Tag Archives: Technology

String theory: scientists are trying new ways to verify the idea that could unite all of physics

Professor Marika Taylor is Pro Vice Chancellor and Head of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. Marika commenced her career as an undergraduate student studying Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge, inspired to follow this pathway having read “A Brief History of Time” by Stephen Hawking. After completing her undergraduate studies, Marika undertook a PhD with Hawking; her thesis “Problems in M-Theory” focused on black holes, string theory and holography.
Following a research fellowship at St John’s College, Cambridge, Marika moved to the Netherlands, working first at Utrecht University in the group of Nobel Laureate Gerard ‘t Hooft and then at the University of Amsterdam. In 2012 she moved to the University of Southampton as part of a strategic investment to establish a new research centre (STAG) bringing together gravity, high energy physics and astronomy. She later took on a variety of leadership roles at Southampton including Head of the School of Mathematical Sciences. She became a fellow of the Alan Turing Institute in 2019.
Her research interests range from mathematical and theoretical physics through to geometric AI and its applications; mathematical modelling for defence, security and finance, and the sociology of science. Marika has held many academic leadership roles nationally and internationally, including REF2021 panel member; advisory board of the Academy for Mathematical Sciences; advisory roles to government departments and agencies; chairing of research council committees and divisions in the UK and Europe, and leadership of the CERN GenHET initiative.

As above, so below: ‘Organic Worlds’ celebrates human-nature symbiogenesis

Curated by Dr. Charissa Terranova at the SP/N Gallery at The University of Texas at Dallas, ‘Organic Worlds: Symbiogenesis in Art’ tackles its subject matter(s) of organisms and organicism, and, arguably, of the Great Chain of Being and Lynn Margulis’ theory of symbiogenesis. ‘Organic Worlds’ seats mankind as conscious players in the biological Great Chain of Being — below God and above rock — and invites the layman viewer to introspect upon and engage with the commemorations of life in this exhibition.

Rutherford Chang: Hundreds and Thousands

Rutherford Chang’s first institutional solo presentation ‘Hundreds and Thousands’ is at UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing. Rutherford Chang (1979-2025) was a New York-based conceptual artist whose practice revolved around collection, repetition, cultural memory, and value. His work often recontextualized everyday media, transforming their significance to reveal underlying cultural narratives. This marks the first posthumous exhibition for the artist and first solo museum exhibition as well as the worldwide debut of several works.

Puzzling slow radio pulses are coming from space. A new study could finally explain them

Csanád Horváth
“I am a radio astronomy PhD student at Curtin University in Western Australia. I study the recently discovered long-period radio transients; minute-to-hour period radio pulses which weren’t thought to exist before 2022.”

Natasha Hurley-Walker
“I am an Associate Professor at the Curtin University node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research. I received my PhD in Radio Astronomy from the University of Cambridge in 2010 and have led several large-area radio sky surveys with the Murchison Widefield Array, exploring a wide range of science topics including supernova remnants, galaxy clusters, radio galaxy life cycles, and transient astronomy. You can find out more about my outreach activities, awards, and media via my website.”

Information could be a fundamental part of the universe – and may explain dark energy and dark matter

Florian Neukart is Assistant Professor of Physics, Leiden University. He is widely recognized as a leading figure in high technology, innovation, and future tech. With extensive experience in academia, industry, and consulting, he has established himself as a trusted advisor and practitioner in artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

Currently serving as the Executive Board Member for Product at Terra Quantum AG, as the Director for Exponential Technologies at the Quantum Economy Institute, and on Board of Trustees of the International Foundation of Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing, Florian also holds a special advisory role at the Quantum Strategy Institute and serves on the Board of Advisors of KI Park. He has contributed significantly to shaping Germany’s approach to quantum computing as a co-author of the National Roadmap for Quantum Computing and sits on the Advisory Board of Quantum.Tech. Florian’s expertise has also been sought after on the global stage, as evidenced by his membership in the World Economic Forum’s Future Council on Quantum Computing.

AI-generated images can exploit how your mind works − here’s why they fool you and how to spot them

Arryn Robbins (she/her) is Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Richmond.
Dr. Robbins is a cognitive psychologist whose expertise is in visual attention and memory. Her research focuses on how visual attention interacts with memory, experience, and expectations, particularly during visual search tasks in both everyday and applied settings. She explores questions like: How do we guide our attention in unfamiliar environments? How do our past experiences shape what we notice—or overlook? Dr. Robbins also addresses research questions in applied domains of visual cognition, such as design, and professional search (e.g., radiology or search and rescue). Dr. Robbins uses tools like eye-tracking and machine learning to uncover patterns in visual behavior. She is currently leading a project to develop webcam-based eye-tracking tools, making gaze research more accessible and scalable for researchers across disciplines.

Constant

‘Constant’, an AI film by Danny Ratcliff, follows Bailee from childhood through motherhood, chronicling her lifelong relationship with an AI companion. Beginning with Bailee’s birth in 2023. The narrative explores how trust with artificial intelligence, established early and nurtured over time, can become a cornerstone relationship. While some in our culture remain skeptical of AI technology, Bailee’s story represents what’s possible when a relationship is built on genuine partnership rather than fear of technology. The film culminates with Bailee introducing her five-year-old daughter Natasha to her AI companion, passing down the same trust that shaped her own life.