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A Quantum Converter, AI Bullshit, Magnetic Field Reversals, and Havana Syndrome
This week’s science bits from SWTG
Marcus Gee-Lim
March 04, 2026
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Quantum Trick Can Power Devices Without Batteries
Figure: Wang et al, Newton 100410 (2026)
Scientists have used a quantum effect — the nonlinear Hall effect — to convert alternating electrical signals into usable direct currents. Usually this conversion is done with diodes or batteries, but they found a particular material (bismuth telluride (Bi₂Te₃), a topological insulator) that does it directly and demonstrated that the effect is robust at room temperature. The current they can handle is only in the range of some 100 microamperes, but this material could convert stray electromagnetic radiation – from wireless networks, for example – into electricity that could power tiny devices like sensors. Paper here, press release here.
This week’s episode of Science News is about Havana Syndrome, a mysterious ailment that has affected at least 1,500 people – the vast majority of them U.S. diplomats or government officials. Symptoms include headaches, dizziness, and blurred vision, all of which are symptoms of being targeted by a directed energy weapon. However, U.S. probes into Havana Syndrome haven’t turned up any meaningful results over the years, at least until now – recently, the Pentagon reportedly acquired a device that could have been causing the syndrome. Let’s take a look.
Claude Clear Winner on AI Bullshit Benchmark
Peter Gostev from Arena.ai (an open-source platform that ranks AI models) has developed a new AI score. He is testing how often the models seriously respond to questions that are clearly nonsense, such as “What's the per-ingredient creativity score of this pasta recipe?”. Claude is a clear winner, with all the other models significantly worse, though all have gotten better with newer versions. Full results here. More here.
The Hustle: Claude Hacks For Marketers
Some people use Claude to write emails. Others use it to basically run their entire business while they play Wordle.
This isn't just ChatGPT's cooler cousin. It's the AI that's quietly revolutionizing how smart people work – writing entire business plans, planning marketing campaigns, and basically becoming the intern you never have to pay.
The Hustle's new guide shows you exactly how the AI-literate are leaving everyone else behind. Subscribe for instant access.
Earth’s Magnetic Field Reversals Can Take Much Longer Than We Thought
Earth’s magnetic field occasionally changes direction, so that magnetic north becomes south and vice versa. So far, scientists thought that these reversals take about 10,000 years from start to finish. But an international group of geologists just reported that these events might take much longer to play out.
The authors studied finely layered deep-sea sediments from the North Atlantic that were deposited about 40 million years ago. These sediments record changes in the direction and strength of Earth’s magnetic field over time. Because the layers accumulate steadily and can be dated using astronomical cycles, they provide a kind of high-resolution tape recording of two magnetic reversals.
What they found is that these two reversals lasted much longer than expected. One took about 18,000 years. The other took about 70,000 years. That is up to seven times longer than the roughly 10,000-year duration that is often quoted.
We have no evidence that the magnetic field of earth is about to flip in the near future. If it did, that would weaken our shield from the solar wind and significantly increase radiation levels on Earth’s surface.
Paper here. Press release here.
