"In the iconic quantum double-slit experiment, a photon acts like a wave and interferes with itself - illustrating the mind-boggling concept that particles can exist in a 'superposition' of possible locations at once. But just how big can such a quantum object be? At least as big as a blob of around 7,000 sodium atoms, it turns out. Using a painstakingly constructed experimental set-up, researchers managed to observe tell-tale interference patterns for sodium clusters some 8 nanometres wide, with superpositions that stretched across 133 nanometres."
"Researchers have engineered magnetically controlled fluorescent proteins that can be remotely dimmed and brightened in bacterial cells and in animals. The dimming is due to an effect through which the quantum properties of an electron pair in the protein could be altered by a magnetic field. This effect allows researchers to manipulate the brightness of the protein in E. coli bacteria with a combination of magnets and radio waves."
A double-slit-style experiment produced interference patterns for sodium clusters about 8 nanometres wide, demonstrating superpositions that spanned 133 nanometres and involved roughly 7,000 atoms. The size of the clusters approaches that of some viruses, opening possibilities for testing quantum behaviour in biological matter. Separately, researchers engineered magnetically controlled fluorescent proteins whose brightness can be altered in bacteria and animals by combining magnets and radio waves, exploiting magnetic effects on an electron pair. An outline of a hand in an Indonesian cave has been dated to at least 67,800 years, representing the oldest-known cave art. Reports also note a trend toward earlier puberty onset in girls.
#quantum-superposition #macromolecular-interference #magnetogenetics #palaeolithic-art #puberty-trends
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