Makai The protagonist.
Art by Miguel Valenbraum
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| Topological qubits imagined as lanterns |
An international team of physicists is the first to implement in the lab an important "error correction" technique that could play a vital role in the development of practical quantum computers. Known as topological error correction (TEC), the technique is based on "clusters" that each contain eight highly entangled photons. These clusters are useful for this purpose because a measurement on one photon does not destroy the entire entangled state.
The multiparticle cluster state at the centre of the current work was first proposed in 2001 by Robert Raussendorf and Hans Briegel, who were then at the University of Munich. Now at the University of British Columbia in Canada, Raussendorf is also involved in this latest research. Such a cluster could be used to perform "one-way" quantum computing, in which the states of individual particles are measured in a specific sequence so that the quantum state of the remaining particles gives the result of the computation.
Physics World: Topological quantum computing moves closer
Valiants is now free from March 9-10 on Smashwords! https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/120833
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| "Spooky action at a distance" - Einstein |
Artist's view of a single molecule sending a stream of single photons to a second molecule at a distance, in quantum analogy to the radio communication between two stations. Image: Robert Lettow
In the past 20 years scientists have shown that single molecules can be detected and single photons can be generated. However, excitation of a molecule with a photon had remained elusive because the probability that a molecule sees and absorbs a photon is very small. As a result, billions of photons per second are usually impinged on a molecule to obtain a signal from it. One common way to get around this difficulty in atomic physics has been to build a cavity around the atom so that a photon remains trapped for long enough times to yield a favorable interaction probability. Scientists at ETH Zürich and Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light in Erlangen have now shown that one can even interact a flying photon with a single molecule.
The results of the study published in Physical Review Letters provide the first example of long-distance communication between two quantum optical antennas in analogy to the 19th century experiments of Hertz and Marconi with radio antennas. In those early efforts, dipolar oscillators were used as transmitting and receiving antennas. In the current experiment, two single molecules mimic that scenario at optical frequencies and via a nonclassical optical channel, namely a single-photon stream. This opens many doors for further exciting experiments in which single photons act as carriers of quantum information to be processed by single emitters.
Research and Development: Two molecules communicate via single photons
“Bonsoir, chérie, Je vous partir
Bonsoir, chérie, Je vous partir
Je vous aime, beaucoup chérie
Bonsoir, chérie, bonsoir….
“Good night Sweetheart, well it’s time to go..” hummed from her throat.
She wore a black pinstriped, pencil length skirt, with tailored white shirt deeply tucked. She loosely toddled with wide hips. Her weight shifting uneasy on her crooked heel; bent from an unfortunate mishap with a sidewalk crack.
A veiled, black Pill Box Hat, covered her dark hair; with a few tasseled strands, flustering about. She oozed step by step. Stealthily, she glided. Her head held high and a yellow clutch buried underneath her armpit. Bright Berried lipstick tainted her lips and way too much rouge hid her cheeks.
Up the concrete steps, she climbed. Holding black banister, and swinging opposite arm shyly behind her.
The glowing orange bell she pressed.
A loosely dressed young woman answered the door. She wore an over-sized, dingy T-shirt that hung from her shoulders. It barely covered her bare bottom. Her hair was unkempt and a violet bruise on her chest, peeked from underneath.
“Are you her?” she hinted. While slightly opening the door.
“Why, who else would I be, darling?” She mockingly whispered… Her voice was rasp, husky and slow. The girl widened the door and she entered..
“He’s in the bedroom at the top of the stairs.” The girl pointed.
“Alright” she briefed.
As the woman turned to leave.. The girl interrupted, “Um. Mam, don’t you need something else? I mean do you have help coming?”
“Ha!.. No honey, we need this to be discreet. Don’t cha worry none, love.. I got it under control.” She smirked.
She entered the room and discovered a gray haired, critically aged man, sprawled across the bed on his back. His head lay twisted, his chin was upright, and a single stream of blood hung from the corner of his mouth.
“Tis Tis” She shook her head. “I don’t feel sorry for you, you sick old bastard.” She went behind him, cigar in lip..” Aye honey.. you gotta light?” she called out.
” Uhh..Yes Mam.” She peeped. Up the stairs and in the room she darted. She held the light under the woman’s cigar… “Thanks babe.” “Hunh hunh.” The girl quickly sang.
“Darling, get that door for me..” said the woman, (nodding toward the bathroom)
“Yes. Mam.”…
She grabbed the man by the top of his arms, and tugged him from the bed to the floor. When his body hit the floor a pop of blood gushed from underneath him..
“Damn honey, how long has he been dead?”
“Just a couple of hours.” she responded.
“Fuck, this bastard probably didn’t have long to live anyway.” She pulled him into the bathroom and rolled him in the tub.. the clicks of her heels tickled the girl..
Umph. Umph. Umph… She shook her head. “What a mess!” as she glared at the carcass. “Oh well.” She quickly returned to the bedroom, grabbed her purse, pulled another cigar and eyed the girl.
She leaned on a dresser and stared at the girl. She pitied her.
“Here Hun, light this again“. The girl quickly came.
“Look here girly.. (While speaking with the cigar between her lips)..Why don’t you go tidy up and put some clothes on, you ain’t got to be naked all the time. Not no mo’.” (She slightly smiled and nodded at her)…”Give me some time and I’ll let cha know when I’m done.” She glanced at her, with piercing eye.
(Softly) “Oh..okay.” the girl murmured, and hesitantly left the room.
The woman shook her head.. .(Poor child..ain’t got a clue) she laughed..”Damn hoes, getting younger and younger, dirty bastards (referring to the men).
She closed and locked the door. Kicked off her shoes and sat on the edge of the bed.
A deep sigh fell from her chest..Oh..well, let me get this over with. She popped open her purse and retrieved a small bottle filled with a clear liquid. She went to the tub and sprinkled it all over the man. As each drop hit the body..dust rose and small purple burns began to appear.. She muttered some gibberish and a couple of hand movements into the air..and then sprinkled more. The bathroom soon became filled of nebulous fumes.
She coughed and fanned..smoked and gawked. Her eyes bulging from the sight of him. She gagged on the stench.. “Damn.” she grumbled, while fanning the air.
Peering down at him..What kinda hell-hole you come from? You bout the wickedest piece of shit I din come along on..in a long time.
His body withered, stretched and distorted. It hissed, and flailed. His gray hair now..scarlet..and ablaze..Wild loose hair sizzled and popped through the air. At one point, a fiery hair landed on her shirt, she quickly swiped it off..and anxiously brushed all hints of imaginary residue from her clothes.
With disbelief the Woman, watched.
The body convulsed feverishly. The arms jolted and jerked. Raggedy hands smacking the sides of the tub. His smoldering legs..army green with melting pea-green skin; flopped up and down. His toes..bluish gray and turned under..had drooped like rotten grapes.
A blue strange hue outlined him. His teeth clicked and rot from the root..His thick tongue gushed raspberry bubbles. He groaned and grumbled. Moaned and even seemed to smile.
“Aye! Fada!? What’s dis?” In thick Geechee tongue she questioned and rambled about. “Oh. Mi. What kind of sin is deez? Who’s dis Man, Fada? She shouted. “Who’s dis Man?”
“He’s wicked for true. I NEVA seen a evil like dis!“ Fast. She placed the bottle on the edge of the bathroom sink, and her hat as well. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, then quickly reached back to tighten and restrain her hair.
Swiftly, she grabbed the bottle and dosed the man again. An even louder hiss screamed from the man.
She spoke in unknown tongue..and conjured all she had. Her eyes closed and rolled. Tears trickled from the creases.
She then looked up and spoke into the air. “Fada..Fada..dis here Angel ain’t right. He ain’t neva been right. You made a mistake by lettn dis one down here. Ya gotta take he and all his shit away from here. Take he away NOW, Fada.”
Instantly, the room grew dark and full of smoke. With both arms she swiftly collected it, she gathered, and firmly constructed (it) into shape with her hands.
She patted and molded. She slapped and sculpted. Finally, she was finished.
“Whew” she exhaled.
She opened her eyes, and all was well. The air was clear, the tub was empty, and the smell was fresh.
Carefully, holding (it) in the palm of her hand. She grabbed (it) with two fingers and rolled it back and forth. Stretching it out long and making it tight and taut. She then sealed the ends with spit from her lips.
She grabbed her hat, flipped it over, and placed (it) inside a hidden pocket underneath silver lining.
To the mirror, she retreated. She observed herself while she washed her hands and face. Fixed her hair. Straightened her clothes and replaced the Pill Box Hat on her head. She tilted, smiled and blew herself a goodbye kiss.
She exited the bathroom, climbed back into her heels, retrieved her purse, and re-applied her lipstick.
She placed her purse back under her armpit..opened the bedroom door, and called for the girl.
“I’m finished..girl!“. She chimed.
Excitedly, the girl appeared…with high-pitched voice..”Really?!“ She brushed passed the woman and inspected the bedroom and bathroom. “Wow! There’s nothing left! What?..how’d you do it?” she stuttered in amazement.
The lady in The Pill Box Hat..looked at the girl, pulled a cigar from her hat and said…
“Don’t you worry your pretty little head about that girl.” (Smiled) and placed the cigar between her lips…”Hey, let me get that light again?
Any artists or people who know artists, feel free to hop on over to http://bit.ly/zLvAeb and take a look at the project I have going for the design of the cover for my book of shorts, titled Tales from an Apartment.
There will be a $295 prize to the winner.
My girl Takeia created another beautiful profile image of two characters from the Dragon Queen series and Kyle perfected it with his brilliant coloring talent. He made a video to share the process with us. When you get a chance check it out. http://yvonnenicolas.wordpress.com/
It's simply called the New Apple iPad. According to Technabob.com, it uses "a new chip called the A5X, a quad-core CPU/GPU designed to run significantly faster than the existing A5 CPU." That means definition, on the order of "2048×1536, or a total of 3.1 million pixels at a density of 264 pixels per inch."
Be that as it may: Technology Review lists the 800-lb Caveat Emptor in the room - gigabyte downloads.
Eh: that's how CNN described it, as in "hacking a loogie" at the Earth (I know we're made of "star stuff," but that's taking the analogy a bit far):
The last of the Spiritual Entity-Creator God race known as Valiants, Tyro has been awakened after millions of years since the war against Lucifers Vaco Army of Darkness. The Prime Creator destined him to awaken humanity from their spiritual oppression that has plagued the Earth for over 14,000 years. Now The Powers That Be on the planet has discovered his existence, Tyro with the help of benevolent ET's must find out who he is, his destiny, and how to stop the Earth from becoming a prison planet. But with his guardian in trouble, will he be able to fight this invisible war alone?
You can catch Valiants at your local retail sites at Amazon.com, Smashwords.com and Pubit.com for $1.99. Click the links below. Enjoy!
Kindle Link - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006RN0FAO/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_zDXapb16XG12Y
Smashwords Link - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/120833
Pubit Link - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/valiants-tyrone-bracey/1108196950?c...
It's time to get ready for the journey to experience the story of humanity through the eyes' of the last Creator God. Join Tyro and the rest of his fellow Valiant friends as they discover the dark nature of humanity and how to awaken the Valiant within. Remember, this is only the beginning, make sure you're ready for the rest, you haven't seen nothing yet!
Visit Valiants website - http://www.wix.com/tyronebracey99/valiants#!
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Dr Ian Robinson with the NPL watt balance |
NPL (National Physical Laboratory) has produced technology capable of accurate measurements of Planck's constant, which is a significant step towards changing the international definition of the kilogram – currently based on a lump of platinum-iridium metal kept in Paris, France.
I doubt it will change our BMI, but "hope springs eternal"...
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
CHANGA'S SAFARI, Volume 2, by Milton Davis
Order it today from www.mvmediaatl.com
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| 1st Single Atom Transistor - University of New South Wales |
...8 years earlier than predicted!
Physicists at Purdue University and the University of New South Wales have built a transistor from a single atom of phosphorous precisely placed on a bed of silicon, taking another step towards the holy grail of tech research: the quantum computer.
Revealed on Sunday in the academic journal Nature Nanotechnology, the research is part of a decade-long effort at the University of New South Wales to deliver a quantum computer — a machine that would use the seemingly magical properties of very small particles to instantly perform calculations beyond the scope of today’s classical computers.
...the New South Wales team — lead by professor Michelle Simmons — advanced the cause by demonstrating that Ohm’s Law of electrical resistivity extends to the world of very small particles, and now, together with Gerhard Klimeck and his team at Purdue, they’ve made a more significant breakthrough by placing a single-atom transistor exactly where they want to place it.
Wired: Physicists Foretell Quantum Computer With Single-Atom Transistor
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| Maps of the World - Africa |
Africa is quietly undergoing a tech revolution that could transform the continent. CNN's African Voices has highlighted 10 leading tech voices from different African countries. Each one comments on the role technology plays in boosting entrepreneurship and empowering communities in Africa.
CNN links:
Our online Black History Month event ended on February 27, 2012but we're still participating in the discussion. Join our FB group created by Balogun
http://www.facebook.com/groups/206033916159175/
If you're new to the discussion. Start with these links:
Day 1: What is the State of Black Sci-Fi 2012?
Day 2: Why I Love Teen Dystopian Sci-Fi?
Day 3: Why is it important to show race, class, minority politics, or ethnicity in SciFi?
Day 4: Giveaways and Upcoming Paranormal Romance from Alicia McCalla
Day 6: My Tribute to SF Icon Octavia Butler
Day 7: The Grand Finale with a New Short Story from Alicia McCalla
Keep the discussion going for longer than the month of February. Please share it with university professors and high school English teachers. There's still time to talk to the participating artists, authors, and bloggers.
Check out the other members of this Online Black History Month Event:
L. M. Davis, Author--began her love affair with fantasy in the second grade. Her first novel,Interlopers: A Shifters Novel, was released in 2010, and the follow-up Posers: A Shifters Novelwill be released this spring. For more information visit her bloghttp://shiftersseries.wordpress.com/ or her website www.shiftersnovelseries.com.
Milton Davis, Author– Milton Davis is owner/publisher of MVmedia, LLC . As an author he specializes in science fiction and fantasy and is the author of Meji Book One, Meji Book Two and Changa’s Safari. Visit him: http://www.mvmediaatl.com/Wagadu/ andwww.wagadu.ning.com.
Margaret Fieland, Author-- lives and writes in the suburbs west of Boston, MA with her partner and five dogs. She is one of the Poetic Muselings. Their poetry anthology, Lifelineshttp://tinyurl.com/LifelinesPoetry/ is available from Amazon.com Her book, "Relocated," will be available from MuseItUp Publishing in July, 2012. The Angry Little Boy," will be published by 4RV publishing in early 2013. You may visit her website, http://www.margaretfieland.com.
Valjeanne Jeffers, Author -- is an editor and the author of the SF/fantasy novels: Immortal, Immortal II: The Time of Legend and Immortal III: Stealer of Souls. Her fourth and fifth novels: Immortal IV: Collision of Worlds and The Switch: Clockwork will be released this spring. Visit her at: http://valjeanne.wordpress.com andhttp://qandvaffordableediting.blogspot.com/
Alicia McCalla, Author- writes for both young adults and adults with her brand of multicultural science fiction, urban fantasy, and futurism. Her debut novel, Breaking Free will be available February 1, 2012. The Breaking Free theme song created by Asante McCalla is available for immediate download on itunes and Amazon. Visit her at: http://www.aliciamccalla.com
Carole McDonnell, Author--She writes Christian, speculative fiction, and multicultural stories. Her first novel is Wind Follower. Her short fiction has appeared in many anthologies and have been collected in an ebook, Spirit Fruit: Collected Speculative Fiction. Visit Carole:http://carolemcdonnell.blogspot.com/ or http://writersofcolorblogtour.blogspot.com/
Rasheedah Phillips,Author--is the creator of The AfroFuturist Affair in Philly. She plans to debut her first spec/sci-fic novel Recurrence Plot in Spring 2012. You may catch her ruminating from time to time on her blog, AstroMythoLosophy.com.
Nicole Sconiers, Author-is also a screenwriter living in the sunny jungle of L.A. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Antioch University Los Angeles, and she recently published Escape from Beckyville: Tales of Race, Hair and Rage. Visit her: http://nicolesconiers.com/index.html
Jarvis Sheffield, M.Ed. is owner & operator of TheDigitalBrothers.com, BlackScienceFictionSociety.com & BlackCommunityEntertainment.com. Visit him:http://www.blacksciencefictionsociety.com/profiles/blog/list?user=2stjwb1h216fd
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.
Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee
No 412 squadron, RCAF
"High Flight"
Greetings! Starting today, Smashwords is having a week-long sitewide promotion called Read An Ebook Week, where readers can find free and discounted eBooks. I enrolled my fantasy novel The Laroarian Conflict in the promotion as a free book. You can download it for free here:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/22701
Thanks and enjoy.
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| Todd's Quantum Intro |
I recently gave a lecture, screened on the BBC, about quantum theory, in which I pointed out that “everything is connected to everything else”. This is literally true if quantum theory as currently understood is not augmented by new physics. This means that the subatomic constituents of your body are constantly shifting, albeit absolutely imperceptibly, in response to events happening an arbitrarily large distance away; for the sake of argument, let’s say on the other side of the Universe.
This statement received some criticism in scientific circles. Not because it’s wrong, because it isn’t; without this behavior, we wouldn’t be able to explain the bonds that hold molecules together. The problem is that it sounds like woo woo, and quantum theory attracts woo-woo merde-merchants like the pronouncements of New Age mystics attract flies – metaphorically speaking.
This is an article that appears in the Wall Street Journal (link below) by Professor Brian Cox on how Quantum Mechanics can be so misunderstood. Of course, at the end of the article is the obligatory Amazon link to the book on the subject he co-authored.
I've run into a few physicists - in-person and online, that take a dim view of popular books on physics.
Largely, because science is a field of inquiry, so value is given to how you pursue said inquiry, and how many people reference your research in their inquiries (in the right technical journals by all the right people). Kind of incestuous, but essentially how it works. Nobel Prizes in the sciences are awarded for a lifetime of plodding along (in the right direction), and peer review.
Oddly, the conundrum is that popular books on science tend to sell better than free downloads on physics arXiv; also science fiction short stories that sometimes birth movies that nerds and graduate students motivated by common cause (and hormones) go pay money to see.
I agree that inspiring the wonder of science is what is needed now. We've become consumers and not anticipant producers. I've been criticized on this point before, that education is not so "utilitarian."
Science, however is primarily a way of thinking, of organizing one's thoughts around The Scientific Method towards problem-solving. Plays, opera, poetry, sermons, concerts: these things are also enjoyed by scientists as welcome respite from the lab, a break from the questions raised in the lab/fab to tackle problems refreshed; anew.
However, as a society, we are motivated by the entertainment-industrial-complex: all must be show biz - education, science, religious life, engineering, politics, governance or, it is not valued. "Walking Encyclopedia" is replaced by "Walking Google" in the lexicon, answers not instant ≠ value.
Pity [not] the Billionaire: but the researcher striving to strenghten her/his signal; in so much noise.
For Women's History Month:
