Author name: Shelley Larkin

How ‘Qudits’ Could Boost Quantum Computing “Qudits,” the multi-dimensional cousins of qubits, could make quantum computers more efficient and less prone to error By Davide Castelvecchi & Nature magazine Part of the quantum computer at Innsbruck University, on which researchers did simulations using qutrits and ququints. C. Lackner/University of Innsbruck Quantum computing has so far

You had to be really unlucky to be on the China National Highway 110 on August 14, 2010. One of the longest traffic jams on record ensued, ensnaring thousands of vehicles over more than 100 kilometers and lasting more than 10 days. The unluckiest drivers were stuck for five full days. As the days dragged

‘Artificial Nap’ Could Provide Benefits of Sleep—Without Sleeping Desynchronizing a monkey’s brain with electricity caused a performance boost By Simon Makin edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier What if we could obtain the memory, learning and perception benefits of “power naps” without actually sleeping? A recent study in Science suggests that at least some of our

Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. What do you think of when you hear the words “invasive plant?” According to some botanists, our mindset around invasives can do more harm than good. Here to tell us more is Mason Heberling, associate curator of botany at Carnegie Museum of Natural History in

Scientists Record First Known Shark Sounds Clicklike noises made by a small species of shark represent the first instance of a shark actively producing sound By Jack Tamisiea edited by Andrea Thompson Rig (Mustelus lenticulatus). Thanks to Jaws’ pulse-pounding theme, sharks are synonymous with a spine-chilling sound. In reality, they silently swim and scarf down