In a not-so-startling discovery, scientists have supposedly that yawning is contagious, especially between "self-aware or empathic people". The referenced author is perhaps taking things a bit far with the article's title. While I don't doubt yawning is indeed contagious, I question the study's findings; I catch yawns regularly, yet am described by many as the most empathically dimwitted person they've ever met. At any rate, aren't self-awareness and empathy mutually exclusive?
By manipulating the four exciton energy states, scientists have been able to create a crude "quantum-dot" system which behaves like a conventional NOT gate. It uses qubits (quantum particles which can either be 0, 1, or both), the values of which are opposite one another at any given time.
Optometerists everywhere will be up in arms about the of those doggedly persistent and their new-fangled technological breakthroughs. It seems that reading glasses to correct old-age myopia may become a thing of the past, joining such fabled accessories as , , and . Good news for the 40-somethings, but what of us youthful folks who have had our eyesight ruined by staring at poor quality computer monitors for 8 hours each day? I smell a class action...