Learn about time crystals; why researchers freeze-dried sperm on a postcard; and batching tasks instead of multitasking. Two research teams say they've created time crystals by Briana Brownell Eternal Change for No Energy: A Time Crystal Finally Made Real | Quanta Magazine. (2021, July 30). Quanta Magazine. https://www.quantamagazine.org/first-time-crystal-built-using-googles-quantum-computer-20210730/ Mi, X., Ippoliti, M., Quintana, C., Greene, A., Chen, Z., Gross, J., Arute, F., Arya, K., Atalaya, J., Babbush, R., Bardin, J. C., Basso, J., Bengtsson, A., Bilmes, A., Bourassa, A., Brill, L., Broughton, M., Buckley, B. B., Buell, D. A., & Burkett, B. (2021). Observation of Time-Crystalline Eigenstate Order on a Quantum Processor. ArXiv.org. https://arxiv.org/abs/2107.13571 Randall, J., E, B. C., van, Galicia, A., H, A. M., Markham, M., J, T. D., Machado, F., Y, Y. N., & H, T. T. (2021). Observation of a many-body-localized discrete time crystal with a programmable spin-based quantum simulator. ArXiv.org. https://arxiv.org/abs/2107.00736 Freeze-dried mouse sperm survives a trip on the surface of a postcard by Cameron Duke Heidt, A. (2021, August 5). Freeze-Dried Mouse Sperm Sent by Postcard Produces Baby Mice. The Scientist Magazine®; The Scientist Magazine. https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/freeze-dried-mouse-sperm-sent-by-postcard-produces-baby-mice-69062 Ito, D., Wakayama, S., Emura, R., Ooga, M., & Wakayama, T. (2021). Mailing viable mouse freeze-dried spermatozoa on postcards. IScience, 102815. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2021.102815 Multitasking Is Impossible, So Batch Tasks Instead by Ashley Hamer originally aired September 4, 2018 https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/multitasking-is-impossible-how-a-flat-earth-would Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day withCody Gough andAshley Hamer. Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.
Learn about time crystals; why researchers freeze-dried sperm on a postcard; and batching tasks instead of multitasking.
Two research teams say they've created time crystals by Briana Brownell
Freeze-dried mouse sperm survives a trip on the surface of a postcard by Cameron Duke
Multitasking Is Impossible, So Batch Tasks Instead by Ashley Hamer originally aired September 4, 2018 https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/multitasking-is-impossible-how-a-flat-earth-would
Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.
Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/time-crystals-freeze-dried-sperm-and-batching-tasks
CODY: Hi! You’re about to get smarter in just a few minutes with Curiosity Daily from curiosity-dot-com. I’m Cody Gough.
ASHLEY: And I’m Ashley Hamer. Today, you’ll learn about how researchers created a new type of matter called a time crystal; how we might be able to save biodiversity by freeze-drying sperm; and why your brain isn’t wired for multitasking.
CODY: Let’s satisfy some curiosity.
When you think of a crystal, you might think of a diamond gem in a piece of jewelry, a snowflake fluttering from the sky, or the salt you sprinkle on your dinner. All of these crystals have one important thing in common: they have a regular pattern of atoms in a lattice with a specific symmetry in space. And maybe, just maybe, something similar could be done with time.
You heard that right. Scientists are working to create time crystals, which would be an entirely new kind of matter. They’re doing it by using the same ideas that describe crystal structure in the three dimensions of space, but in the fourth dimension of time.
Something like the water in a glass has space-translation symmetry: if you shrank to the size of an atom, you could go anywhere in the water and see basically the same thing all around you. But when that water freezes, the ice crystal breaks space-translation symmetry. You have to move in a very specific direction by a very specific amount in order to see the same crystal lattice pattern you saw first.
Similarly, a time crystal has a regular pattern, except in time, rather than space. But just like regular crystals are only symmetrical at specific points in space, time crystals are only symmetrical at specific points in time.
Usually, a stable object does not change through time. A rock sitting on a table is stable and doesn’t change; a rock falling to the floor is unstable and does change. But by breaking time-translation symmetry, there could be an alternative: a stable object that does change in a periodic and predictable way.
Here’s the catch. It would have to change without using any energy.
Though it might sound like science fiction, time crystals are a real possibility. And two different research teams claim they’ve actually created them. Although the work has yet to be peer reviewed, it’s promising. While previous attempts failed to satisfy all the criteria needed to be a true time crystal, these new experiments look like they will finally meet them all.
Like other exotic states of matter, time crystals are fragile and difficult to scale. The practical application of a time crystal is still unclear, but if it’s going to prove useful, it needs to be a longer chain of quantum particles. In this case, the two teams used nine and 20 particles, respectively, and the reactions lasted just a few milliseconds. That sounds short, but the proof-of-concept could pave the way for much larger, stable time crystals.
Whether a time crystal becomes the basis for the next Marvel villain, though, just waits to be seen.
If you think your job is tough, you should try transporting mouse sperm. Seriously, for scientists who need to breed a particular mouse strain, sending sperm through the mail in breakable vials is a recipe for disaster — and lost research time. But now, a team of researchers has found a way to freeze-dry sperm on a postcard. And this technique could mean much more than easier mouse breeding.
That’s not to say that easier mouse breeding isn’t a reason to celebrate. You see, most medical studies rely on experiments with mice. Often, that research requires certain genetic strains of mice. Some mouse strains contain particular genetic variations, like genes that alter the mouse’s immune system in a particular way or that make them prone to developing certain cancers. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s an important part of how medicine advances. And it typically requires packing a glass vial on ice, putting it in the mail, and just hoping for the best. Often, the best doesn’t happen. Vials break and ice melts, and that ruins experiments, or at least sets them back.
So that’s why earlier this year, a group of reproductive biologists from Japan tried — and succeeded in — freeze-drying mouse sperm onto a little piece of filter paper, sealing it between two pieces of plastic, attaching it to a postcard, and mailing it 120 miles or 200 kilometers to another lab. Amazingly, that lab was able to not only rehydrate the sperm but use it to produce a litter of healthy mice. This wasn’t the first time the researchers had freeze-dried sperm. In fact, they sent a batch to the International Space Station to study how radiation from space affects cells. But this is the first time freeze-dried sperm has survived being shipped on a postcard.
But like I said, this isn’t just a big deal for mouse breeding. The researchers think that this sperm preservation technique will also allow scientists to create catalogs of genetic information — say, of endangered species. At the moment, all preserved sperm is kept in freezers, which is costly and vulnerable to electricity outages. Freeze-drying sperm might help scientists more easily preserve biodiversity into the future by allowing the construction of the animal equivalent of a seed bank.
If this technology can be perfected, the future of Earth’s biodiversity might be freeze-dried.
CODY: We all want to be more productive. And for a lot of us, that means “multitasking.” Well, if you think that’s the secret to getting more done, then you might want to think again. Since the misguided idea of multitasking is SO POPULAR, we felt compelled to remaster this classic Curiosity Daily clip from 2018 to remind you of the truth — and what you should do instead.
[ASHLEY: 1:57 clip]
Let’s recap the main things we learned today
[ad lib optional]
CODY: Today’s writers were Briana Brownell, Cameron Duke, and Ashley Hamer — who’s also our managing editor.
ASHLEY: Our producer and audio editor is Cody Gough.
CODY: [AD LIB SOMETHING FUNNY] Join us again tomorrow to learn something new in just a few minutes.
ASHLEY: And until then, stay curious!