Google & Elon Musk Offer Quantum Computing Prize

In case you were still waiting for the killer app for quantum computing, you’re not alone – Elon Musk is waiting too, which is why, just two weeks ago, he teamed up with Google and the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) to launch an XPRIZE for Quantum Applications. It’s a three-year, $5 million global contest seeking entries to find the best quantum algorithms for solving real-world challenges. You can learn more about the prize here and enter a project yourself here.

This episode of Science News covers Artificial Intelligence and how it consumes a lot of energy. We’ve heard a lot about this. Indeed, Sam Altman the CEO of OpenAI recently said that we’ll need small modular nuclear reactors just to power all those AIs. Well, hold that thought. Today I want to look at how much energy these AIs really need and explain why I think this isn’t the main problem. You can now leave comments on our quizzes!

Global Fertility Rates Expected to Decline Rapidly by 2050

Image: GBD Fertility and Forecasting Collaborators, The Lancet (2024)

A new report published in The Lancet updates projections for global fertility rates. The authors expect that by 2050, over three-quarters of countries will have birth rates below replacement level, and by 2100, it will be 97% of countries (198 out of 204). Until we get there, low-income regions, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, will still see significant population growth. This means that unless sharp population declines are offset by immigration, middle and high-income countries will soon face challenges such as workforce shortages and strains on caregiving, healthcare, and social security systems due to aging populations. Press release here, the full paper here.

A Spring Sale That Will Make You Move

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Cyclical Nova Will Soon Light Up Again

NASA Conceptual Image / GSFC

Tired of the solar eclipse? The next stellar event is coming right up: a nearby star system will soon produce a supernova that will be visible in the night sky. The nova comes from the star system T Coronae Borealis (T CrB), which is 3,000 light years from Earth. It is one of only five known recurring novae in our galaxy. Sometime between now and September 2024, so the prediction says, the magnitude of the star system will increase for a few days from +10 to +2 (the smaller the magnitude, the brighter), temporarily making the system almost as bright as our North Star (magnitude +1.98).T CrB is believed to be a binary system of a white dwarf and a red giant. The white dwarf collects mass from the red giant. Eventually, the buildup heats the white dwarf enough to cause a runaway thermonuclear explosion, which results in the nova we see from Earth every 80 years. The outburst will manifest as a “new” bright star in the Corona Borealis constellation, near Bootes and Hercules. More info here and here.

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