Capturing electrons in action – Nobel in physics explained

+ AI and propaganda; the necrobiome; rewiring the brain US Edition - Today's top story: Making 'movies' at the attosecond scale helps researchers better understand electrons − and could one day lead to super-fast electronics [View in browser]( US Edition | 4 October 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( The week in October when the Nobel Prizes are awarded is a busy one for science editors here at The Conversation, as my colleagues who worked late the past two evenings can tell you. To help you wade through the news, below are headlines from our coverage so far. Tomorrow we'll have a story from a nanotechnology expert on the Nobel Prize in chemistry, which was awarded today to three researchers for their work on quantum dots. - [What is an attosecond?]( A physical chemist explains the tiny time scale behind Nobel Prize-winning research - [Making ‘movies’ at the attosecond scale](helps researchers better understand electrons − and could one day lead to super-fast electronics - [Tenacious curiosity in the lab can lead to a Nobel Prize]( – mRNA research exemplifies the unpredictable value of basic scientific research - [What is mRNA?](The messenger molecule that’s been in every living cell for billions of years is the key ingredient in some COVID-19 vaccines - [Just 3 Nobel Prizes cover all of science](– how research is done today poses a challenge for these prestigious awards When ChatGPT came onto the scene late last year, there immediately was lots of hand-wringing in media circles around whether generative artificial intelligence would take jobs away from journalists. But my immediate worry with regard to media was the potential for disinformation. Harvard Kennedy School security expert Bruce Schneier shares that concern, particularly when it comes to politics, calling generative AI and large language models “[uniquely suited to internet-era propaganda](.” It remains to be seen how this powerful technology will change the information landscape, but his piece offers a valuable analysis of the major global trends around disinformation. If you’re a regular reader, you know that The Conversation has written extensively on the microbiome and other microbial communities found in our bodies and the environment. But here’s one that was new to me: the necrobiome, or the [microbes in people’s bodies that live on after we die](. Environmental microbiologist Jennifer DeBruyn from the University of Tennessee provides a detailed picture of how they not only aid in the decomposition process but also recycle carbon and nutrients from our bodies once they enter the soil. “That our own microbes play an important role in this cycle is one microscopic way we live on after death,” she writes. Also in this week’s science news: - [Latest research on psychedelics and therapy to rewire the brain]( - [Better model for losing weight than 10,000 steps]( - [Turtles threatened by often-illegal wildlife trade]( If there’s a subject you’d like our team of science editors to investigate – after all the Nobel Prizes are announced – please reply to this email. Martin LaMonica Director of Editorial Projects and Newsletters Attosecond light pulses help researchers understand the movement of electrons. Greg Stewart/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory [Making ‘movies’ at the attosecond scale helps researchers better understand electrons − and could one day lead to super-fast electronics]( Niranjan Shivaram, Purdue University The 2023 Nobel Prize in physics recognized researchers studying electron movement in real time − this work could revolutionize electronics, laser imaging and more. The intersection of politics and social media is fertile ground for AI-powered disinformation. AP Photo/John Minchillo [AI disinformation is a threat to elections − learning to spot Russian, Chinese and Iranian meddling in other countries can help the US prepare for 2024]( Bruce Schneier, Harvard Kennedy School ChatGPT and its ilk give propagandists and intelligence agents a powerful new tool for interfering in politics. The clock is ticking on learning to spot this disinformation before the 2024 election. After you die, bacteria harvest your body for the nutrients that help push daisies. Matriyoshka/iStock via Getty Images Plus [Your microbes live on after you die − a microbiologist explains how your necrobiome recycles your body to nourish new life]( Jennifer DeBruyn, University of Tennessee With the help of the microbes that once played an essential role in keeping you alive, the building blocks of your body go on to become a part of other living things. [Sea glass, a treasure formed from trash, is on the decline as single-use plastic takes over]( Lori Weeden, UMass Lowell Sea glass, while an eye-catching treasure and a multimillion-dollar industry, exists because of decades of improper waste management. [Climate change is about to play a big role in government purchases – with vast implications for the US economy]( Jesse Burkhardt, Colorado State University; Lauren Gifford, Colorado State University The Biden administration directed agencies to consider the cost of greenhouse gas emissions in their future purchasing and budget decisions. An example shows just how much is at stake. [China’s WeChat is all-encompassing but low-key − a Chinese media scholar explains the Taoist philosophy behind the everything app’s design]( Jianqing Chen, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis The design philosophy of the everything app WeChat may seem paradoxical, being simultaneously pervasive and inconspicuous. But this idea of “everythingness” goes back to ancient Taoist philosophy. [Superconductivity at room temperature remains elusive a century after a Nobel went to the scientist who demonstrated it below -450 degrees Fahrenheit]( David D. Nolte, Purdue University Superconductivity may sound like science fiction, but the first experiments to achieve it were conducted over a century ago. Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, credited with the discovery, won a Nobel Prize in 1913. - [Navigating the risks and benefits of AI: Lessons from nanotechnology on ensuring emerging technologies are safe as well as successful]( Andrew Maynard, Arizona State University; Sean Dudley, Arizona State University Two decades ago, the nanotechnology revolution avoided stumbling by bringing a wide range of people to the table to chart its development. The window is closing fast on AI following suit. - [Nationwide test of Wireless Emergency Alert system could test people’s patience – or help rebuild public trust in the system]( Elizabeth Ellcessor, University of Virginia; Hamilton Bean, University of Colorado Denver If an alert from the federal government pops up on your phone, will you notice it? Will you know who it’s from? Will you trust it? - [Juries that don’t understand forensic science can send innocent people to prison − a short training video could help]( Devon LaBat, Florida International University; Deborah Goldfarb, Florida International University; Jacqueline R. Evans, Florida International University; Nadja Schreiber Compo, Florida International University Educating mock jurors about what kinds of statements are appropriate − or not − led to more critical assessments of forensic testimony and improved the quality of their decisions. - [Cell death is essential to your health − an immunologist explains when cells decide to die with a bang or take their quiet leave]( Zoie Magri, Tufts University Your cells die to keep you alive. Cell death does everything from fighting cancer cells and pathogens to forming your fingers and toes. - [Tropical climates are the most biodiverse on Earth − but it’s not only because of how warm and wet they are]( Marco Túlio Pacheco Coelho, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL); Catherine Graham, Stony Brook University (The State University of New York); Dave Roberts, Montana State University A new study reveals how the geography of global climates influences the rich patterns of species diversity in an ever-changing world. - [How do astronomers know the age of the planets and stars?]( - [Psychedelics plus psychotherapy can trigger rapid changes in the brain − new research at the level of neurons is untangling how]( - [The Green Revolution is a warning, not a blueprint for feeding a hungry planet]( - [HIV self-test kits are meant to empower those at risk − but they don’t necessarily lead to starting HIV treatment or prevention]( - [As extreme downpours trigger flooding around the world, scientists take a closer look a global warming’s role]( - [Tracking daily step counts can be a useful tool for weight management – an exercise scientist parses the science]( - [There’s a thriving global market in turtles, and much of that trade is illegal]( - Like this newsletter? 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