Author: Rahul M

Princeton engineers extended qubit lifetimes using a new tantalum-silicon design that sharply cuts energy loss. The improvement could enable large, stable quantum processors capable of real-world problem solving. Princeton engineers have taken a significant step toward developing useful quantum computers by creating a superconducting qubit that remains stable for three times longer than the strongest […]

Oleksandra Stolyar was living near Kyiv, Ukraine, when she learned that her apartment in the occupied Ukrainian port city of Mariupol would be confiscated by the Russian-installed government.The problem was that she, like tens of thousands of others, had fled war-torn Mariupol several years ago, and hadn’t reregistered her property because she didn’t become a Russian citizen. She considered the idea of taking a Russian passport morally repugnant. “I had already bid farewell to my apartment, to the furniture, to all the stuff that I had there,” said Stolyar, a 46-year-old kindergarten music teacher, adding, “but I am sad that…

KYIV, Ukraine — It is another make-or-break moment of wartime leadership for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine.Late last week, the Trump administration delivered to Zelenskyy a 28-point peace plan that many Ukrainians and their Western allies have called a wish list for Russia, a reward for its aggression and a betrayal of Ukraine. The Ukrainian leader was given seven days to either accept it or potentially watch the United States walk away from any remaining support. President Donald Trump appears to be doubling down on his statement earlier this year that Ukraine doesn’t “have the cards” to keep fighting, with…

RIO DE JANEIRO — The emergency alert reached the Brazilian police at 12:07 a.m. Saturday: The former president’s ankle monitor had been tampered with.Officers entered the home of the ex-president, Jair Bolsonaro, to find the electronic monitor charred and mangled, but still strapped on.There hadn’t been a fire or an accident. Instead, Bolsonaro had burned the device tracking his every move, he told police, days before he was expected to begin a 27-year prison sentence for trying to stage a coup.Bolsonaro, 70, wasn’t trying to flee, his sons, allies and lawyers said. Rather, he felt unwell because of his medications.“Bolsonaro…

A24 The Academy generates lots of heat for (among other matters) what they do and don’t reward best picture. While certain eras yielded a near-perfect streak of revered classics, like practically all the ’70s best picture winners, others have featured numerous victors that have gone down more infamously. Many of the biggest best picture snubs of all time exemplify how certain movies boasting this accolade inspire more jeers than cheers. The 2010s and its ten best picture winners were no exception. Across this decade, several winners were chosen that have been among some of…

In 2025, it feels as if everyone’s in mourning and wracked with indecision about what to do about an evil king. That’s one possible explanation for why four different cinematic takes on William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” have spent this fall making their way around the film festival circuit. Each of these movies has its own unique approach to the classic revenge tragedy, some reworking it for different settings (present day corporate intrigue, fantasy alternate realities) and others being more broadly about producing the play itself. Multiplexes might not be as flooded with “Hamlet” movies as…

Jim Ross/Getty Images Roger Ebert was a titan of modern film criticism, always rendering his opinion in plain-spoken but precise language — and gathering plenty of fans of his own along the way. But in his long career, he only gave two Marvel films (and a handful of sci-fi films) a perfect 4 out of 4 stars: “Spider-Man 2” from 2004 and “Iron Man” from 2008. While Ebert wasn’t a huge fan of the original “Spider-Man,” giving it only 2 ½ stars and even less of a fan of the…

CARACAS (AP) — International airlines increasingly canceled flights to Venezuela on Sunday after t he U.S. Federal Aviation Administration warned pilots to use caution when flying in the country’s airspace because of worsening security and heightened military activity.Marisela de Loaiza, president of the Airlines Association in Venezuela, told The Associated Press that six carriers have indefinitely suspended flights: TAP, LATAM, Avianca, Iberia, Gol and Caribbean. Turkish Airlines suspended flights from Nov. 24 to 28.Colombian President Gustavo Petro wrote Sunday on X that “there must be regular flights to all Latin American countries and from Latin America and the world.” “Countries…

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — On his first full day in jail, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro told a judge on Sunday he had violated his ankle monitoring the day before at his house arrest because of a nervous breakdown and hallucinations caused by a change in his medication.Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the 70-year-old leader’s preemptive jailing Saturday for he is considered a flight risk. Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison in September for attempting a coup to remain in the presidency after his 2022 electoral defeat. “(Bolsonaro) said he had ‘hallucinations’ that there was some…

Warner Bros. The “Harry Potter” franchise has defined an entire generation. Witnessing young Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) learn not only that he’s a wizard, but is the only one who can take down Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) is quite a bit to process for an 11-year-old. He handles it best he can, thanks to the help and support of those around him. Harry has a great friend group in Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), and votes of confidence from Albus Dumbledore (Richard Harris, Michael Gambon), Rubeus…