Daily Archives: May 26, 2017

Astronomers Spot Bright New Object near Cygnus A Galaxy’s … – Sci-News.com

Posted: May 26, 2017 at 4:37 am

Pointing the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) at the well-known and often-studied galaxy Cygnus A for the first time in more than 20 years, astronomers got a big surprise, finding that a new object had appeared near the galaxys supermassive black hole.

Artists conception of the newly-discovered object orbiting the main, central supermassive black hole of the galaxy Cygnus A. Image credit: Bill Saxton / NRAO / AUI / NSF.

Cygnus A, also known as LEDA 63932, NRAO 620 and IRAS 19577+4035, was discovered by radio-astronomy pioneer Grote Reber in 1939.

Located 800 million light-years away in the constellation Cygnus, the galaxy is one of the strongest radio sources in the sky.

Cygnus A was an early target of the VLA after its completion in the early 1980s. Detailed images from the VLA published in 1984 produced major advances in scientists understanding of the superfast jets of subatomic particles propelled into intergalactic space by the gravitational energy of supermassive black holes at the cores of galaxies.

The VLA images of Cygnus A from the 1980s marked the state of the observational capability at that time, said National Radio Astronomy Observatory astronomer Dr. Rick Perley, one of the researchers who made the original Cygnus A observations with the VLA in the 1980s.

Because of that, we didnt look at Cygnus A again until 1996, when new VLA electronics had provided a new range of radio frequencies for our observations. The new object does not appear in the images made then.

However, the VLAs upgrade that was completed in 2012 made it a much more powerful telescope, so we wanted to have a look at Cygnus A using the VLAs new capabilities.

The new object may have much to tell us about the history of this galaxy, said Dr. Daniel Perley, an astronomer with the Astrophysics Research Institute at Liverpool John Moores University and Dr. Rick Perleys son.

The researchers began the new observations in 2015, and continued them in 2016.

To our surprise, we found a prominent new feature near the galaxys nucleus that did not appear in any previous published images, Dr. Rick Perley said.

This new feature is bright enough that we definitely would have seen it in the earlier images if nothing had changed. That means it must have turned on sometime between 1996 and now.

The team then observed Cygnus A with the Very Long Baseline Array in November of 2016, clearly detecting the new object.

What is the new object? Based on its characteristics, the astronomers concluded it must be either a supernova explosion or an outburst from a second supermassive black hole near the galaxys center.

While they want to watch the objects future behavior to make sure, they pointed out that the object has remained too bright for too long to be consistent with any known type of supernova.

Because of this extraordinary brightness, we consider the supernova explanation unlikely, said Dr. Vivek Dhawan, an astronomer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

While the new object definitely is separate from Cygnus As central supermassive black hole, by 1,500 light-years, it has many of the characteristics of a supermassive black hole that is rapidly feeding on surrounding material.

We think weve found a second supermassive black hole in this galaxy, indicating that it has merged with another galaxy in the astronomically-recent past, said Dr. Christopher Carilli, an astronomer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

These two would be one of the closest pairs of supermassive black holes ever discovered, likely themselves to merge in the future.

The astronomers suggested that the second black hole has become visible to the VLA in recent years because it has encountered a new source of material to devour.

That material could either be gas disrupted by the galaxies merger or a star that passed close enough to the secondary black hole to be shredded by its powerful gravity.

The research paper reporting this discovery has been accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal (arXiv.org preprint).

_____

Daniel A. Perley et al. 2017. Discovery of a Luminous Radio Transient 460 pc from the Central Supermassive Black Hole in Cygnus A. ApJ, accepted for publication; arXiv: 1705.07901

Follow this link:

Astronomers Spot Bright New Object near Cygnus A Galaxy's ... - Sci-News.com

Posted in Astronomy | Comments Off on Astronomers Spot Bright New Object near Cygnus A Galaxy’s … – Sci-News.com

Fans should appreciate Cloud Computing’s Preakness win – ESPN

Posted: at 4:37 am

BALTIMORE -- It will take no time for folks to belabor the point that Cloud Computing got an absolutely perfect trip in his upset victory in Saturday's Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. This already has happened on social media and will continue.

But while Cloud Computing did indeed benefit from a great setup, I hope people avoid the trap of denigrating this colt for it or painting him as some sort of lucky opportunist. Cloud Computing is a quality horse and, in fact, had a break owed to him.

Cloud Computing made his debut only last February on the now-defunct inner track at Aqueduct, and the Preakness was only his fourth start. When he was second in the Gotham Stakes in just the second start of his career and his first around two turns, he was much closer to a destructive early pace than the opponent who beat him that day.

When Cloud Computing finished third in the Wood Memorial in his start before the Preakness, he was the victim of a passive ride that found him much farther off the early pace than he should have been. And this approach in the Wood Memorial was egregiously ill-timed, because it occurred on a day when the main track at Aqueduct was profoundly biased toward speed horses. In other words, Cloud Computing's third-place finish in the Wood wasn't even close to a true representation of his ability. It was actually a good effort, considering how he was so up against the bias.

So, Cloud Computing isn't some sort of fluky clunk-up artist who had the moment of his life in the Preakness. Maybe the Preakness will be the high point of his career; we just don't know. But Cloud Computing is not a fluke. He is a lightly raced, talented horse who, after facing adverse circumstances in his first two stakes starts, was good enough to capitalize when he finally did get a favorable setup on Saturday. And let's not forget, dozens of horses get tremendous setups every day and don't win.

That said, you would have to be heartless not to feel bad for Classic Empire. He had a terrible trip in the Kentucky Derby, and when you also consider that the Arkansas Derby was his only representative outing in five months, his fourth-place Kentucky Derby finish was a terrific effort.

On Saturday, Classic Empire went after Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming from the start, hounded him and raced him into defeat on the far turn. Classic Empire turned for home with a clear lead and looked every bit the winner, but all that dirty work he did early had to take a toll, and he fell just a head shy of holding on. And let's not also forget the significant point that Classic Empire was running back in two weeks and making his third start in five weeks, while Cloud Computing was dead fresh and making his first start in six weeks.

I know it's small consolation to his connections, because the difference between winning and narrowly losing a Triple Crown race is enormous, but Classic Empire ran a winning race in defeat.

Of course, the big disappointment in the Preakness was Always Dreaming, who tired to finish eighth, beaten by 14 lengths. Given that Always Dreaming shook off major pace pressure in his decisive Kentucky Derby win, leaving the six opponents who were with him well up the track, and barring any injury or real excuse that might surface in the coming days, one can only speculate that there are but two explanations for Always Dreaming's dud on Saturday:

The first (and most likely to me) is that the Derby took much more out of Always Dreaming than anyone thought. In retrospect, it couldn't have been easy to beat the six involved in that strong Derby pace with him so soundly.

The other possible explanation is that running horses back on short rest, even Kentucky Derby winners, is just not something Todd Pletcher, the trainer of Always Dreaming, does often or especially well. I addressed this with detailed statistics in my pre-Preakness column, which can be found here.

I concluded in that column that I wasn't going to let a small sample size affect my handicapping judgment. That might have been a mistake. Small sample size or not, and as extraordinarily talented as he is in most other areas, I will be very leery of Pletcher-trained horses coming off short layoffs going forward.

One thing I still do not buy, and I say this emphatically, is that Always Dreaming benefited from a rail bias at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Derby, as did Derby runner-up Lookin At Lee.

There was a big rail bias at Churchill the day before on Oaks Day. But too many horses won or ran well racing away from the rail on Derby Day for me to buy into a rail bias. As noted above, there are other, more tangible and far less subjective reasons for Always Dreaming's flop in the Preakness. And please don't use Lookin At Lee as some sort of barometer for track bias. Lookin At Lee had one of the greatest, ground-saving (not rail-biased) trips that a stretch runner could ever hope for in the Derby. He didn't get that same dream trip in the Preakness.

Trainer Todd Pletcher was searching for answers after his Kentucky Derby winner, Always Dreaming, dropped back around the far turn and faded to eighth in Saturday's Preakness Stakes.

We knew there would be disappointment and anguish if Always Dreaming failed to win the Preakness, and there was. We didn't count on the heartbreak being shared by late-fading Classic Empire -- at the expense of 13-1 long shot Cloud Computing.

The 149th running of the Belmont Stakes will continue a grand American sporting tradition on June 10. But does no Triple Crown possibility extinguish all the excitement for Belmont Park stakeholders and revelers?

2 Related

* Whitmore certainly emerged as a force once he was asked to do nothing more than sprint, with Saturday's Maryland Sprint being his fifth straight victory and third straight stakes score since he was cut back to shorter distances. (As an aside, I've always felt Whitmore could be a top-notch sprinter; check my comments on him in last year's Derby Watch.)

But if Whitmore were mine, I would wheel him back in the Met Mile on Belmont Stakes Day. I think Whitmore's success has as much, if not more, to do with him cutting back to one turn as it does cutting back to 6 or 6 1/2 furlongs. Besides, how many opportunities do one-turn horses have to go after a purse such as the Met Mile's $1.2 million?

* Count me among the many impressed with Yoshida's dominating win in Saturday's James W. Murphy Stakes. Yes, Yoshida had a good setup with an unsustainably fast early pace. But let's not forget that Yoshida got his maiden win last time out in his first start this year (and only second career start) on the front end. So, that he came from way out if it on Saturday with the flourish that he did, even if set up pace-wise, speaks to his quality.

* Recruiting Ready also was pretty darn good in one of the other Preakness undercard stakes for 3-year-olds, the Chick Lang. Recruiting Ready's connections deserve credit for keeping this colt sprinting, because that's what he does best, and he's getting better.

* Anyone with an appreciation of racing's history knows that the Pimlico Special has a storied one. Unfortunately, the race isn't what it used to be. And yet I can't help but think the Pimlico Special could be reborn with a new, carefully chosen spot on the calendar other than mid-May, even if it meant weakening the Black-Eyed Susan card. (And yes, I'm aware that it might be a little awkward running the Pimlico Special at, say, Laurel, but seeing a once-great race diminished is worse.)

But the Pimlico Special still has a name that carries some weight, and with a game victory in Friday's renewal, Shaman Ghost added that name to a career rsum that's really quite astounding. Think about some of the races Shaman Ghost has won. He took the Queen's Plate, the Brooklyn, the Woodward, the Santa Anita Handicap and now the Pimlico Special; and he's not done yet. Shaman Ghost isn't a Hall of Famer. He's a good, hard-knocking handicap horse who should only engender admiration. But there are some horses in the Hall of Fame who do not have the CV he does.

* Terra Promessa was supposed to win Friday's Allaire duPont Distaff off her sharp second to Stellar Wind in last month's Apple Blossom. But her overwhelming score in it not only showed how special Stellar Wind is, it also demonstrated how effective Terra Promessa can be when she gets away from her division's heavyweights. And the compelling thing about Terra Promessa's duPont Distaff performance is that while it looked like she was cruising on an easy early lead, she actually posted interior fractions that were substantially faster than the Pimlico Special run just two races later -- 47.13 seconds and 1:10.91 versus 47.92 and 1:12.41 in the Pimlico Special.

* Friday's Black-Eyed Susan didn't have nearly the star power that the Kentucky Oaks had two weeks ago. But it did resemble the Oaks in the respect that it featured a complete early-pace meltdown.

While it remains to be seen if anyone out of the Black-Eyed Susan goes on to make an impact at the top of the 3-year-old filly division, just know that even if she was the prime beneficiary of the pace collapse, Actress was better than her win margin of a head would suggest.

Actress, a maiden going in who ran well in her two starts at Gulfstream, was flying late on the far turn and in the midst of making a deft inside/out move. Then, for some reason, she was aimed at splitting the two leaders, instead of just going around them. This questionable move didn't work, and Actress was checked at a total loss of momentum. It is to her credit that she regrouped and successfully rallied again.

Go here to read the rest:

Fans should appreciate Cloud Computing's Preakness win - ESPN

Posted in Cloud Computing | Comments Off on Fans should appreciate Cloud Computing’s Preakness win – ESPN

Cloud computing streamlines oil field monitoring – Williston Daily Herald

Posted: at 4:37 am

The oilfield has always been in a tech race, but the downturn helped light a fire under some feet. Among the new inventions and systems that surfaced as a result is one recently recognized by the American Petroleum Institute. It is a cloud computing system designed by AE2S that can help maximize the deluge of data produced by oilfield sites.

For now, the system is being used primarily on saltwater disposal sites, but it would be useful in the oil and gas sector as well, according to Instrumentation and Control Systems Division Manager for AE2S Jason G. Sanden.

The oil and gas sector is looking to become more active, but it faces a tight labor pool. Cloud computing could help them meet their obligations more efficiently and with fewer people, Sanden believes. Typically, Bakken oilfield companies have sent employees directly on site to take readings and check tank levels, but the AE2S cloud computing system can handle that remotely. Alarms can be set to go off when parameters fall outside the desired range, triggering automatic adjustments to prevent problems before they happen.

We took the power of the internet and put the information up in the cloud, so you can get the information wherever you are, Sanden said.

Larger oilfield operators may have something like this already, Sanden said, but many of the smaller operators do not. Since the system is cloud-based, there are no special computers, nor particular software programs, for companies to buy, which makes it more cost-effective. Data that the company is already generating with its own systems can be pushed to the cloud into a customized program for real-time monitoring and control.

The company can access the resulting reports and schematics through a secure webpage on a device of choice, whether mobile or desktop. Encryption ensures that the page is not accessible to anyone who isnt authorized.

While sending employees driving around to well sites has been typical in the Bakken, its not necessarily the most efficient way to do it.

If something is shut down for a day, and you didnt know about it until you came around, thats a lot of lost production, a lot of lost operation, Sanden said. With real-time monitoring and control, you can see those as they happen and even take action remotely to change a pump, reset a valve and things like that.

The programs can even tag a variety of data for the particular equipment in question, such as maintenance schedules, run times and the last calibration. Being able to link so much historical data is another feature that makes the AE2S system unique, Sanden said. Another is the customizability that the company offers.

We didnt develop the technology, but we adapted it for the industry and have made it economical for the smaller operators, Sanden said. One thing we do a bit differently is we really customize our system for the client. There are some satellite-based systems out there, but theyre not that customizable. They are pretty canned as far as the services offered.

The AE2S system can be laid out physically the same as the operation, so it is easier to follow from beginning to end.

Companies that did this while they were booming have been able to take advantage of it in the downturn, Sanden said.

The company is now working on a data management system for day to day operations of a facility. Its not specific to the oil and gas industry, but its definitely applicable, Sanden said.

See the rest here:

Cloud computing streamlines oil field monitoring - Williston Daily Herald

Posted in Cloud Computing | Comments Off on Cloud computing streamlines oil field monitoring – Williston Daily Herald

Red Hat to acquire cloud computing firm – Triangle Business Journal

Posted: at 4:37 am

Red Hat to acquire cloud computing firm
Triangle Business Journal
Harry Mower, head of Red Hat's developer division, says the relationship between the companies has been building over the past year. Both worked on the same upstream project: Eclipse Che, an open-source cloud integrated development environment.

and more »

Read the original here:

Red Hat to acquire cloud computing firm - Triangle Business Journal

Posted in Cloud Computing | Comments Off on Red Hat to acquire cloud computing firm – Triangle Business Journal

How will cloud computing and analytics affect Citrix shops? – TechTarget

Posted: at 4:37 am

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Citrix put a lot of emphasis on monitoring, cloud computing and analytics at Synergy 2017, but...

Enjoy this article as well as all of our content, including E-Guides, news, tips and more.

By submitting your personal information, you agree that TechTarget and its partners may contact you regarding relevant content, products and special offers.

You also agree that your personal information may be transferred and processed in the United States, and that you have read and agree to the Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy.

how do those priorities match up with IT's?

The company announced the new Citrix Analytics Service, a cloud offering that monitors devices, applications and networks and uses artificial intelligence to provide new insights into user activity. Synergy attendees also learned about improvements to Citrix Director, which is the core product for VDI monitoring, and a new workspace service for Citrix Cloud.

Here, consultant Theresa Miller, the founder and CEO of 24x7 IT Connection, shares her thoughts on Citrix's cloud computing and analytics push and what it means for XenDesktop and XenApp shops.

"The cloud-first strategy is interesting. It's also one that Microsoft used. A lot of times, people resist cloud-first -- like, 'What about my on-prem environment?' But as long as [Citrix doesn't] ignore the on-prem, which I don't think they will, I think it's the right thing to do. It's the right time for cloud.

We're coming up on an interesting time, because cloud is definitely part of everybody's conversations now. You have several key players in that space. We're all trying to figure out who the top two are going to be. You have your Microsoft. You have your Amazon. Google is even in there too. And then you have your Citrix and your VMware. While some might say, 'Well, Citrix and VMware are probably the two neck-in-neck competitors,' I don't discount the fact that the other cloud players can't still take a piece of the workstation community. In the end, it's probably a combination of any or all."

"Monitoring is a challenge for any company. Director has come a long way since it was first released. Anything that customers were feeling was missing is slowly getting added back into the stack, if it's not already.

I'm really excited to learn more about the analytics. It's one of those things that I think will really help customers. The monitoring is a tough area to get good information on.

And then to complement the analytics, there's also Smart Check. [Citrix is] doing a lot with Smart Check, making sure that it can analyze your environment and give you valuable information to act on instead of having just something that says, 'Oh, this is wrong. Now I have to call Citrix.' They're trying to make it so you have the answers right there."

Read the original post:

How will cloud computing and analytics affect Citrix shops? - TechTarget

Posted in Cloud Computing | Comments Off on How will cloud computing and analytics affect Citrix shops? – TechTarget

Make Sense of Edge Computing vs. Cloud Computing – Linux.com (blog)

Posted: at 4:37 am

Make Sense of Edge Computing vs. Cloud Computing
Linux.com (blog)
Edge computing will not replace cloud computing, though the two approaches can complement each other. The internet of things is real, and it's a real part of the cloud. A key challenge is how you can get data processed from so many devices. Cisco ...

Link:

Make Sense of Edge Computing vs. Cloud Computing - Linux.com (blog)

Posted in Cloud Computing | Comments Off on Make Sense of Edge Computing vs. Cloud Computing – Linux.com (blog)

Quantum Computing Is Real, and D-Wave Just Open … – WIRED

Posted: at 4:36 am

vF0;zg) ILydN%m^iyipR{{)Al"3(|*q@V$^"Hx78a5j'6yE](zxJO+u)'I9&, or>X.aOWn1jve-~D#71#gX._?`a9 cK#JC@gKo<.@F.8)|k-K|o:?v$_bv{.i.{Ow>PY,!rDTY+ 0>WBx]*NW2y|NZVlq2Cv)$/.cEz8O?"4 w|)MUB"j}/4^xcp<(KZk&G>>X^NL bg/X8ppYD/u;uo+D|xt]8_z1<%<.zRH%:cte'v@}@vv1:b>r'Fdrf_qv~Sv];ed`~qx1-).|#(QRvD Av](}4/}acQmJA:90>c'H}'{Xt;rAa%g/XCYpeO{^Eb|>,}([hk$O^&gD#BFM 7Ej&Lj3ZgK2rt9f#z<5Pta`]h8n'vRVG0!3$@p G:s9]|P&]_|rF. DNAC%&C1&y~rlQ@hl&H?PTm5*[Zx%4Y~?9v^r@`W ["{i(sb~yP9@zcS8piJ}+"Og=zQzcvO v}:3Bhl@2Tdq9 (1/A%6gCx4J,D,$z^ "t=S%PSqg_bcesM`&=RGDq-$w $w >u_FHqqHE*9(x;) HQgSv+oXdONZ6QNC;v 1 KPE6]5(X)s>91w&1/)Vg!=3o6"3.7n=4< u=A*NI(/d+ h~F'xq=oM<qV|T@QN)(Ccw2^3Rvw_vJU2q<@T3e%H;UFxzQ4<@)%e94pNy>%P Gbq<%}D};~ B2^ zi2(A ?T>d~}o!c 9a3@wjFRW1 gQWuN#OB k~KR}YM-n =[yqs}J!3Y$`W4[k5>GHYqP4L`VVYVs 6R1T))MU=IV[t^fc[gqf,)+@BBX@5{JLG_r&%Vj< .e^ YThGG5"`[P wH=E&Vjl+PQ^Q^ yP#O AxPY|5|7?QlVVc`"_"F?|GPpC j{&:0=@{ ;B*_r%bjv5z>s4eik5n -v e+$mDFJj[EQF S@Puz hn;Q~ b_$0JV`IBkju=a]ui]/wn4Sp$0}HWQ;g7k4JZH?lsC>Cx' B abw)tae=_[H*ADz[Jl8p#qvb@ h*@`yu;O42!#%rAS-^ fPOYb}U4]*|etL]aFKV{,i_tIXhK Q5@R^55|~SW, 0c"/mI-,iPUx%*{{+b4D(>EE5QV@sJ,`.LMd"S{=1FAU@'*t!JAdB(X , :1A|Tv(o61$9>P;BS5Y~2IBMC:%)c=6 2]k }Se!^).!0P""{T0T"}1"DyQO&.{/tCF/DaW8+{nO uJg*EBzG[^C-4UWL"2KVfN1bV~_;rP.Egwb9 o}bWwr`/[Wj9wdLewwf5%,c:G_N9.l[2z!S_wn1LeF!RwJ1@Ie%*K +TDq^!s;PD*1iU~~^J$om4GV!w;RXJVPEv}AC oz1 *`OwFb+5MIL^]'1r vZEW* :QX_z3Oc58fXUtW[sJ "rBNRU1Fc@8 #%r<$G(g8(]@HE >[`v}/z:#Mm=w}sa3HNv-3/|6f]*kvTVIoAA/S [TN !7Nx`>}`dO0O#nCc<+ZTNrhST=bq-R8`S@|Y,Tk@"Z4 F:+)$))[jtQPNI#Z!6}2CYn}W05{oAI)1<#9Q(`A1q6:8wAz" xAV-sh sxvl'zyVGa*#SoiIjWk8j4 >8l-+LrSL(g2g/DBHUS25 Y1jcbiAo@Alo4FXxOgt4+%7@M@.&F=gz<] FxEo4YOv?vb#Hn ;r/6)0}5Kx:p.`u NNvS4VnBV/^f%"HH!s7#,A(} ?03nFQw 0.{:g2z|{K&LZ|l`GL rl,$N/Ed$A> ?Hr"|Q~6/HS[!l!fyRd!L5%}>wx&4ECGqE Ix8SM1$%D.A$vj{51wk!k]9pOO1:CDW9?WB3s'!nEgvkZjQSS6y*XNZu!9"Aw }dIS{5fQQdSG-'HuCJ1#4{dB /|)/cF9EkZ1 -!O:DS2K1t_4,k#!Y>nn&3b%vC_E>*( 0Wn8SgY4%)mW.gXDEc:]/)VGqvW}>zyq:@>hq;M5Lz$ 8C $+ JQIC#SFmZu3gi%g#c9<,Q~ah"Oq04G(hz'N #4:@{IsDG=O5TMk)MEo@/|J?q}/P5j}R^Aehf6X9(h[EVzaNQF=*?S2vg#!,e^kW; n?R=^o6}d9r#/2d1F,^+6]kTe5`]]TjcMah5kv5b&rxTm7D%yUu7=-Uc;aum }W,km~6,=z7-9;%V9AvN-(Y =g9wTAC`[a3:O@aN9KD&MD%vd"8z9& a&>0iy#Jk3}O1Wn6J7KE_iiSa_ A~SqKMt8rY(%~kaXO =_|Kh} xF_ab1sL ! 9:W#q+x:nefPu'$MX9Hyy)r0Le3u%k-H q.t T.D6JBrej$I35o=fSY4#if65fJRg#9/N)Hsr xU7;j%HQ8RM gY=%_cU6;#YjrS,Vf"3o e u5bwm+4 u&I eM5aY]V/[wvJl6[n~%m{mr/k]{ &>eOy0R]t{Pw[ma$Y3Bm.u{;2~,4>#L"rFH16e%$bi$*uAPB)C#FjQdX2{vc8dNlOz FqeZ$^g;&_OtunJ$U]P2Wr9ybc16~^WsLRmU=K GRQ"+Q'v`s4Kd9H6:y'!""e]@npH+@dUeE0zDX710-p@Dt%WDkj9ZK)qX*TxX-XLc `]$e0$$G1 -T$TX"+ckfOPB5yK4![&,+!J'L8XZh8OBl96xic7fFMokU.0iu?l#c-d$-l8D ]9n: Va{-8xn Tf5g]'P@Ga ;0UrA"&^Y/~ch4"FWo>5*Y2q;/N<(aLh2>d?ck8.#=#+$3W8/J&jU5v~nP+o!h#2C}!76~ W&y^"@1%29!4'o$@Z]J{=9Cy1Bh%d`jDPxL$qTncx$4RR(:HBRr Wt''M MaPn(+%0K4eHw/3@K^B3ykh2/1rdyXjpub"5[NMSKI/@Rj/t5Vr*.4WPDDeA@kBuiJ|4h214> le]RA'?#KcQX2LJMbr#~hb2"'$v`eH8@'HD-eZ~fI(3q$9!LA5h ?!8 +"R+aI1ac`S'L(cK7"!B !jy44eY EcFSuh-Uh+v#cPM#XuEtIECb"mZxaOjCgzS]w "mXpda0H"8b8iC}42 S hc^%|)F[D&%bcu3%"7FhI, +p#iCApP ]cfITGQ('XDbFK7P#>[paX^8H }e&e-])UFi^4nuQA/n,?zE#yn~#n92HfdmF2#LfRe+g[5tv)"VXLJs >FG.Ou93]L2%> RQ^ T)@b[EF ts 1.&u`}^(y?Hi:)TWo2pBzA7cLg#XxjU.3r t|r^]0C)G&rn"DQT6xdeB2RM6h:j&ZD.S>,IeYY[,I=(s;%wsRtR-(D2.,pSnBvy,znD|uq`#@!XIMHGgQx'M?,2M:D4y( Jh{Y. *Xrb0I!g{B MUY{M^S5{M^S5{M^S5{M^S)kEy_'Gf^Av)/ ,>o$aR oKN'J=^3(2iCL,IRuQ7.eJfvkO0 ,{X9ZQ<1Yn% Gc`G0iP2`We(5d"akF`|E35R+(1W SN|#zW oHB)-@w?~3me oh6jQ>>T>d7e8CEdo,Mgt[^lt/nP+:QC^lE*MwqM-y.n* QE>zjV2CSSOK " l&\rK"sM.qv+Dx;m.J#M+bfBu[kv{njx[mo}&.g-o 7e}X6IHe^Hf%PAM\=Kn4Af[m5F-">"~s6(v["q()k5V_FRJ]7MADifcH8" KLFt@#'~8W|S"_^I&S+/,QteN(&$*0{hHa5}M4l^(/e>Yj[fXM|(`,r%+=.FsHK =l `pP|/3} L.DhAuw= 0|KGh{PE[s@hd-p6 a77i ZA`WjlWFV2sKu.V^7Tq6;Yhvs*PzkP~m v#lZ0$`Dq2e^MJ@>]-#m_o"WR~]_BnK<);Z0;0{Cc`q c0 ;Z$yS(0QBn@o1FCv<>Vkse3ZV:rKy.WC&3KFE|_

7C,+;#d7;u{/Fkflq1OvX%XN,1ChK304;+4;IOnND'@x -snU@Ljf6lud ]O"3_C6PF~"GHSP[?I<; DZu4"| CIe6[uwZ [![EyC,`9P+z^,!*dOo*w&g%gr-#"d#LbjjpPbJB)e]"fiT7CD,7E?l$ $g;z+'JfL teCe j H$j7s=*63 a7VE.S|g[]j=A4$DG-/5f,QF x0$`AZ^nx8m~#-hy9|woCg]He2s +s%#=*ju< |3;z1:rNX T?#I8YlJ{{9>s|*z>JnL?h0gx8= y`9'1_ozjf=Q&$0@`=/?PLzu>pNVK4 _oVs8T)Mzfnj)JKZjm.&n/gWI >77b[GVU9GR=o9=:MF.Gr +a67_RA^Ea7kKX [Do*Vp8{K "+Fe4o+Gi%c6Wk*Wr"`];pMfAyZ@F] ^K{^.<7T!1,kYE:E!,&,uX`QpC^Lw3v{nst#@Sf9Y-A$w? dk%a8Mha@IFh.h(fsTgyo7v"#nZCS{;a?DiA;}:2cTU=h.}P-izv&1,Yn(sdId1$[72x`bc,5:H^{ut%ToO._w&G;h <9qJ5?oiGw:50Bc+fdjqhld[9b#6C.Fh97~}[?R<&# UifY g8w0gRFnnUG>IWo#~xsZ["-&mgtl+oKu LtKuI29n"8])H-bT6o[:]-6Uuy]kO-fLw1ohqoH,?P{ZTj=U|`#A=xj2 6=lB|SkXsmv9{)=(s>A$f]'V00H1>*C;Fs74^EA0dcj1s@Mf~nLzu0|5k5DcZjv+7!Z:5 }/A($%SZH3e]x)kB$c}0>`fqjvf^p4k{{zyCca1l6iXw4Z9{;F9F{wpl1l6$6-666.6ym1l*)PJw>&{(aa z#*9;h= ao$}o7hxn>vFM?T=6~ DL+{$n65jZ +t9S|pg@u&n6wm;u{_z|iMp$oS+b4!#H3@Yq"!C6Ac;v '@Hl>eJV0(l7mvU9(bdOw]:p ?.Nb%c#[Z_l"y`Wg}}`r@WFs_]6W}sqjs ./.F{h{d{<)`mt5*L{cr"]5ss"[ W8ShUxBpw;oTFbX bzQ8y}N@*,t*/"c`epN^YP[`$;e3fs|jBTm47Y8zuWpPdW*J|gD5A.+J HNE+nE$tp?j"9LBBgre_hu>?[71"}4o}v' )c4]v:"e" eq."LY4iYKE kAi9VjVbfbA,SYd&c/kLVh X4j`S*_$!y$W)Etrvsq JYV6e22)a!57uZ38rc9.txI]}2|ja`:' s`[Kag{>JQOG9@ pt?6yh%k G?p_u+o|X0m_XcjiR%|@>#&oLfrFRUlb$At*V6 }'1=wxqh$q51wx"6"PT`_Fw%Jg[dnEA!)(((6 ET}k VV0#^J E2: /b'6;;5OiX!PZW20^d3P 0[EsxI+(.#{417k=VUmWMU 9~9'_}Dnh4 "vT300 jr^W^2PVa }KXj)JKE]SEdog^Vj!U2 ';n6yoQZ[]~]Ok #M(04xt FS{Pg%O ZsFL7 yAr)

Read the original post:

Quantum Computing Is Real, and D-Wave Just Open ... - WIRED

Posted in Quantum Computing | Comments Off on Quantum Computing Is Real, and D-Wave Just Open … – WIRED

Google Plans to Demonstrate the Supremacy of Quantum … – IEEE Spectrum

Posted: at 4:36 am

Photo: Erik Lucero Put Chip Here: Google will put its superconducting quantum computer chip in this 10-millikelvin dilution refrigerator.

Quantum computers have long held the promise of performing certain calculations that are impossibleor at least, entirely impracticalfor even the most powerful conventional computers to perform. Now, researchers at a Google laboratory in Goleta, Calif., may finally be on the cusp of proving it, using the same kinds of quantum bits, or qubits, that one day could make up large-scale quantum machines.

By the end of this year, the team aims to increase the number of superconducting qubits it builds on integrated circuits to create a 7-by-7 array. With this quantum IC, the Google researchers aim to perform operations at the edge of whats possible with even the best supercomputers, and so demonstrate quantum supremacy.

Weve been talking about, for many years now, how a quantum processor could be powerful because of the way that quantum mechanics works, but we want to specifically demonstrate it, says team member John Martinis, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who joined Google in 2014.

A system size of 49 superconducting qubits is still far away from what physicists think will be needed to perform the sorts of computations that have long motivated quantum computing research. One of those is Shors algorithm, a computational scheme that would enable a quantum computer to quickly factor very large numbers and thus crack one of the foundational components of modern cryptography. In a recent commentary in Nature, Martinis and colleagues estimated that a 100-million-qubit system would be needed to factor a 2,000-bit numbera not-uncommon public key lengthin one day. Most of those qubits would be used to create the special quantum states that would be needed to perform the computation and to correct errors, creating a mere thousand or so stable logical qubits from thousands of less stable physical components, Martinis says.

There will be no such extra infrastructure in this 49-qubit system, which means a different computation must be performed to establish supremacy. To demonstrate the chips superiority over conventional computers, the Google team will execute operations on the array that will cause it to evolve chaotically and produce what looks like a random output. Classical machines can simulate this output for smaller systems. In April, for example, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory reported that its 29-petaflop supercomputer, Cori, had simulated the output of 45 qubits. But 49 qubits would pushif not exceedthe limits of conventional supercomputers.

This computation does not as yet have a clear practical application. But Martinis says there are reasons beyond demonstrating quantum supremacy to pursue this approach. The qubits used to make the 49-qubit array can also be used to make larger universal quantum systems with error correction, the sort that could do things like decryption, so the chip should provide useful validation data.

Photo: Erik Lucero Steps to Supremacy: Googles quantum computing chip is a 2-by-3 array of qubits. The company hopes to make a 7-by-7 array later this year.

There may also be, the team suspects, untapped computational potential in systems with little or no error correction. It would be wonderful if this were true, because then we could have useful products right away instead of waiting for a long time, says Martinis. One potential application, the team suggests, could be in the simulation of chemical reactions and materials.

Google recently performed a dry run of the approach on a 9-by-1 array of qubits and tested out some fabrication technology on a 2-by-3 array. Scaling up the number of qubits will happen in stages. This is a challenging system engineering problem, Martinis says. We have to scale it up, but the qubits still have to work well. We cant have any loss in fidelity, any increase in error rates, and I would say error rates and scaling tend to kind of compete against each other. Still, he says, the team thinks there could be a way to scale up systems well past 50qubits even without error correction.

Google is not the only company working on building larger quantum systems without error correction. In March, IBM unveiled a plan to create such a superconducting qubit system in the next few years, also with roughly 50qubits, and to make it accessible on the cloud. Fifty is a magic number, says Bob Sutor, IBMs vice president for this area, because thats around the point where quantum computers will start to outstrip classical computers for certain tasks.

The quality of superconducting qubits has advanced a lot over the years since D-Wave Systems began offering commercial quantum computers, says Scott Aaronson, a professor of computer science at the University of Texas at Austin. D-Wave, based in Burnaby, B.C., Canada, has claimed that its systems offer a speedup over conventional machines, but Aaronson says there has been no convincing demonstration of that. Google, he says, is clearly aiming for a demonstration of quantum supremacy that is not something youll have to squint and argue about.

Its still unclear whether there are useful tasks a 50-or-so-qubit chip could perform, Aaronson says. Nor is it certain whether systems can be made bigger without error correction. But he says quantum supremacy will be an important milestone nonetheless, one that is a natural offshoot of the effort to make large-scale, universal quantum machines: I think that it is absolutely worth just establishing as clearly as we can that the world does work this way. Certainly, if we can do it as a spin-off of technology that will be useful eventually in its own right, then why the hell not?

This article appears in the June 2017 print issue as Google Aims for Quantum Computing Supremacy.

Continue reading here:

Google Plans to Demonstrate the Supremacy of Quantum ... - IEEE Spectrum

Posted in Quantum Computing | Comments Off on Google Plans to Demonstrate the Supremacy of Quantum … – IEEE Spectrum

Top 5: Things to know about quantum computers – TechRepublic

Posted: at 4:36 am

You hear a lot about quantum computers. How they'll be super fast and super powerful. There are even companies claiming to make the first simple versions of quantum computers.

But what makes a computer "quantum?" Here are five things to know about quantum computers.

1. Quantum computers use qubits. While classical computers encode bits as zeros and ones. Qubits can be one, zero or a superposition of both.

2. Because qubits can be in multiple states at once, a quantum computer has inherent paralellism. That means a while your computer can work on one thing at a time, albeit very fast on today's processors, quantum computers can work on millions of things a at a time.

3. Quantum computers will be best at factoring large numbers, making them super fast at breaking encryption or searching a large database.

4. Quantum computers can read data without looking at it. Measuring a qubit can change its state and affect the outcome. So quantum computers entangle atoms, meaning one atom always reflects the state of another. That way you can know what state the first atom is without measuring it and changing its state.

5. There's debate about whether we're really there yet. The uncertainty principle in this case is just how quantum our computers are. Companies like D-Wave use quantum principles in their computing but most agree that practical quantum computers are still years away.

I know what you're thinking. You're in a superposition of both understanding and not understanding quantum computers. Well here's more from TechRepublic to help you out:

SEE: Quantum computing: The smart person's guideSEE: D-Wave quantum computers: The smart person's guide

Read the original here:

Top 5: Things to know about quantum computers - TechRepublic

Posted in Quantum Computing | Comments Off on Top 5: Things to know about quantum computers – TechRepublic

Quantum computing, election pledges and a thief who made science history – Nature.com

Posted: at 4:36 am

Facilities | Politics | Policy | Health | Events | Awards | Trend watch | Coming up

SESAME open The opening on 16 May of a powerful synchrotron light source near Amman, Jordan, marks a new era of scientific partnership in the Middle East. SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East), a collaboration currently including Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, the Palestinian Authority and Turkey, cost about US$110million to build. The European Union and other countries provided financial and technical support for building the 2.5-gigaelectronvolt machine, which channels light into beams of intense radiation for research ranging from biology to materials science and archaeology. SESAME aims to become the worlds first synchrotron powered entirely by solar energy.

IBM unveils quantum upgrade Numerous researchers have had their first chance to practise with quantum programming since IBMs rudimentary Quantum Experience service went online a year ago. On 17 May, the company announced that it has upgraded the freely available service from 5 superconducting qubits (quantum bits) to 16. It has also launched a second processor, twice as powerful, which is available for a fee. IBM is one of several companies and academic labs racing to build the first quantum machine that could outperform any existing classical computera threshold expected to be passed at around 50qubits.

Andy Aaron/IBM

French cabinet Science and the environment are well represented in the first government of French president Emmanuel Macron and his prime minister, douard Philippe. Among the ministers announced last week, Frdrique Vidal, a biologist and president of the University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis, was put in charge of higher education, research and innovation. Agns Buzyn, a haematology researcher and physician who has held senior positions in Frances public-health agencies, was named minister for solidarity and health. And Nicolas Hulot, a popular environmental activist and former nature-documentary producer who was wooed in vain by past presidents, will head a powerful new environment and energy ministry.

Mercury treaty A global treaty that aims to reduce mercury pollution will enter into force on 16 August following its ratification on 18May by the European Union and seven of its member states. The Minamata Convention on Mercury, named after the Japanese city where the worst-ever mercury poisoning was discovered in 1956, was negotiated and adopted in 2013 by 140 countries. With more than 50nations now having ratified it, the treaty will legally require all signatories to address issues surrounding use, trade, emissions and disposal of the toxic element and its compounds.

Final cause More than half of the worlds estimated 56 million deaths in 2015 were recorded without listing a cause, according to a global health report from the World Health Organization (WHO) released on 17 May. This number, however, has dropped markedly in a decade. Since 2005, when about two-thirds of global deaths had no recorded cause, populous countries such as Iran, Turkey and China have made notable progress by reporting detailed information for most deaths, says the WHO. Registering causes of death helps countries to track public-health trends and determine ways to increase population health, the agency says.

Precision medicine Kalydeco (ivacaftor), a precision drug designed to treat a rare form of cystic fibrosis, can now treat more people with the genetic disease, thanks to a 17May approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In 2012, Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Boston, Massachusetts, received FDA approval to market the drug only to patients whose disease is caused by one of 10 genetic mutations a subset representing 4% of cases, or about 3,000 people worldwide. The new approval expands this to 33 mutations, covering an extra 3% of cases in the United States. Kalydeco is one of the worlds most expensive drugs, at US$300,000 for a years treatment.

Cranial remains The Cesare Lombroso Museum of Criminal Anthropology in Turin may continue to display the skull (pictured) of Giuseppe Villella, a thief who died in 1864. The Italian criminologist Cesare Lombroso used Villellas skull to support his incorrect atavism theory, which argued that the shape of a skull could predict criminal tendencies. Five years ago, a judge had ruled that the skull should be returned to Motta Santa Lucia in southern Italy for a dignified burial, reasoning that the abandoned theory had no scientific or educational value. But on 17 May an appeals judge in Catanzaro ruled that it was an object of cultural value that should remain in the museum.

Mus. Anthropol. Criminal "Cesare Lombroso"/Univ. Turin

Election pledges Ahead of the UK general election in June, the three main political parties have each promised to increase the countrys total research spending. The governing Conservative Party which polls suggest will remain in power following the 8June election pledged to raise overall public and private research and development expenditure from 1.7% to 2.4% of the United Kingdoms gross domestic product (GDP) within ten years. The opposing Labour Party says it will aim for 3% of GDP by 2030, and the Liberal Democrats announced a long-term goal to double innovation and research spending across the economy. However, none of the party manifestos unveiled last week make detailed financial commitments to science.

Seed-vault flood The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a repository in the Norwegian Arctic intended to provide a long-term back-up for the worlds seeds, is to be upgraded to protect against flooding caused by melting permafrost. Water entered the vaults long access tunnel over the winter, as a result of unusually warm Arctic temperatures. The seeds were safe, but the vaults operator a Norwegian government agency announced on 19May that it will construct extra waterproofing and drainage ditches to protect against the effects of future climate change.

WHO reforms Three years after the outbreak of the Ebola crisis, the World Health Organization (WHO) has pledged to reform its operations in Africa, where about 100 public-health emergencies occur each year. The agency will establish several sub-regional emergency hubs to help the continent to respond more quickly to future emergencies, said Matsidisho Moeti, its regional director for Africa, on 22 May. The WHO will also step up its efforts to improve adolescent health in Africa, she told the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. As Nature went to press, the WHOs decision-making body was expected to elect a new director-general, who will take office for a five-year term on 1 July.

Swiss nuclear vote Switzerland has voted to terminate the use of nuclear power in favour of energy from renewable sources. In a 21May referendum, more than 58% voted to phase out Switzerlands five existing nuclear power plants, which currently provide about one-third of the countrys electricity needs. The binding vote backs the Swiss governments plans to decommission the facilities, but does not specify how soon they must be shut off.

Plastic-waste prize On 18 May, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation announced a US$2-million prize to help keep plastics out of the oceans. Funded by US philanthropist Wendy Schmidt, the New Plastics Economy Innovation Prize is split into two challenges: $1million is on offer for inventions that get products such as shampoo and drinks to people without generating plastic waste. And another $1million is available to innovators who come up with ways to make all plastic packaging recyclable. As concern has grown over the threat posed to the environment by plastic in the oceans, scientists have stressed the need to reduce pollution at source as well as clean up existing waste.

The genomes of 225 plants are now available online86 more than a year agoaccording to the second State of the Worlds Plants report, released on 18 May. The main focus of sequencing is crop species, ranging from staples such as rice and wheat to coffee, beer hops and quinoa. But the distribution of species sequenced is uneven across the plant tree of life. For example, many families of the species-rich seed plants (angiosperm and gymnosperm orders) have no sequenced species.

Source: State of the Worlds Plants (2017)

2327 May Chinas top Go players compete with artificial intelligence at the Future of Go Summit in Wuzhen. go.nature.com/2r95xdb

31 May1 June The biennial UK Space Conference is held in Manchester, UK. ukspace2017.co.uk

1 June A SpaceX Falcon9 rocket will launch the Dragon spacecraft on its 11th mission to resupply the International Space Station. go.nature.com/2qbkmrl

View original post here:

Quantum computing, election pledges and a thief who made science history - Nature.com

Posted in Quantum Computing | Comments Off on Quantum computing, election pledges and a thief who made science history – Nature.com