Researchers at the University of Oxford have discovered that measuring the ticks of a quantum clock consumes up to one billion times more energy than the clock’s own operation, fundamentally challenging assumptions about efficiency in quantum technologies. Published in Physical Review Letters, the study used a microscopic clock based on a single electron hopping between two nanoscale regions in a double quantum dot. Lead author Professor Natalia Ares explained: “Quantum clocks running at the smallest scales were expected to lower the energy cost of timekeeping, but our new experiment reveals a surprising twist.” Co-author Vivek Wadhia noted that the entropy from measurement, long overlooked, dominates thermodynamic costs at this scale. Rather than a limitation, the finding suggests that smarter, lower-energy measurement techniques could enable more precise and autonomous quantum sensors, navigation systems, and computing devices, while deepening understanding of time’s arrow through the quantum-to-classical transition.
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The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) has launched Hack4Freedom, the first AI hackathon led by human rights defenders from authoritarian regimes, set for January 17-18 at Bitcoin Park in Austin, Texas. The event pairs dissidents facing censorship, surveillance, and financial repression with leading open-source AI developers to rapidly prototype freedom-enhancing tools. Supported by a 1 BTC prize pool, including a grand prize for the most impactful project, the hackathon leverages AI to turn urgent activist challenges into functional solutions within days. “We’re putting cutting-edge technology directly into the hands of those fighting for liberty on the front lines,” HRF stated. By accelerating innovation at the intersection of AI and human rights, Hack4Freedom signals a bold step toward decentralized, resilient tools that empower individuals against state repression worldwide.
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OpenSats has awarded long-term support to veteran Bitcoin Core contributor Andrew Toth for his sustained work on performance and privacy enhancements that make running a fully validating node faster and more private. Toth’s optimizations have dramatically accelerated initial block download and block-connection times, especially for pruned nodes with limited storage, while his authorship of BIP 374 and co-authorship of BIP 375 advance silent payments through partially signed Bitcoin transactions (PSBTs). He also supports private transaction broadcast features to strengthen network-level privacy for self-hosted nodes. “Performance and privacy are essential for using Bitcoin in a self-sovereign way, and I’m glad to see these efforts recognized and supported,” Toth said. The grant enables continued refinement of validation caching, IBD speed, and privacy tools across the Bitcoin Core codebase, reinforcing resilient, decentralized infrastructure for the bitcoin industry.
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Data center demand was the primary driver behind an 82% surge in PJM Interconnection capacity auction revenue, pushing costs from $8.8 billion to $16.1 billion in the latest sale, according to a report by Monitoring Analytics, the grid operator’s independent market monitor. Combined with the prior auction, data center load accounted for $16.6 billion, roughly half the total collected across both events. “Data center load growth is the primary reason for recent and expected capacity market conditions, including total forecast load growth, the tight supply and demand balance, and high prices,” the monitor stated. The report warns of “extreme uncertainty” in forecasts and renewed calls for new data centers to secure their own generation, a move that could shield existing consumers from volatile price spikes while enabling continued expansion of digital infrastructure across the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest.
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