Test flight of the X-59; a confounding quantum calculation; the universe is not simulated

This week, researchers published LIGO results that suggest the existence of second-generation black holes. Astronomers have captured a spectacular new image of the Milky Way over a wide range of radio wavelengths. And medical researchers report that oxytocin, the “cuddle hormone,” synchronizes heart rate and breathing.

Plus: Researchers report a problem that would take a future quantum computer “unfathomably” long to calculate; NASA conducted the first test flight of its X-59 supersonic aircraft; and a team of physicists has mathematically proven that we do not, in fact, live in a simulated universe running on the computer system of a higher intelligence. So that’s one less thing to worry about:

Difficult calculation

The fundamental unit of classical computing, the bit, can only be binary, equivalent to a one or a zero. Quantum computers use overlapping and entangled states of particles as qubits, thereby providing multiple states that exist simultaneously. The main advantages of theoretical quantum computers include secure cryptographic keys and the ability to solve huge problems instantly. This week, researchers reported a problem that a quantum computer would be unable to solve in a reasonable time: recognizing the phases of matter in unknown quantum states.

At the macro level, phases of matter such as liquid and gas phases are quickly identifiable, but there are many quantum phases that are new to science, such as symmetry-protected quantum phases, and their identification opens new avenues of research in physics and information science. But some phases are difficult to recognize. Recognition difficulty increases with phase range, that is, the measure of the distance over which the properties of an many-body quantum system are correlated.

By designing a mathematical scenario using a quantum computer to identify the phase of a quantum object based on its quantum state, they demonstrated that the calculation time increases exponentially with the correlation range.

Never give up on the dream, rich people

The supersonic Concorde airliner entered commercial service in 1976 with assets far below the initial optimistic projections of 350 planes: a total of 14 were built, making daily flights at twice the speed of sound, taking two hours and 52 minutes to travel from JFK to Heathrow. It’s a bygone era of American life that wealthy older people remember fondly. The crash of a Concorde in 2000, killing all those on board, removed demand for supersonic flights and all remaining planes were withdrawn from service three years later.

One of the biggest obstacles to the return and expansion of supersonic commercial flight is overcoming the sonic boom, the atmospheric shock wave created when a plane breaks the sound barrier. Ultra-fast planes are generally banned over populated areas, and the Concorde itself only accelerates to supersonic speeds over the ocean.

This week, NASA conducted the first test flight of its experimental Lockheed Martin X-59 jet, designed to minimize sonic boom. The test flight, intended only to test the structural integrity of the aircraft, was not supersonic, but future tests will demonstrate how loudly the X-59 breaks the sound barrier. The low-boom plane is ultimately expected to fly at Mach 1.5, or 990 miles per hour.

Elon, as usual, is wrong

Are we living in a digital simulation running on the supercomputer of an advanced civilization? What if their computer was so advanced that our universe was just a screen saver? What happens to us when a five-dimensional intelligent being waves the mouse?

If the universe can be simulated at the appropriate granularity, it stands to reason that life could evolve within that simulation and eventually reach a technological threshold that allows a simulated intelligent programmer to create yet another simulation. This recursive framework increases the likelihood that we ourselves live in a simulated universe, a belief sometimes espoused by right-wing provocateur and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

A team of researchers (which unfortunately includes the disgraced astrophysicist Lawrence Krauss) has demonstrated mathematically that such a simulation is not feasible. Using mathematical theorems related to quantum incompleteness and indefinability, the team shows that a complete description of reality can never be obtained through calculation alone. This is because the fundamental laws of physics generate space and time and therefore cannot be contained in space and time.

Dr Mir Faizal of the University of British Columbia Okanagan says: “All simulation is inherently algorithmic: it must follow programmed rules. But since the fundamental level of reality is based on non-algorithmic understanding, the universe cannot be, and never can be, a simulation. »

© 2025 Science X Network