Volume 18 - September-December 2012
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Story 1 - 27/9/2012
Photonic Brains
Thinking at the speed of light may soon acquire new meaning — inspired by how the brain processes information, researchers present an optical system capable of recognizing spoken words.
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Story 2 - 22/10/2012
A Wind Tunnel for Quantum Physics
Simulating quantum phenomena on today’s computers can be extremely challenging. Yet, just like the wind tunnel changed the trajectory of modern aviation, new specially built quantum simulators may soon guide the design of tailor-made quantum materials.
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Story 3 - 6/11/2012
Outclassing Superheroes
Superheroes, watch out! A new rival, such as you have never come up against before, is in town. Progress is the name! And the exclusivity of your superpowers may well be at stake.
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Story 4 - 21/11/2012
Peeking Around Corners
Until now cameras have only been able to see what is in front of them. Thanks to recent developments in ultra-fast imaging and computational photography, they may also soon be able to see objects out of the line of sight.
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Story 5 - 19/12/2012
Your Eyes Can Write
Our eyes perceive our surroundings, convey emotion and, some may say, that they can even speak, loud and clear. Now, with the help of an optical illusion, our eyes can also write.
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Story 6 - 31/12/2012
Quantum Randomness on a Chip
Online banking, e-commerce and data protection are currently secured by pseudo-random numbers which could, eventually, one day be cracked due to the fact that they are not truly random. A new approach based on quantum optics may soon allow for safer operations by efficiently generating truly random numbers.