities to Arm and to its market.

As a result of that, we will offer Arm customers more technology choice, better technology, more advanced technology. That ultimately is great for competition, because it allows Arms licensees to create even better products, more vibrant products, better leading-edge technology, which in the end market will give the end market more choice. Thats ultimately the fundamental reason for competition. Its customer choice. More vibrant innovation, more R&D scale, more R&D expertise brings customers more choice. That, I think, is at the core of it.

For us, it brings us a very large ecosystem of developers, which Nvidia as a company, because were an accelerated computing company developers drive our business. And so with 15 million more developers we have more than 30 million developers today those 15 million developers will develop new software that ultimately will create value for our company. Our technology, through their channel, creates value for their company. The combination is a win-win.

Above: Jensen Huang of Nvidia stands in a virtual environment.

Image Credit: Nvidia

Question: Im interested in your personal thoughts on the weve had all the supply chain constraints on one hand, and then on the other hand a demand surplus when it comes to the crypto world. Whats your feeling? Is it like youre making Ferraris and people are just parking them in the garage revving the engine for the sake of revving it? Do you see an end to proof of work blockchain in the future that might help resolve that issue? What are your thoughts on the push-pull in that space?

Huang: The reason why Ethereum chose our GPUs is because its the largest network of distributed supercomputers in the world. Its programmable. When Bitcoin first came out, it used our GPU. When Ethereum came out it used our GPU. When other cryptocurrencies came out in the beginning, they established their credibility and their viability and integrity with proof of work using algorithms that run on our GPUs. Its ideal. Its the most energy efficient method, the most performant method, the fastest method, and has the benefit of very large distributed networks. Thats the origins of it.

Am I excited about proof of stake? The answers yes. I believe that the demand for Ethereum has reached such a high level that it would be nice for either somebody to come up with an ASIC that does it, or for there to be another method. Ethereum has established itself. It has the opportunity now to implement a second generation that carries on from the platform approach and all of the services that are built on top of it. Its legitimate. Its established. Theres a lot of credibility. It works well. A lot of people depend on it for DeFi and other things. This is a great time for proof of stake to come.

Now, as we go toward that transition, its now established that Ethereum is going to be quite valuable. Theres a future where the processing of these transactions can be a lot faster, and because there are so many people built on top of it now, Ethereum is going to be valuable. In the meantime there will be a lot of coins mined. Thats why we created this new product called CMP. CMP is right here. It looks like this. This is what a CMP looks like. It has no display connectors, as you can probably see.

The CMP is something we learned from the last generation. What we learned is that, first of all CMP does not yield to GeForce. Its not a GeForce put into a different box. It does not yield to our datacenter. It does not yield to our workstations. It doesnt yield to any of our product lines. It has enough functionality that you can use it for crypto mining.

The $150 million we sold last quarter and the $400 million were projecting to sell this quarter essentially increased supply of our company by half a billion dollars. They were supply that we otherwise couldnt use, and we diverted good yielding supply to GeForce gamers, to workstations and such. The first thing is that CMP effectively increases our supply. CMP also has the after benefit of not being able to be resold secondhand to GeForce customers because it doesnt play games. These things we learned from the last cycle, and hopefully we can take some pressure off of the GeForce gaming side, getting more GeForce supply to gamers.

Above: Perlmutter, the largest NVIDIA A100-powered system in the world.

Image Credit: Nvidia

Question: Theres a shortage problem in the semiconductor market as a whole. The price of GPU products is getting higher. What do you think it will take to stabilize that price?

Huang: Our situation is very different than other peoples situations, as you can imagine. Nvidia doesnt make commodity components. Were not in the DRAM business or the flash business or the CPU business. Our products are not commodity-oriented. Its very specific, for specific applications. In the case of GeForce, for example, we havent raised our price. Our price is basically the same. We have an MSRP. The channel end market prices are higher because demand is so strong.

Our strategy is to alleviate, to reduce the high demand that is caused by crypto mining, and create a special product, the CMP, directly for the crypto miners. If the crypto miners can buy, directly from us, a large volume of GPUs, and they dont yield to GeForce, so they cannot be used for GeForce, but they can be used for crypto mining, it will discourage them from buying from the open market.

The second reason is we introduced new GeForce configurations that reduce the hash rate for crypto mining. We reduced the performance of our GPU on purpose so that if you would like to buy a GPU for gaming, you can. If youd like to buy a GPU for crypto mining, either you can buy the CMP version, or if you really would like to use the GeForce to do it, unfortunately the performance will be reduced. This allows us to save our GPUs for the gamers, and hopefully, as a result, the pricing will slowly come down.

In terms of supply, its the case that the worlds technology industry has reshaped itself. As you know, cloud computing is growing very fast. In the cloud, the datacenters are so big. The chips can be very powerful. Thats why die size, chip size continues to grow. The amount of leading-edge process it consumes is growing. Also, smartphones are using state of the art technology. The leading-edge process consumption used to see some distribution, but now the distribution is heavily skewed toward the leading edge. Technology is moving faster and faster.

The shape of the semiconductor industry changed because of these dynamics. In our case, we have demand that exceeds our supply. Thats for sure. However, as you saw from our last quarters performance, we have enough supply to grow significantly year over year. We have enough supply to grow in Q2 as we guided. We have enough supply to grow in the second half. However, I do wish we had more supply. We have enough supply to grow and grow very nicely. Were very thankful for all of our supply chain and our partners supporting us. But the world is going to be reshaped because of cloud computing, because of the way that computing is going.

Question: When do you think the ongoing chip shortage problem could be solved?

Huang: It just depends on degree and for whom. As you know, we grew tremendously year over year. We announced a great quarter last year. Record quarter for GeForce, for workstations, for datacenters. Although demand was even higher than that, we had enough supply to grow quite nicely year over year. Well grow in Q2. Well grow in the second half. We have supply to do that.

However, there are several dynamics that I think are foundational to our growth. RTX has reset computer graphics. Everyone who has a GTX is looking to upgrade to RTX. RTX is going to reset workstation graphics. There are 45 million designers and creators in the world, and growing. They used to use GTX, but now obviously everyone wants to move to RTX so they can do raytracing in real time. We have this pent-up demand because we reset and reinvented computer graphics. Thats going to drive our demand for some time. It will be several years of pent-up demand that needs to re-upgrade.

In the datacenter its because of AI, because of accelerated computing. You need it for AI and deep learning. We now add to it what I believe will be the long term biggest AI market, which is enterprise industries. Health care is going to be large. Manufacturing, transportation. These are the largest industries in the world. Even agriculture. Retail. Warehouses and logistics. These are giant industries, and they will all be based on AI to achieve productivity and capabilities for their customers.

Now we have that new platform that we just announced at Computex. We have many years of very exciting growth ahead of us. Well just keep working with our supply chain to inform them about the changing world of IT, so that they can be better prepared for the demand thats coming in the future. But I believe that the areas that were in, the markets that were in, because we have very specific reasons, will have rich demand for some time to come.

Above: AI algorithms were developed on Nvidia DGX servers at a U.S. Postal Service Engineering facility.

Image Credit: Nvidia

Question: I see that AMD just announced bringing their RDNA 2 to Arm-based SOCs, collaborating with Samsung to bring raytracing and VR features to Android-based devices. Will there be some further plan from Nvidia to bring RTX technology to consumer devices with Arm-based CPUs?

Huang: Maybe. You know that we build lots of Arm SOCs. We build Arm SOCs for robotics, for the Nintendo Switch, for our self-driving cars. Were very good at building Arm SOCs. The Arm consumer market, I believe, especially for PCs and raytracing games raytracing games are quite large, to be honest. The data set is quite large. There will be a time for it. When the time is right we might consider it. But in the meantime we use our SOCs for autonomous vehicles, autonomous machines, robots, and for Android devices we bring the best games using GeForce Now.

As you know, GeForce Now has more than 10 million gamers on it now. Its in 70 countries. Were about to bring it to the southern hemisphere. Im excited about that. It has 1,000 games, 300 publishers, and it streams in Taiwan. I hope youre using it in Taiwan. Thats how wed like to reach Android devices, Chrome devices, iOS devices, MacOS devices, Linux devices, all kinds of devices, whether its on TV or a mobile device. For us, right now, thats the best strategy.

Above: Jensen Huang of Nvidia holds the worlds largest graphics card.

Image Credit: Nvidia

Question: I wanted to ask you about die size. Obviously with Moores Law, it seems we have the choice of using Moores Law to either shrink the die size or pack more transistors in. In the next few generations, the next three years or so, do you see die sizes shrinking, or do you think theyll stay stable, or even rise again?

Huang: Since the beginning of time, transistor time, die sizes have grown and grown. Theres no question die sizes are increasing. Because technology cycles are increasing in pace, new products are being introduced every year. Theres no time to cost reduce into smaller die sizes. If you look at the trend, its unquestionably to the upper right. If you look at the application space that we see, talking very specifically about us, if you look at our die sizes, there are always reticle limits now. The reticle limits are pretty spectacular. We cant fit another transistor. Thats why we have to use multi-chip packing, of course. We created NVLink to put a bunch of them together. Theres all kinds of strategies to increase the effective die size.

One of the important things is that cloud datacenters so much of the computing experience you have on your phone is because of computers in the cloud. The cloud is a much bigger place. The datacenters are larger. The electricity is more abundant. The cooling system is better. The die size can be very large. Die size is going to continue to grow, even as transistors continue to shrink.

Question: Its expensive to spin up fabs, but in light of the prolonged silicon crunch, is that on the horizon for Nvidia to consider, spinning up a fab for yourself?

Huang: No. Boy, thats the shortest answer Ive had all night. Its the only answer I know, completely. The reason for that, you know theres a difference between a kitchen and a restaurant. Theres a difference between a fab and a foundry. I can spin up a fab, no doubt, just like I can spin up a kitchen, but it wont be a good restaurant. You can spin up a fab, but it wont be a good foundry.

A foundry is a service-oriented business that combines service, agility, technology, capacity, courage, intuition about the future. Its a lot of stuff. The business is not easy. What TSMC does for a living is not easy. Its not going to get any easier, and its not getting easier. Its getting harder. There are so many people who are so good at what they do. Theres no reason for us to go repeating that. We should encourage them to develop the necessary capacity for our platforms benefit.

Meanwhile, they now realize that the leading-edge consumption, leading-edge wafer consumption, the shape has changed because of the way the computing industry is evolving. They see the opportunity in front of them. Theyre racing as fast as they can to increase capacity. I dont think theres anything I can do, that a fabless semiconductor company can do, that can possibly catch up to any of them. So the answer is no.

Above: Nvidias Clara AI for COVID-19 diagnosis from CT scans.

Image Credit: Nvidia

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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang weighs in on the metaverse, blockchain, and chip shortage - VentureBeat

Maiden Government Blockchain Association Ireland Event to Focus on Blockchain, Identity – Crowdfund Insider

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The Government Blockchain Association (GBA) has scheduled its first event in Ireland for 2 p.m. local time (8 a.m. eastern) on June 24. The topics of blockchain and identity will be discussed on Zoom.

The GBA is an international nonprofit association focused on promoting blockchain technology to government while being agnostic to specific solutions. Based in Fairfax, Va, the GBA is open to government employees, private sector professionals and corporations. Fees for government employees are waived. Their goal is to create links between technologists, public policymakers, application specialists, and others interested in digital currencies.

Host Simon Cocking said blockchain technology can propel identity security.

Blockchain technology can help to protect sensitive information. With the power of blockchain-based identity we can transform how our data is used across many industries: finance, banking, travel and healthcare are just a few industries that can use this breakthrough technology. It can help to map your physical identity to your digital footprint, allowing for reduced checks for proof of identification and enabling easier management of records and certificates.

Cocking will be joined by Rob Leslie, founder and CEO of Sedicii, developers of a global identity network; Shiv Aggarwal, founder and CEO of decentralized identity management providers EarthId; AdamBouktila, founder and CEO of digital marketplace DMerch.io and lecturer Paula Marie Kilgarriff, whose interests focus on global retail innovation and emerging technologies.

Digital Identity has the power to fundamentally change peoples lives for the better but it is not without risks, Leslie said. What is at stake is your privacy, your financial security and ultimately who you are as person. Are we ready for it?

GBA Ireland is led by Jillian Godsil and Lisa Gibbons

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Maiden Government Blockchain Association Ireland Event to Focus on Blockchain, Identity - Crowdfund Insider

‘Blockchain technology has the potential to have a greater impact on our lives than the internet’ – ArabianBusiness

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What are some common misconceptions you see around the blockchain?

One of the biggest problems that I see currently is that everybodys focused on cryptocurrencies rather than the blockchain itself. They also tend to look at it from a more speculative angle to get fast gains. There are a lot of good projects and a lot of good cryptocurrencies, but there are a lot of bad ones and a lot that its not advisable for people to invest in long term.

That said, I do think that blockchain technology has the potential to have a greater impact on our lives than the internet has.

What is Velas doing in this area?

We have our own proprietary blockchain, which is code based off Solana. We have the fastest blockchain in the world because we offload most of the capacity on to the hardware itself, so were able to reach unprecedented speeds in the blockchain of up to 70,000 transactions per second when Ethereum only does 40,000 and Bitcoin only does 4,000.

On top of that, weve built Ethereum virtual machine compatibility into the Velas blockchain, which means all the applications that were built on Ethereum can now migrate seamlessly on to Velas, and can benefit from our very fast speeds and very cheap transaction fees.

Were essentially building a whole ecosystem. We provide a big platform for a number of decentralised applications (DAPS) to be built on top of us.

What industries do you feel are ripe for blockchain disruption?

As I said, the blockchain sector will disrupt a whole lot of industries, especially telecommunications, energy transfusion, transportation, logistics and government services. What the blockchain is meant to do is eliminate the middle man, and facilitate end point to end point transactions or data communication. In all these sectors, I think the blockchain will be very relevant and will increase efficiency.

What are you doing with NFTs?

We have NFT platforms from the region and from outside that are starting to build on top of us. Were giving them full support on the integration, sharing our community, our knowledge and our developers experience. Here in the region, my partner did an event, painting his car at the Dubai

Opera with a famous Saudi artist. Hes going to do a NFT through a local auction house, with half of the proceeds going to charities around the world, specifically Amazonian indigenous communities.

What are your thoughts on Bitcoin as an asset?

For me, Bitcoin is the equivalent of digital gold. Its a transfer of value, not so much a payment system. Because of its architecture, the Bitcoin blockchain is heavy and slow but it is a very good store of value because there is only a finite amount of Bitcoin that can ever be produced.

The cryptocurrency market has always been volatile. However, as its getting more adoption, going more mainstream with bigger financial institutions coming on board, there will be less and less fluctuation. Right now, there is still a lot to do with regulation. Also, we had the infamous Elon Musk tweets that had some impact on the market. That said, the big crypto whales have accumulated more than $5.5 billion worth when the price dipped, so that should tell you a little bit about where the market should be going next.

When did you first get involved with the blockchain?

I was first introduced to the space in 2016. Once you understand what blockchain and cryptocurrency are, its hard to stop digging and looking more and more into it. My first professional experience would be that we created in 2017 with our wealth management company the first crypto international security identification number (ISIN) one of the first Bitcoin products that could be bought by institutions, because thats where I thought that was going.

But 2017 was the year of initial coin offerings (ICOs) and then in 2018 we entered a bear market. Right now youre seeing more and more of these types of products coming out. The market has only just matured for financial instruments with cryptocurrencies.

Weve done a bunch of other things in the space partnered with numerous companies, ran very large events during the World Economic Forum in Davos, and have ended up being the co-founder of what is now a fourth-generation blockchain company.

What is the importance of scalability in the blockchain space?

This is really important in the space, because as second-generation blockchain, Ethereum has shown us that smart contracts and giving a platform and toolset where communities can build applications is great and fundamentally important. But Ethereum cannot scale to the point of having billions of users the cost of transactions is too high and its just not scalable to that point.

For us, scalability is very important in order to have real-life real cases of using the blockchain in the real world. I think scalability in Velas really can provide that to big industries and all types of different segments of the economy, because transactions have to be cheap and they have to be fast.

Whats your advice to people who missed the first Bitcoin train but want to board the next one?

Always do your own research. Dont be afraid to do the research the informations out there on social media and YouTube. Theres a lot you can learn, and most people in this industry are self-taught.

Dont look at the noise and hype. How we look at projects is by looking at their team, their vision and their core competencies. Thats how we invest in or try to partner with projects that are looking long term and solving some concrete issues.

Just be careful out there and dont invest what you arent afraid of losing.

Brand View allows our business partners to share content with Arabian Business readers.The content is supplied by Arabian Business Brand View Partners.

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'Blockchain technology has the potential to have a greater impact on our lives than the internet' - ArabianBusiness

Observer effect (physics) – Wikipedia

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In physics, the observer effect is the disturbance of an observed system by the act of observation.[1] [2] This is often the result of instruments that, by necessity, alter the state of what they measure in some manner. A common example is checking the pressure in an automobile tire; this is difficult to do without letting out some of the air, thus changing the pressure. Similarly, it is not possible to see any object without light hitting the object, and causing it to reflect that light. While the effects of observation are often negligible, the object still experiences a change. This effect can be found in many domains of physics, but can usually be reduced to insignificance by using different instruments or observation techniques.

An especially unusual version of the observer effect occurs in quantum mechanics, as best demonstrated by the double-slit experiment. Physicists have found that even passive observation of quantum phenomena (by changing the test apparatus and passively "ruling out" all but one possibility) can actually change the measured result. Despite the "observer" in this experiment being an electronic detectorpossibly due to the assumption that the word "observer" implies a personits results have led to the popular belief that a conscious mind can directly affect reality.[3] The need for the "observer" to be conscious is not supported by scientific research, and has been pointed out as a misconception rooted in a poor understanding of the quantum wave function and the quantum measurement process,[4][5][6] apparently being the generation of information at its most basic level that produces the effect.

An electron is detected upon interaction with a photon; this interaction will inevitably alter the velocity and momentum of that electron. It is possible for other, less direct means of measurement to affect the electron. It is also necessary to distinguish clearly between the measured value of a quantity and the value resulting from the measurement process. In particular, a measurement of momentum is non-repeatable in short intervals of time. A formula (one-dimensional for simplicity) relating involved quantities, due to Niels Bohr (1928) is given by

where

The measured momentum of the electron is then related to vx, whereas its momentum after the measurement is related to vx. This is a best-case scenario.[7]

In electronics, ammeters and voltmeters are usually wired in series or parallel to the circuit, and so by their very presence affect the current or the voltage they are measuring by way of presenting an additional real or complex load to the circuit, thus changing the transfer function and behavior of the circuit itself. Even a more passive device such as a current clamp, which measures the wire current without coming into physical contact with the wire, affects the current through the circuit being measured because the inductance is mutual.

In thermodynamics, a standard mercury-in-glass thermometer must absorb or give up some thermal energy to record a temperature, and therefore changes the temperature of the body which it is measuring.

The theoretical foundation of the concept of measurement in quantum mechanics is a contentious issue deeply connected to the many interpretations of quantum mechanics. A key focus point is that of wave function collapse, for which several popular interpretations assert that measurement causes a discontinuous change into an eigenstate of the operator associated with the quantity that was measured, a change which is not time-reversible.

More explicitly, the superposition principle ( = nann) of quantum physics dictates that for a wave function , a measurement will result in a state of the quantum system of one of the m possible eigenvalues fn , n = 1, 2, ..., m, of the operator F which in the space of the eigenfunctions n , n = 1, 2, ..., m.

Once one has measured the system, one knows its current state; and this prevents it from being in one of its other statesit has apparently decohered from them without prospects of future strong quantum interference.[8][9][10] This means that the type of measurement one performs on the system affects the end-state of the system.

An experimentally studied situation related to this is the quantum Zeno effect, in which a quantum state would decay if left alone, but does not decay because of its continuous observation. The dynamics of a quantum system under continuous observation are described by a quantum stochastic master equation known as the Belavkin equation.[11][12][13] Further studies have shown that even observing the results after the photon is produced leads to collapsing the wave function and loading a back-history as shown by delayed choice quantum eraser.[14]

When discussing the wave function which describes the state of a system in quantum mechanics, one should be cautious of a common misconception that assumes that the wave function amounts to the same thing as the physical object it describes. This flawed concept must then require existence of an external mechanism, such as a measuring instrument, that lies outside the principles governing the time evolution of the wave function , in order to account for the so-called "collapse of the wave function" after a measurement has been performed. But the wave function is not a physical object like, for example, an atom, which has an observable mass, charge and spin, as well as internal degrees of freedom. Instead, is an abstract mathematical function that contains all the statistical information that an observer can obtain from measurements of a given system. In this case, there is no real mystery in that this mathematical form of the wave function must change abruptly after a measurement has been performed.

A consequence of Bell's theorem is that measurement on one of two entangled particles can appear to have a nonlocal effect on the other particle. Additional problems related to decoherence arise when the observer is modeled as a quantum system, as well.

The uncertainty principle has been frequently confused with the observer effect, evidently even by its originator, Werner Heisenberg.[15] The uncertainty principle in its standard form describes how precisely we may measure the position and momentum of a particle at the same time if we increase the precision in measuring one quantity, we are forced to lose precision in measuring the other.[16]An alternative version of the uncertainty principle,[17] more in the spirit of an observer effect,[18] fully accounts for the disturbance the observer has on a system and the error incurred, although this is not how the term "uncertainty principle" is most commonly used in practice.

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Quantum Time Exactly What Is Time?

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Max Planck is sometimes considered the father of quantum theory

In the first half of the 20th Century, a whole new theory of physics was developed, which has superseded everything we know about classical physics, and even the Theory of Relativity, which is still a classical model at heart. Quantum theory or quantum mechanics is now recognized as the most correct and accurate model of the universe, particularly at sub-atomic scales, although for large objects classical Newtonian and relativistic physics work adequately.

If the concepts and predictions of relativity (see the section on Relativistic Time) are often considered difficult and counter-intuitive, many of the basic tenets and implications of quantum mechanics may appear absolutely bizarre and inconceivable, but they have been repeatedly proven to be true, and it is now one of the most rigorously tested physical models of all time.

One of the implications of quantum mechanics is that certain aspects and properties of the universe are quantized, i.e. they are composed of discrete, indivisible packets or quanta. For instance, the electrons orbiting an atom are found in specific fixed orbits and do not slide nearer or further from the nucleus as their energy levels change, but jump from one discrete quantum state to another. Even light, which we know to be a type of electromagnetic radiation which moves in waves, is also composed of quanta or particles of light called photons, so that light has aspects of both waves AND particles, and sometimes it behaves like a wave and sometimes it behaved like a particle (wave-particle duality).

An obvious question, then, would be: is time divided up into discrete quanta? According to quantum mechanics, the answer appears to be no, and time appears to be in fact smooth and continuous (contrary to common belief, not everything in quantum theory is quantized). Tests have been carried outusing sophisticated timing equipment and pulsating laser beams to observe chemical changes taking place at very small fractions of a second (down to a femtosecond, or 1015 seconds) and at that level timecertainly appears to be smooth and continuous. However,if time actually is quantized, it is likely to be at the level of Planck time (about 10-43 seconds), the smallest possible length of time according to theoretical physics, and probably forever beyond our practical measurement abilities.

It should be noted that our current knowledge of physics remains incomplete, and, according to some theories that look to combine quantum mechanics and gravity into a single theory of everything (often referred to as quantum gravity see below), there is a possibility that time could in fact be quantized. A hypothetical chronon unit for a proposed discrete quantum of time has been proposed, although it is not clear just how long a chronon should be.

One of the main tenets of quantum theory is that the position of a particle is described by a wave function, which provides the probabilities of finding the particle at any number of different places, or superpositions. It is only when the particle is observed, and the wave function collapses, that the particle is definitively located in one particular place or another. So, in quantum theory, unlike in classical physics, there is a difference between what we see and what actually exists. In fact, the very act of observation affects the observed particle.

Another aspect of quantum theory is the uncertainty principle, which says that the values of certain pairs of variables (such as a particles location and its speed or momentum) cannot BOTH be known exactly, so that the more precisely one variable is known, the less precisely the other can be known. This is reflected in the probabilistic approach of quantum mechanics, something very foreign to the deterministic and certain nature of classical physics.

This view of quantum mechanics (developed by two of the originators of quantum theory, Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg), is sometimes referred to the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics. Because the collapse of the wave function cannot be undone, and because all the information associated with the initial possible positions of the particle contained in the wave function is essentially lost as soon as it is observed and collapsed, the process is considered to be time-irreversible, which has implications for the so-called arrow of time, the one way direction of time that we observe in daily life (see the section on The Arrow of Time).

Some quantum physicists (e.g. Don Page and William Wootters) have developed a theory that time is actually an emergent phenomenon resulting from a strange quantum concept known as entanglement, in which different quantum particles effectively share an existence, even though physically separated, so that the quantum state of each particle can only be described relative to the other entangled particles. The theory even claims to have experimental proof recently, from experiments by Ekaterina Moreva which show that observers do not detect any change in quantum particles (i.e. time foes not emerge) until becoming entangled with another particle.

The Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics, mentioned above, is not however the only way of looking at it. Frustrated by the apparent failure of the Copenhagen interpretation to deal with questions like what counts as an observation, and what is the dividing line between the microscopic quantum world and the macroscopic classical world, other alternative viewpoints have been suggested. One of the leading alternatives is the many worlds interpretation, first put forward by Hugh Everett III back in the late 1950s.

According to the many worlds view, there is no difference between a particle or system before and after it has been observed, and no separate way of evolving. In fact, the observer himself is a quantum system, which interacts with other quantum systems, with different possible versions seeing the particle or object in different positions, for example. These different versions exist concurrently in different alternative or parallel universes. Thus, each time quantum systems interact with each other, the wave function does not collapse but actually splits into alternative versions of reality, all of which are equally real.

This view has the advantage of conserving all the information from wave functions so that each individual universe is completely deterministic, and the wave function can be evolved forwards and backwards. Under this interpretation, quantum mechanics is therefore NOT the underlying reason for the arrow of time.

Quantum gravity, or the quantum theory of gravity, refers to various attempts to combine our two best models of the physics of the universe, quantum mechanics and general relativity, into a workable whole. It looks to describe the force of gravity according to the principles of quantum mechanics, and represents an essential step towards the holy grail of physics, a so-called theory of everything. Quantum theory and relativity, while coexisting happily in most respects, appear to be fundamentally incompatible at unapproachable events like the singularities in black holes and the Big Bang itself, and it is believed by many that some synthesis of the two theories is essential in acquiring a real handle on the fundamental nature of time itself.

Many different approaches to the riddle of quantum gravity have been proposed over the years, ranging from string theory and superstring theory to M-theory and brane theory, supergravity, loop quantum gravity, etc. This is the cutting edge of modern physics, and if a breakthrough were to occur it would likely be as revolutionary and paradigm-breaking as relativity was in 1905, and could completely change our understanding of time.

Any theory of quantum gravity has to deal with the inherent incompatibilities of quantum theory and relativity, not the least of which is the so-called problem of time that time is taken to have a different meaning in quantum mechanics and general relativity. This is perhaps best exemplified by the Wheeler-DeWitt equation, devised by John Wheeler and Bruce DeWitt back in the 1970s. Their attempt to unify relativity and quantum mechanics resulted in time essentially disappearing completely from their equations, suggesting that time does not exist at all and that, at its most fundamental level, the universe is timeless. In response to the Wheeler-DeWitt equation, some have concluded that time is a kind of fictitious variable in physics, and that we are perhaps confusing the measurement of different physical variables with the actual existence of something we call time.

While looking to connect quantum field theory with statistical mechanics, theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking introduced a concept he called imaginary time. Although rather difficult to visualize, imaginary time is not imaginary in the sense of being unreal or made-up. Rather, it bears a similar relationship to normal physical time as the imaginary number scale does to the real numbers in the complex plane, and can perhaps best be portrayed as an axis running perpendicular to that of regular time. It provides a way of looking at the time dimension as if it were a dimension of space, so that it is possible to move forwards and backwards along it, justas one can move right and left or up and down in space.

Despite its rather abstract and counter-intuitive nature, the usefulness of imaginary time arises in its ability to help mathematically to smooth out gravitational singularities in models of the universe. Normally, singularities (like those at the centre of black holes, or the Big Bang itself) pose a problem for physicists, because they are areas where the known physical laws just do not apply. When visualized in imaginary time, however, the singularity is removed and the Big Bang functions like any other point in space-time.

Exactly what such a concept might represent in the real world, though,is unknown, and currently it remainslittle more than a potentially useful theoretical construct.

>> Time and the Big Bang

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Quantum Time Exactly What Is Time?

Breaking Heisenberg: Evading the Uncertainty Principle in …

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Schematic of the entangled drumheads. Credit: Aalto University

New technique gets around 100-year-old rule of quantum physics for the first time.

The uncertainty principle, first introduced by Werner Heisenberg in the late 1920s, is a fundamental concept of quantum mechanics. In the quantum world, particles like the electrons that power all electrical products can also behave like waves. As a result, particles cannot have a well-defined position and momentum simultaneously. For instance, measuring the momentum of a particle leads to a disturbance of position, and therefore the position cannot be precisely defined.

In recent research, published in Science, a team led by Prof. Mika Sillanp at Aalto University in Finland has shown that there is a way to get around the uncertainty principle. The team included Dr. Matt Woolley from the University of New South Wales in Australia, who developed the theoretical model for the experiment.

Instead of elementary particles, the team carried out the experiments using much larger objects: two vibrating drumheads one-fifth of the width of a human hair. The drumheads were carefully coerced into behaving quantum mechanically.

In our work, the drumheads exhibit a collective quantum motion. The drums vibrate in an opposite phase to each other, such that when one of them is in an end position of the vibration cycle, the other is in the opposite position at the same time. In this situation, the quantum uncertainty of the drums motion is canceled if the two drums are treated as one quantum-mechanical entity, explains the lead author of the study, Dr. Laure Mercier de Lepinay.

This means that the researchers were able to simultaneously measure the position and the momentum of the two drumheads which should not be possible according to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Breaking the rule allows them to be able to characterize extremely weak forces driving the drumheads.

One of the drums responds to all the forces of the other drum in the opposing way, kind of with a negative mass, Sillanp says.

Furthermore, the researchers also exploited this result to provide the most solid evidence to date that such large objects can exhibit what is known as quantum entanglement. Entangled objects cannot be described independently of each other, even though they may have an arbitrarily large spatial separation. Entanglement allows pairs of objects to behave in ways that contradict classical physics, and is the key resource behind emerging quantum technologies. A quantum computer can, for example, carry out the types of calculations needed to invent new medicines much faster than any supercomputer ever could.

In macroscopic objects, quantum effects like entanglement are very fragile, and are destroyed easily by any disturbances from their surrounding environment. Therefore, the experiments were carried out at a very low temperature, only a hundredth a degree above absolute zero at -273 degrees.

In the future, the research group will use these ideas in laboratory tests aiming at probing the interplay of quantum mechanics and gravity. The vibrating drumheads may also serve as interfaces for connecting nodes of large-scale, distributed quantum networks.

Reference: Quantum mechanicsfree subsystem with mechanical oscillators by Laure Mercier de Lpinay, Caspar F. Ockeloen-Korppi, Matthew J. Woolley and Mika A. Sillanp, 7 May 2021, Science.DOI: 10.1126/science.abf5389

Sillanps group is part of the national Centre of Excellence, Quantum Technology Finland (QTF). The research was carried out using OtaNano, a national open access research infrastructure providing state-of-the-art working environment for competitive research in nanoscience and -technology, and in quantum technologies. OtaNano is hosted and operated by Aalto University and VTT.

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Breaking Heisenberg: Evading the Uncertainty Principle in ...

Quantum Technology: Translating the Power of Quantum Mechanics – CIOReview

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Quantum technology, which has been known for decades, promises spectacular applications such as revolutionary material production, better metrology, secure communication, and more.

FREMONT, CA: Quantum mechanics has paved the road for humanity's comprehension of the physical world through the years. It describes the physical features of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles, from the interplay of light and matter to pervasive innovations like lasers and semiconductor transistors. In today's digital world, every company and even country is vying for quantum dominance. Last year, Google announced that it had achieved quantum supremacy by constructing the Sycamore quantum computer. It can complete a test computation in under 200 seconds, whereas the most powerful supercomputers would take thousands of years to complete.

Despite decades of research, the quantum mechanics world remains mysterious and beyond human comprehension. Quantum technology is a new discipline of physics and engineering that is based on quantum mechanics principles.

Quantum Technology's Promising Prospects

Advancements in both commercial and technological applications have always gone hand in hand when it comes to technology. Quantum technology, which has been known for decades, promises spectacular applications such as revolutionary material production, better metrology, secure communication, and more. Many organizations well understand the benefits of quantum technology to society, industry, and academics. Governments are also investing in quantum mechanics research and commercialization of these technologies, while universities are looking into far-fetched possibilities.

One country, for example, has demonstrated secure quantum communication links between terrestrial stations and satellites lately. The team of 24 scientists published their findings in one journal, claiming that they had successfully tested the transmission of a secret key for encrypting and decrypting information between a satellite and two ground stations 700 miles apart. Quantum entanglement, a recent physics concept that seems absurdly at odds with common sense, was used in the procedure.

Quantum technology is garnering new hype, with the latest feats of engineering harnessing more of the potential of quantum mechanics-50 years later; it became a part of life through nuclear power. One is now beginning to govern quantum entanglement and quantum superposition. As a result, quantum technology can improve a wide range of common devices, including more dependable navigation and timing systems, more secure communications, more accurate healthcare imaging, and more powerful computing.

See Also:Top 10 Agile Solution Companies

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Quantum Technology: Translating the Power of Quantum Mechanics - CIOReview

On the Occasion of his 90th Birthday and Nobel Prize: Science & ROGER PENROSE – A Free Online Webinar August 3 6, 2021 – 9:00 am 12:30 pm…

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FREE REGISTRATION

View Our Intro Highlight Reel

August 3 6, 2021

9:00 am 12:30 pm (PST/AZ) each day - Tues, Wed, Thur, Fri - 4 Online Live Sessions

R. Penrose / 20 Speakers

British physicist Sir Roger Penrose is widely acclaimed for fundamental advances in understanding the universe. He shared the 2020 Nobel Prize in physics for having shown that black holes are predictions of Einsteins general relativity. Roger has also proposed a solution to the measurement problem in quantum mechanics (objective reduction, OR) which, he further suggests, is the origin of consciousness, leading to a theory of brain function (orchestrated objective reduction, Orch OR). And Rogers concept of Cyclical Conformal Cosmology (CCC) posits a serial, eternal universe, with the Big Bang preceded by previous aeons. The conference will cover these 4 major inter-related areas of Rogers work.

Program Outline

TUESDAY, August 3, 2021. 9:00 am to 12:30 pm PST/AZ

9:00 am - 10:30 am Overview -Sir Roger Penrose, Nobel Laureate, Oxford University

10:30 am - 12:00 noon PST -Black Holes

10:30 am - 11:15 am -Reinhard Genzel, Nobel Laureate, Max Planck Institute | UC Berkeley

11:15 am - 12:00 noon -Roger Blandford, Stanford University

12:00 noon - 12:30 pm - Discussion

WEDNESDAY, August 4, 2021, 9:00 am to 12:30 pm PST/AZ

9:00 am - 12:30 pm PST - Quantum Measurement Objective Reduction (OR)

9:00 am - 9:45 am - Ivette Fuentes, University of Southampton

9:45 am - 10:30 am - Hendrik Ulbricht, University of Southhampton

10:30 am - 11:15 am - Dirk Bouwmeester, UC Santa Barbara | Leiden University

11:15 am - 12:00 noon - Philip Stamp, University of British Columbia

12:00 noon - 12:30 pm - Discussion

THURSDAY, August 5, 2021, 9:00 am to 12:30 pm PST/AZ

9:00 am - 12:30 pm PST - Consciousness - Orch OR

9:00 am - 9:45 am- Stuart Hameroff, University of Arizona

9:45 am - 10:30 am -Greg Scholes, Princeton University

10:30 am - 11:15 am - Alysson Muotri, UC San Diego

11:15 am - 12:30 pm - Panel & Discussion - Quantum biology of microtubules

Jack Tuszynski (Chair) University of Alberta; Aarat Kalra, Princeton University;

Travis Craddock, Nova Southeastern University; Aristide Dogariu, University of Central Florida;

M. Bruce MacIver, Stanford University; Anirban Bandyopadhyay, National Institute of Material Sciences, Japan

FRIDAY, August 6, 2021, 9:00 am to 12:30 pm PST/AZ

9:00 am - 12:30 pm.Pre-Big Bang Universe Cyclical Conformal Cosmology

9:00 am - 9:45 am - Paul Tod, Oxford University

9:45 am - 10:30 am - Brian Keating, UC San Diego

10:30 am - 11:15 am - Krzysztof Meissner, University of Warsaw

11:15 am - 12:00 noon - Vahe Gurzadyan,Yerevan Physics Institute, Armenia

12:00 noon - 12:30 pm - Discussion

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On the Occasion of his 90th Birthday and Nobel Prize: Science & ROGER PENROSE - A Free Online Webinar August 3 6, 2021 - 9:00 am 12:30 pm...

Alumna Sheds Light on Mysterious World of Theoretical Physics – UKNow

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LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 10, 2021) In theoretical physics, a significant outstanding challenge is the mathematical description of the collective motion of electrons in synthetic materials. Despite nearly a century of research, the subtle laws of quantum mechanics in this regime remain poorly understood.

But a University of Kentucky alumna is leading the field in the right direction.

Nisheeta Desai, a 2020 UK graduate and now postdoctoral fellow at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, in collaboration with her mentor Ribhu Kaul, in the UK Department of Physics and Astronomy, has developed a theory that sheds new light on these mysteries. Their work, which recently published in Nature Physics, shows how the quantum motion of a synthetic material can be controlled by external magnetic fields. Such magnets may be key to realizing new quantum technologies.

In our work, we study interactions between a large number of particles and their effecton properties of the material, Desai said. We devise models of electronic spins in atoms interacting with each other. The spin is a quantum mechanical property of an electron and interactions between different spins affect the properties of the material on a large scale. For example, when spins in neighboring atoms tend to align parallelly with each other, it gives rise to magnetism.

Desai and her team, which included experimental groups from Estonia, Princeton and Johns Hopkins University, used a synthetic material called cobalt niobate in their study which exhibits magnetism along with significant quantum effects. By using a modern time-domain spectroscopy experimental technique (which historically played a crucial role in the development of quantum mechanics by allowing the observations of quantized energy levels of atoms) and sophisticated theoretical simulations of quantum matter, the team found that a very simple model explains many of the essential features of the experiment.

The agreement between results from our computational simulations and those from the experiment is remarkable, she said.

Progress in thetheory of quantum materialscould lead to unfathomable new technological revolutions, including the mass production of quantum computers, of which there are only a handful of machines in the world currently.

The models of interacting spins can be used to explain natural phenomena such as magnetism and destruction of magnetic order due to quantum effects, Desai said.Studies of such models can shed light on phases of materials that cannot be explained using purely classical physics.

Originally from Mumbai, India, Desai joined the graduate program at UK in 2014. During that time, she was awarded the Keith B. MacAdam Graduate Excellence Fellowship, the departments most prestigious award. In addition to the Nature Physics article,Desai has also published as first author in Physical Review Letters, one of the most prestigious journals in the field of physics, among many other publications.

"Nisheetadidexceptionally well in hercareer as a Ph.D. student at UK. She has also developed independent collaborations with various scientists across the world during her time here and is well on her way to a successful career as a scientist, said Kaul. This research would not have been possible without the exceptional atmosphere in our department. The combination of world-class physicists and a collegial supportive environment is somethingvery special to UK. I feel very lucky to be part of this department."

Desai says her six years at UK contributed greatly to both her personal and professional growth.

I found the environment in the department to be very pleasantand stimulating, she said. Theculture in the condensed matter theory groupwas instrumental in my development as a researcher. I metmanywonderful and inspiring people here (including my husband!) and gotto work on veryinteresting problems.

Through her achievements and success, Kaul and his colleagues consider Desai a role model to the next generation of women Ph.D. students in their department. While women are underrepresented in physics, Desai says she is optimistic about the future.

When I taught undergraduates at UK as a TA, I saw a clear mentalblock forthe subject, especially among female students, she said. It is hard to ignore unconscious biases in society, especially when there are relatively few female role modelsin physics. Nevertheless, it is impossible to overlook thesignificant contributionswomen have made to physics historically despite all the barriers theyfaced.

Her advice to women, or any student startingout their careers in physics research: focus on one thing at a time, and do it well.

It is easy to get discouraged if you try to do something very difficult all at once, she said. It is also important to remember that the process of scientific enquiry is a humbling one and it requires you to constantly challenge your biases and assumptions in the face of new evidence. It is a lifelong process of learning that progressivelymakes you more objective, open minded and rational.

When it comes to her own career, Desai says she is inspired to know she is a small part of humankinds noble pursuit of knowledge.

When I witness the accomplishments of other people in my field, especially my peers, I get motivated to try my best and contribute my bit towardexpanding the vast body of knowledge, she said. I like to think I am making the world a little better every day in this way.

Research reported in this publication was supported by theNational Science Foundationunder Award Number1611161.The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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Alumna Sheds Light on Mysterious World of Theoretical Physics - UKNow

How Do You Explain Quantum Computing To Your Dog (And Other Important People in Your Life)? – Medium

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Image credit: Russell Huffman

By Ryan F. Mandelbaum and Olivia Lanes

What is Quantum Computing? Most of this blogs readers are already excited about this technology after all, weve spent many hours reading textbooks and documentation trying to figure out how to write programs for real quantum chips. But many of our friends, family members, and people we randomly encounter still scratch their heads when they hear the words quantum and computer put together. We think its high time that they learn about quantum computing, too.

Partially inspired by Talia Gershons awesome WIRED video where she explains quantum computing at five different difficulty levels, we came up with some stock quantum computing explanations you can use to start spreading your excitement for quantum computing to other people in your life (or, if youre new here, use to understand quantum yourself). While were excited about this technology, we tried our best to sidestep the hype; quantum computers are exciting enough on their own, and theres no need to exaggerate how far along they are, what they can do today, or what we hope theyll do in the future.

But, no matter who youre trying to explain quantum to, theres a core understanding we think everyone should have. A quantum computer is similar to a classical computer in a lot of ways. Just like a classical computer, you store information using some physical system. You have to initialize that system, then perform some sort of operations on it (in other words, run a program), and then extract the information. It differs from classical computing in two key elements, however:

These core counterintuitive ideas underlie the fundamental operations of quantum computing. Once you understand these two pieces, the rest is a matter of how deep youd like to learn, and how quantum algorithms might provide benefits to you, your life, or the industry you work in. You should also get started using Qiskit.

Each of these explanations are based mainly on our experiences and opinions, and you might have your own tricks to help get quantum computing across feel free to tell us about them, what worked, and what didnt in the comments!

Some problems are really hard for todays computers to tackle, like designing drugs, running machine learning algorithms, and solving certain kinds of math equations. But the ability to solve those problems could help humankind tackle some of its biggest challenges. Well, quantum computers represent a new kind of computing system under development today that solves problems using an architecture that follows the most fundamental laws of nature and we hope theyll one day be able to to solve these hard problems. You can even try them out for yourself.

Hey, you know what a computer is but do you know how it works? Well basically, it thinks of everything, the YouTube videos you watch, the letters on the screen, everything, in a special kind of code. Programs and apps are basically just instructions that change the code around, leading to the results you see on the screen. But theres only so many different kinds of things that a regular computer can do with that code. A quantum computer works similarly to a regular computer, but its code looks a little different, and it can do even more things to those codes than your parents computers can. Quantum computers are really new, so theyre not better than a regular computer juuust yet but we think that one day they might be able to solve some of the biggest challenges in the world. Maybe it will even help you do your homework faster or something.

What do I do for work? Well *cracks knuckles*

So, there are some problems that people would like to solve that take even the best supercomputers a ridiculously long amount of time to run problems like simulating chemistry or breaking big numbers into smaller factors. Quantum computers might be able to tackle these problems by relying on a different set of physical laws than your computer does. Your computer is really just lots of electrical switches, called bits, that represents everything using binary code. In other words, the language your computer speaks encodes everything as long strings of 0s or 1s, while programs are mathematical operations that can change zeros to ones and vice versa. However, at even at the most fundamental level, a quantum computers code and its corresponding hardware looks differently. Quantum bits, or qubits, dont have to be binary during the calculation; they can actually exist in well-defined combinations of 0 and 1.

Its kind of like, if I was a qubit, instead of having mashed potatoes OR asparagus, I can have a third of a helping of mashed potatoes and two thirds of a helping of asparagus so long as it adds up to a whole side dish. However, once the problem ends, the quantum computers can only give answers in binary code, with some probability determining the outcome. Its like, if someone wanted to know which side dish I had, they check by closing their eyes, shoving their fork onto my plate, and reporting only the first side dish they taste, with the probabilities determined by how much of each side I had on my plate when they went in for a bite. Qubits also interact differently from regular bits. Lets say that Olivia and Ryan are both at dinner, and you only know that between them theyve eaten a helping of potatoes and a helping of asparagus, and not whose dish has what sides on it. But even if they havent spoken since dinner started, if you did the same eyes-closed fork jab you did on my plate, the sides they picked will be more correlated than the usual rules of random guessing would allow.

A direct consequence of this quantum dinner behavior is that there exist different types of algorithms for quantum computers. In fact, due to the quantum nature of the processor, scientists have already shown that at least theoretically, some quantum algorithms can be run exponentially faster than their classical counterparts. Provided that we can build the hardware, all these sorts of near-impossible problems may one day have solutions within arms reach. Anyway, thats what I do at work. Can you pass the gravy?

Editor Note: While thankfully we havent encountered a large contingency of quantum computing conspiracies, hype and tabloid coverage has led to some worrying interpretations of what quantum can and cant do some indeed bordering on conspiracy-minded thinking. But according to at least one expert, the best way to speak with conspiracy theorists isnt with facts but with empathy.

Oh, youre worried about quantum computers? Whys that? I was actually really interested in learning more about them, too, and I didnt understand them at first. What have you learned so far? Huh, thats interesting. So far, Ive learned that some research labs are working on a new kind of computer that can solve certain problems that classical computers cant. I was definitely really interested in the science behind it. See, theyre more or less just computer processors that rely on a system of bits to solve problems. However, these quantum bits can perform a richer set of mathematical operations than classical bits, which makes them better at solving certain problems. What did you read that they could do? Portals and new dimensions, huh? Thats really interesting, but no, I did some research on my own and what the media doesnt want you to know is that these computers are more business-y than science fiction-y they might one day be revolutionary for chemistry, machine learning, and other topics. But the media also doesnt want you to know that these computers are still really early in their development like, they forget their information quickly and theres a lot of work to do before theyre something to worry about. There are actually services that let you try them out and program them on your own. Now tell me more about the UFO you saw

Quantum computers are a new kind of computer processor that one day might augment your current computing resources to tackle certain challenges difficult for todays classical computers alone. Quantum processors work in tandem with classical computers as part of a cloud-based computing workflow, providing value by performing mathematical operations challenging for classical processors. While theres no device capable of executing a killer app yet, research has demonstrated that the enhanced capabilities of quantum systems could accelerate the research and development process, and provide value to certain industries in the coming years chemical and materials design, drug development, finance, and machine learning, for example. In one report, Boston Consulting Group predicted that productivity gains by end users of quantum computing, both in cost savings and revenue generation opportunities, could equal $450 billion or more annually. Many Fortune-500 companies have already begun to research and develop domain-specific thought leadership in quantum computing so as to be prepared when the field matures.

Quantum processors are kind of like a GPU in the sense that theyre designed to handle specific tasks that the CPU isnt well-suited to handle. But unlike a GPU, quantum computers work using a different kind of hardware architecture, one that allows them to perform a richer array of logical operations than just Boolean logic. These hardware requirements lead to bulky systems, so todays developers hoping to exploit quantum resources run their code over the cloud, employing both classical and quantum processing power where necessary for their program.

Quantum computers are a nascent technology, so programming them today is can be a lot like writing code in assembly language, stringing individual quantum bits together into circuits using quantum logic gates. These circuits are similar to classical computers in that their programs begin by initializing the qubits into a string of zeroes and ones, then perform operations, then return an output. However, quantum gates can also produce superpositions of strings, creating well-defined combinations of bitstrings (though you can only end up with one of these bitstrings, determined by the rules of probability, at the end of the calculation). Further operations produce entanglement and interference, linking certain qubits together and changing those probability distributions such that certain bitstrings become more likely and certain bitstrings become less likely when you measure the final result.

Given how recently quantum programming languages arose, developers have organized into open source communities like Qiskit where they maintain the code used to access quantum computers. As part of that, theyre designing and implementing quantum algorithms that can run on these devices, and creating modules designed to harness the potential power of quantum computers without having to continually program individual bits kind of like building a higher-level programming language on top of the assembly language with which we access quantum computers today. You can learn more by getting started with Qiskit here!

Quantum mechanics might be confusing, but it can still be incredibly useful, even if youre not a physicist. A computer based on the laws of quantum physics might help solve problems in chemistry, machine learning, or even solving partial differential equations.

Objects following the rules of quantum mechanics can enter states called superpostions. If an objects state is in a superposition of 0 and 1, that means that the object is in a linear combination of both values simultaneously until a measurement forces the object into one state or the other, with the probability of measuring either state based on the coefficients of each state in the linear combination. These objects can also become entangled, meaning you cannot describe one object mathematically on its own; when we perform experiments on entangled particles, we find that their properties are more correlated than classical physics would otherwise allow. We use these principles to construct sets of quantum bits, or qubits. I cant know each qubit value individually I can only create these linear combinations from states that include both qubits. But if I measure one qubit and force it to choose, lets say it ends up measuring 1, then the other qubit will take on a value highly correlated with the first value more correlated than random chance alone would allow. We use these ideas to generate interference, where certain combinations of qubit values become more likely and certain ones become less likely.

In a classical computer, computational spaces add together, because bits can exist in only one state or the other, 0 or 1. In a quantum computer, the computational space grows exponentially as you add more bits (2^n where n is the number of bits) so its easy to understand how they can become powerful computational tools. Furthermore, there are certain problems that are hard for classical computers to compute. Because quantum computers themselves rely on quantum physics, they are better able to simulate quantum mechanical phenomena, like chemical interactions and bonds. Though the devices are noisy and error prone today, researchers hope that quantum computers will be able to utilize the properties of entanglement and interference to run some algorithms faster than a classical computer can, making solutions to these hard problems finally feasible. Together, these benefits might one day allow scientists to perform various elements of their jobs faster.

Macroscopic quantum effects have long been observed in superconducting circuits. However, it wasnt until theoretical developments showing that flux and voltage can be quantized circuit QED that this idea was applied to quantum information processing.

A superconducting transmon qubit is essentially a quantized anharmonic oscillator. The circuits macro state can be described by the quantized energy levels; the ground state (0), the excited state (1), or even higher order excited states as well (2, 3, 4, etc.). But because the circuit is anharmonic the energy transitions between states 0 and 1 is different than 1 and 2, so we can isolate the bottom levels with a microwave pulse at that frequency to create a quantum bit for information processing.

In order to read-out and control the state of a transmon, we couple the qubit to either a 2D or 3D resonator (the physics is the same). The qubit and the resonator interact in such a way that when we probe the resonator with a standing microwave tone, the resonant frequency will actually shift depending on if the qubit is in the ground or excited state. This is how we can read out and interact with the qubits that make up a quantum computer.

Coupling these qubit-cavity systems together in an array and allowing them to talk to other another with 2-qubit gates (essentially more finely tuned microwave pulses) creates a quantum processor. Running specific gates in a specific order on this processor can create quantum algorithms. By leveraging the processors quantum properties of entanglement, superposition and interference, some quantum algorithms can theoretically be run significantly faster than their classical counterparts. Once we have reached the point where applying these algorithms has become useful and advantageous, we will have achieved what we call the era of quantum advantage.

Whispers: Hey there, pup, listen. I told my boss I would be able to teach you quantum computing, but you barely understand how your doggy door works. So heres what Im gonna do. Im gonna train you how to give me your left paw when I say initialize. Then youre gonna give me your right paw when I say X-gate. Then when I say Hadamard gate, youre going to hop on your hind legs and give me both paws. When I say CNOT, youre going to roll over, and when I say measure, youre going to bark. If you do this for me Ill cut some salami up into your dinner tonight.

Hey, Boss! Yeah! I finally figured out how to explain quantum computing to the dog! Yep, Ill write it all down in the blog post tonight. Wanna see?

Get started using Qiskit here!

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How Do You Explain Quantum Computing To Your Dog (And Other Important People in Your Life)? - Medium

Some Scientists Believe the Universe Is Conscious – Popular Mechanics

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In upcoming research, scientists will attempt to show the universe has consciousness. Yes, really. No matter the outcome, well soon learn more about what it means to be consciousand which objects around us might have a mind of their own.

What will that mean for how we treat objects and the world around us? Buckle in, because things are about to get weird.

The basic definition of consciousness intentionally leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Its the normal mental condition of the waking state of humans, characterized by the experience of perceptions, thoughts, feelings, awareness of the external world, and often in humans (but not necessarily in other animals) self-awareness, according to the Oxford Dictionary of Psychology.

Scientists simply dont have one unified theory of what consciousness is. We also dont know where it comes from, or what its made of.

However, one loophole of this knowledge gap is that we cant exhaustively say other organisms, and even inanimate objects, dont have consciousness. Humans relate to animals and can imagine, say, dogs and cats have some amount of consciousness because we see their facial expressions and how they appear to make decisions. But just because we dont relate to rocks, the ocean, or the night sky, that isnt the same as proving those things dont have consciousness.

This is where a philosophical stance called panpsychism comes into play, writes All About Spaces David Crookes:

Its also where physics enters the picture. Some scientists have posited that the thing we think of as consciousness is made of micro-scale quantum physics events and other spooky actions at a distance, somehow fluttering inside our brains and generating conscious thoughts.

One of the leading minds in physics, 2020 Nobel laureate and black hole pioneer Roger Penrose, has written extensively about quantum mechanics as a suspected vehicle of consciousness. In 1989, he wrote a book called The Emperors New Mind, in which he claimed that human consciousness is non-algorithmic and a product of quantum effects.

Lets quickly break down that statement. What does it mean for human consciousness to be algorithmic? Well, an algorithm is simply a series of predictable steps to reach an outcome, and in the study of philosophy, this idea plays a big part in questions about free will versus determinism.

Are our brains simply cranking out math-like processes that can be telescoped in advance? Or is something wild happening that allows us true free will, meaning the ability to make meaningfully different decisions that affect our lives?

Within philosophy itself, the study of free will dates back at least centuries. But the overlap with physics is much newer. And what Penrose claimed in The Emperors New Mind is that consciousness isnt strictly causal because, on the tiniest level, its a product of unpredictable quantum phenomena that dont conform to classical physics.

So, where does all that background information leave us? If youre scratching your head or having some uncomfortable thoughts, youre not alone. But these questions are essential to people who study philosophy and science, because the answers could change how we understand the entire universe around us. Whether or not humans do or dont have free will has huge moral implications, for example. How do you punish criminals who could never have done differently?

In physics, scientists could learn key things from a study of consciousness as a quantum effect. This is where we rejoin todays researchers: Johannes Kleiner, mathematician and theoretical physicist at the Munich Center For Mathematical Philosophy, and Sean Tull, mathematician at the University of Oxford.

Kleiner and Tull are following Penroses example, in both his 1989 book and a 2014 paper where he detailed his belief that our brains microprocesses can be used to model things about the whole universe. The resulting theory is called integrated information theory (IIT), and its an abstract, highly mathematical form of the philosophy weve been reviewing.

In IIT, consciousness is everywhere, but it accumulates in places where its needed to help glue together different related systems. This means the human body is jam-packed with a ton of systems that must interrelate, so theres a lot of consciousness (or phi, as the quantity is known in IIT) that can be calculated. Think about all the parts of the brain that work together to, for example, form a picture and sense memory of an apple in your minds eye.

The revolutionary thing in IIT isnt related to the human brainits that consciousness isnt biological at all, but rather is simply this value, phi, that can be calculated if you know a lot about the complexity of what youre studying.

If your brain has almost countless interrelated systems, then the entire universe must have virtually infinite ones. And if thats where consciousness accumulates, then the universe must have a lot of phi.

Hey, we told you this was going to get weird.

The theory consists of a very complicated algorithm that, when applied to a detailed mathematical description of a physical system, provides information about whether the system is conscious or not, and what it is conscious of, Kleiner told All About Space. If there is an isolated pair of particles floating around somewhere in space, they will have some rudimentary form of consciousness if they interact in the correct way.

Kleiner and Tull are working on turning IIT into this complex mathematical algorithmsetting down the standard that can then be used to examine how conscious things operate.

Think about the classic philosophical comment, I think, therefore I am, then imagine two geniuses turning that into a workable formula where you substitute in a hundred different number values and end up with your specific I am answer.

The next step is to actually crunch the numbers, and then to grapple with the moral implications of a hypothetically conscious universe. Its an exciting time to be a philosopheror a philosophers calculator.

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Some Scientists Believe the Universe Is Conscious - Popular Mechanics

Russia wants you to buy a seat on a Soyuz mission to the space station – Space.com

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If you've got very deep pockets and an adventurous spirit, Russia's space agency has a vacation idea for you.

Glavkosmos, the marketing and international-management arm of the Russian federal space agency Roscosmos, is inviting folks to consider buying a trip to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a Soyuz spacecraft.

"If you're tired of the lockdown and closed interstate borders, we think we know how to organize an unforgettable journey for you: come fly to space with us!" Glavkosmos officials said via Twitter on Tuesday (June 8).

Related: Soyuz spacecraft: Backbone of the Russian space program

That tweet included a link to an informational page about commercial flights to the ISS. "Do you dream of space travel and admire the universe? Today Glavkosmos can make your dream come true," reads the text near the top of the page.

"Potential customers of commercial human spaceflights now can easily get information from the original source about how their flight to the International Space Station will be organized," Glavkosmos Director General Dmitry Loskutov said in a statement.

"Prospective commercial participants of spaceflights will find out which spacecraft and rocket they will go on a space trip on, what tasks will be solved during their preflight training, [and] what they will be able to do during their stay in space," Loskutov said. "And the most important thing is that they can easily contact our managers through our website, get feedback and additional information."

Prices are not given; potential customers are encouraged to contact Glavkosmos "for more detailed and specific information."

Tourists have traveled to the space station aboard Soyuz vehicles before: Seven people made eight such trips from 2001 to 2009. (Charles Simonyi went twice.) But those journeys were all organized through the Virginia company Space Adventures, whereas Glavkosmos now seems to be appealing to prospective customers directly.

That doesn't mean Space Adventures is now out of the Soyuz loop, however. For example, the company is organizing the flight of Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, who will launch to the station aboard a Soyuz this December along with video producer Yozo Hirano and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin.

Maezawa's flight will follow on the heels of another Soyuz mission that totes two private citizens. In October, actor Yulia Peresild and director Klim Shipenko are scheduled to launch toward the ISS on a Soyuz commanded by cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov. Peresild and Shipenko plan to film parts of a movie tentatively titled "Challenge" aboard the station, a project run by Roscosmos and two other Russian outfits Channel One and Yellow, Black and White studios.

Actor Tom Cruise and director Doug Liman may travel to the orbiting lab around that same time to film a movie of their own. The duo will apparently fly aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, though a launch date has not yet been announced.

Such journeys are part of the ongoing commercialization of human spaceflight in low Earth orbit. In September, for instance, a Crew Dragon will carry four private citizens to orbit on a mission called Inspiration4. The spacecraft won't hook up with the ISS; it will circle Earth solo for three days and then splash down.

And Houston-based company Axiom Space has booked four Crew Dragon flights to the ISS, each of which will carry paying customers along with a veteran astronaut commander. The first of those flights will launch no earlier than January 2022.

Mike Wall is the author of "Out There" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.

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Russia wants you to buy a seat on a Soyuz mission to the space station - Space.com

Babies In Space: The Challenges Of Colonizing Other Planets – KJZZ

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NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

A photo from Mars Curiosity rover taken in January 2018.

Another space race is in full swing as private space travel firms are competing with Russia, China and the United States to push the envelopes of exploration on Mars and the moon.

China and Russia are participating in a joint program to establish a permanent base on the moon within 25 years, and Elon Musks Space X has proposed building a colony on Mars by 2050.

Many of these plans involve long-term travel and permanent colonization, and the sustainability of a human presence in space will eventually result in a need to procreate. But doing this in space poses many challenges politically, ethically and medically. And being born somewhere other than Earth raises citizenship questions, too.

University of Arizona astronomy professor Chris Impey recently wrote a piece for the Conversation about how soon we may see a baby born in space. The Show spoke with him to learn about the logistics and challenges of populating the galaxy.

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Babies In Space: The Challenges Of Colonizing Other Planets - KJZZ

Fact Check-Video of NASA astronaut ‘dropping’ a ball does not prove space travel is being ‘faked’ – Reuters

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A video allegedly showing a ball dropping due to gravity while astronauts are in the International Space Station is not evidence that space travel is being faked, as some users online claim. The full video shows that the ball does indeed float around and that it just happened to float down in the short, isolated segment being shared on social media.

Examples of such posts can be seen here and here .

The video includes an image of the NASA logo, with the word NASA replaced with LIARS. The text below the video reads: NASA DROPS THE BALL ON THE INTERNATIONAL FAKE STATION.

The video shows five astronauts with the one on the far right holding a microphone and what appears to be a ball. While the astronaut speaks, he lets go of the ball and it seems to fall downwards and out of view. Some of the other astronauts try to grab for it.

The description on one post reads: NASA drops the ball. With such an astronomical budget, they couldve at least bought some helium. Why do deceiving cretins always hold public purse strings?

The clip comes from a longer video posted on NASAs YouTube page here , on April 22, 2021.

According to the description, NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, Mark Vandehei and Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency were livestreaming a question and answer session with singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes for Earth Day.

At the 18:30 mark, the clip from the posts can be seen. However, other parts of the video show that there is a lack of gravity.

At around 18:53 the ball can be seen moving upward again, apparently unaided.

At the 16:10 mark, Noguchi reaches behind Walker to retrieve the ball, which at closer inspection appears to be an inflatable globe. Noguchi then releases the globe, which floats between them.

Throughout the video, Walkers hair, the microphone, and the shirts of the astronauts can be observed defying gravity.

NASA explains gravity in space at the International Space Station in detail here .

Other videos from the station can be seen here and here .

NASA did not immediately return Reuters request for comment.

Missing context. The clip has been edited to appear as if the ball falls due to gravity. The full video shows the ball floating around among the astronauts in the International Space Station.

This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here .

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Fact Check-Video of NASA astronaut 'dropping' a ball does not prove space travel is being 'faked' - Reuters