Daily Archives: April 9, 2021

Perfume Bottles Then and Now: The History of a Sensory Art Form – My Modern Met

Posted: April 9, 2021 at 2:32 am

Glass alabastrons (perfume bottles) from classical Greece, during the late 6th5th century BCE. These are. core-formed glass vessels. (Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public domain)

The history of scent is largely ephemeral. After all, the aromas of pressed lilies from the Nile banks or the precious ambergris, once worth more than gold, are hard to imagine if you've never smelled these rarities.

While the scent of these delicate perfume ingredients vanishes with time, countless examples of exquisite perfume bottles and containers remain to remind us of the history of the most-neglected sense. From ancient Egypt to modern Paris, the history of perfume bottles is entwined with the history of glassmaking, as well as broader artistic movements and each culture's specific uses of perfumes.

Read on to learn more about the artistic history of perfume bottles.

Ancient Egyptian perfume bottles. Left: A faience vessel in the shape of a monkey. This dates to the New Kingdom, circa 15501295 BCE | Right: A travertine perfume vessel with the figure of a princess inlaid. The vessel dates to the New Kingdom, Amarna Period, circa 13531336 BCE (Photos: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public domain)

While the deliberate use of scents has existed for many thousands of years, some of the earliest distilled and mixed perfumes appeared in ancient Mesopotamia, India, and China. Of the surviving purpose-made vessels for perfume, ancient Egyptian examples date back to at least the Middle Kingdom.

The Egyptians had both religious and cosmetic uses for perfumes. These perfumes were famous around the ancient Mediterranean and exported as part of regional trade. Common ingredients included lilies, cardamom, cinnamon, and myrrh.

Ancient Egyptian perfume bottles were delicate and beautifully crafted as symbolic vessels for the wealthy to keep with their personal cosmetics. These vessels could be carved from stones such as travertine marble or molded from faience (a type of ceramic used in luxury items). Colorful glass was another material frequently used for cosmetic and perfume vessels in ancient Egypt. They were crafted via a process called core-forming, in which a soft form is dipped in molten glass at the end of a rod. Once the glass hardens in the shape of the form, the soft interior form is scraped out to create a hollow vessel.

This ancient glassmaking process developed in Mesopotamia and spread westward to Egypt. The artisans of 18th Dynasty Egypt (the period from 1549 to 1292 BCE) were renowned for their exquisite core-form works, often featuring striped patterns in rich colors. This style of glassmaking spread to Classical Greece. Known as alabastrons, these perfume bottles could be shaped like vials or like amphorae. Faience and terra-cotta were also used in ancient Greece. Exquisite shapes from shells to birds display the variety of vessels available for those who could afford luxurious scents and fine craftsmanship.

Two Roman blown glass perfume bottles, both from the 1st century CE. The left features a white trail of wound glass, the right is a single color example. (Photos: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public domain)

The core-formed vessel was eventually phased out by the invention of blowing glass. Syrian artists developed the process around the 1st century BCE. From there, like core-forming, the technology spread to the rapidly expanding Roman Empire. By most accounts, upper-class Romans were perfume-enthusiasts, anointing from their hair to their feet. This fashion for scents was viewed by some as a moral failing. Pliny the Elder wrote, Perfumes serve the purpose of the most superfluous of all forms of luxury; for pearls and jewels do nevertheless pass to the wearers heir, and clothes last for some time, but ingredients lose their scent at once, and die in the very hour when they are used All that money is paid for a pleasure enjoyed by someone else, for a person carrying scent about himself does not smell it himself.

Whether a moral failing of the Romans or not, a fashion for perfumes required large-scale production of perfume bottles. Blown glass opened a new art form. More translucent and faster to produce than core-formed or cast glass, glassblowing encouraged a rapidly growing, ever-creative industry within the Empire. The Romans used glass for tableware, jewelry, and of course cosmetic containers. Besides the beauty of these blown glass perfume bottles, they were non-porous and relatively affordable.

A miniature perfume sprinkler to be worn on the person. This example from late 13th or early 14th century Egypt carries the Fesse Emblem, a mark of the Mamluk sultan. (Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public domain)

After the fall of Rome, Europe entered the period often called the Dark Ages. While somewhat of a misnomer, a lot of scientific knowledge was neglected and would only be reinvigorated in the later Renaissance. However, the famous Persian philosopher, astronomer, and physician Ibn Sina (also known as Avicenna, lived 980-1037 CE) developed and publicized a process for distilling floral essential oils. This process was an improvement on older perfumes, in which ingredients were crushed and mixed with oil. A variation of the distillation process articulated by Ibn Sina had also been in use in ancient India likely since around 3000 BCE.

While the Indian and Persian perfume traditions continued to flourish, it would not be until the crusades that European interest in crafting perfume was reignited. Both military and trade voyages to the Holy Land introduced Europeans to the attars (botanical essential oils), particularly a signature distillation of roses. They were also re-exposed to animal-based scents such as musk (secretion coming from the musk deer), civet (from the civet), and ambergris (discharge from sperm whales).

The production of perfumes in Europe took hold in the late Middle Ages. Guilds of perfumers were established to grow (and protect) the budding industry, which was closely nourished by royals and their courts. In the late 14th century, Hungarian court perfumers crafted Hungary Water, a perfume that mixed the traditional aromatic oils with alcohol. The alcohol-based perfume was perfected by the Italians in the 14th century, the liquid aqua mirabilis (marvelous water) was a powerful scented concoction. The need to bottle these luxurious perfumes coincided with the growing Venetian glass industry.

Left: Late 16th-century perfume sprinkler from Venice. | Right: A small scent bottle meant to be worn as a pendant, of agate, gold, and gemstones. This 17th-century bottle was added to in later years. (Photos: The Trustees of the British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

During the late medieval and Renaissance period, solid perfumes were housed in pomanders and worn on the body, while liquid perfumes were housed in exquisite vials. Venice became known for producing delicate, thin glass vessels in a style known as cristallo (meaning clear glass). This faon de Venise spread around Europe throughout the Renaissance, as both perfumery and glassmaking gained in popularity. In the 16th century, the Italian noblewoman Catherine de Medici became Queen of France, bringing her personal perfumer Ren the Florentine with her. She set a court fashion of perfumes laden with civet and musk, stimulating French production.

The perfume bottles of the late medieval and Renaissance period demonstrate a reinvigorated luxury and the ever-evolving techniques of artisans. The perfume sprinkler (above) would have been used to scent a room, and it demonstrates a classic Venetian cane-working technique. Perfume bottles could also be much smallerand like the pomanderworn on the person. The scents of the nobility were often lavishly housed, such as the example in carved agate and gold set with rubies. These personal perfumes were handy in a world where bathing and personal hygiene were not up to modern standards.

Left: Earthenware English scent bottle, created between 17701800. | Right: Porcelain and gold Viennese scent bottle, circa 1730. (Photos: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public domain)

European perfume bottles of the 18th century were heavily influenced by the fashions and artistic movements of the day. Crafted in glass, porcelain, or even white glass masquerading as porcelain, scent bottles were no longer the sole provision of the fabulously wealthy. Global trade and the rise of a European middle class interested in luxury goods meant that commercially-produced perfumes were more widely available to those with disposable income. Borrowing from Neoclassical styles, the scrolls and gilding of Rococo design, and the Romantic pastoral scenes, perfume bottles followed the artists trends of both painters and the decorative arts. Production of perfume vessels was also no longer exclusive to Italy; fine examples could be found in London, Vienna, and other cities.

Glasswork came to the American colonies quite early; the first workshop was established at Jamestown in 1608. Domestic production would not match imports until the late 18th century. In the 19th century, mass production was increasingly possible due to the advancement of the Industrial Revolution.

For perfume bottles, Neoclassical designs were popular in Europe, but American consumers were also developing their own unique tastes. These trended towards ornate decoration and cut or molded glass. Jewelers such as Louis Comfort Tiffany created luxury works of art for the most affluent consumers, such as this perfume bottle cut of agate and decorated with gold and sapphires in an Art Nouveau style.

Glass and gilt perfume bottle by Louis Comfort Tiffany, circa 1900. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)

In the 20th century, some of the most famous names in glass and perfume established reputations that hold to this day. French jeweler Ren Lalique became known for his frosted glass perfume bottles. Many 20th-century perfume bottles featured an atomizer, a late 19th-century invention that produces a fine spray from a liquid. While perfume brands had name recognition in the 19th century, the bottles and brands became identifiable as part of a larger fashion milieu. The perfect example is Chanel No. 5, a fragrance introduced in 1921 by designer Coco Chanel.

Based on a 1924 design, the Chanel No. 5 was purposefully simple in reaction to the cut-glass works of the likes of Lalique. It was, and still is, clear; the amber-colored liquid is on full display. By the 1930s, smaller sizes were available for the ease of the modern woman on the go. The perfume and its signature bottle remain iconic, from being name-dropped by Marilyn Monroe to cameos in music lyrics today.

Perfume bottles today are heavily branded, unlike the largely anonymous pieces of ancient times. However, with careful product design, the perfume bottle remains a work of art.

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Bergeron, Marchand Make History in B’s Win Over Flyers – BlueJackets.com

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PHILADELPHIA - After over a decade of dominance as Boston's dynamic top-line duo, it should hardly come as a surprise when Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand pace the Bruins to victory.

But during Tuesday night's crucial 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center, the pair came through with a performance worthy of the record books - literally.

Bergeron potted his sixth career hat trick and also picked up the 900th point of his NHL career on his first goal of the night. Boston's captain became just the fourth player in club history to reach that mark, joining Ray Bourque, Johnny Bucyk, and Phil Esposito.

On Monday night in Boston, the 35-year-old surpassed Rick Middleton for sole possession of fourth place on the B's all-time scoring list with his 899th career point.

Video: BOS@PHI: Bergeron opens the scoring with 900th point

Marchand, meanwhile, continued his shorthanded supremacy with the winning shorty at 8:21 of the third. It was his 29th career shorthanded goal, extending his club record. The winger also set a new record as the tally was his 48th career shorthanded point, propelling him past Eddie Westfall and Bobby Orr for the top spot in Bruins history.

"It certainly was tonight, and it is most every night," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said of the duo's leadership pulling the Bruins along. "One's the captain, one's the assistant. They're elite players in the league, they're always talked about when it comes to leadership in Boston and throughout the league and awards in the league.

"Tonight, they were clearly our two best forwards. [Craig] Smith has done a good job alongside them, trying to read off them, feed off them. I can't say enough about them, they were obviously difference makers tonight, and we needed it."

Video: BOS@PHI: Marchand tucks it home through the five hole

One of Boston's other longest-tenured players also factored in huge during the victory. After missing 20 games as he recovered from discomfort in his surgically repaired knee, Kevan Miller returned to the lineup and helped lead the way for Boston's battered back end.

The veteran blue liner played 22:25 in the win, second only to Jeremy Lauzon's 24:09, and landed two hits with two blocked shots. Miller also picked up four minutes in penalties, one of which came during a heated exchange with Travis Konecny in the third period.

"Very well for us, you can see it," Cassidy said of how Miller fared. "He had good composure with the puck, which is something we've been preaching and something we've asked some of our less-experienced players to try to play at the right pace but recognize when you have time to play the right play and make the right read.

"Obviously late in the game, third period with a lead, he's a type of guy that's going to do the right thing, be in the right spot. Thought he was physical when he needed to be, as advertised, so it was really nice to have him back in the lineup."

Miller's experience was an even more important on Tuesday night due to the absence of Charlie McAvoy, who sat out with an upper-body injury. Cassidy did not have an update on Boston's top blue liner following the game, other than to say that he is considered "day-to-day."

Video: Cassidy Addresses Media After 4-2 Win Over Flyers

Chris Wagner also made his return to the lineup after sitting out five straight games as a healthy scratch. He was back in his familiar fourth-line, right-wing spot alongside Sean Kuraly and Trent Frederic and even took a shift with Bergeron and Marchand in the closing minutes, earning an assist on Bergeron's empty-netter.

"Well, I've used other people in the past, and Chris deserved it," Cassidy said of playing Wagner with the top line in a critical end-of-game setting. "He deserved to play in that situation. He'd been doing a good job for us throughout the game. And obviously he has killed penaltiesand 6-on-5 is a bit of that mentality, so willing to block a shot, do what it takes to keep a puck out of the net.

"I was happy for him too, and I'm sure he felt better contributing a little bit more in those circumstances. Protecting a lead is where he can help us. He did a good job with Bergy and March."

Video: BOS@PHI: Bergeron caps off hat trick on empty netter

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Dayton investor to become third person in history to reach inner, outer space – WDTN.com

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DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) Dayton native and real estate investor Larry Connor is planning to forge yet another adventure. Earlier this year, Connor announced he would be piloting a trip to the International Space Station. Now hes embarking on a journey to the depths of the ocean.

Weregoing to whats called the Mariana Trench, explained Connor. Its about 200 miles off the coast of Guam, and specifically, were going to do two deep dives to the bottom of the ocean.

The first is called Challenger Deep, and is known to be the deepest location in the world, at nearly 36,000 feet below sea level. Two days later, Conner, along with the help of partners EYOS Expeditions and Caladan Oceanic, will travel to Sirena Deep. The trip will make Connor only the third person to travel to both inner and outer space, with both journeys an effort to conduct groundbreaking research in collaboration with experts.

Theyll tell you on these deep explorations to the bottom of the ocean, almost every time they find something new, said Connor. It could be sea life. It could be vegetation or could literally be new formations.

The ride into each of the trenches is expected to take about four hours. While Connors journey to the last frontier of exploration on earth is one to be admired, he said one of the primary goals of the mission is to provide inspiration to his community.

Hopefullyother people, especially kids and youth, might be inspired to say, Hey, heres just a regular fellow from Dayton, Ohio, kind of barely got out of school, barely got into college, didnt really start with any means, [who] is able to do some pretty interesting and unusual things.And so the theme would be: Aim high. Never set limitations. An impossible is only impossible if you think it is.

Connor is scheduled to depart for his underwater trip this Monday.

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Quantum computers will win the next world war – The Next Web

Posted: at 2:31 am

What would happen if an AI gained control of the US militarys nuclear stash and decided to preemptively win World War 3 before any perceived enemy nations could react?

Fans of cinema from the 1980s may recognize that query as the plot to the classic science-fiction film Wargames starring a young Matthew Broderick. It was a great but terribly silly movie that paired nicely with popcorn and suspended disbelief. Nevertheless, the question it asked remains valid.

[Note: Spoilers ahead because the movie is more than 30 years old]

In the film, the AI is eventually stymied by Boolean logic after attempting to win against itself at Tic-Tac-Toe. Those who understand how AI actually works might find the entire plot of the movie preposterous, but the ending is especially chuckle-worthy. At least it used to be.

Todays computers use binary logic so, in essence, everythings a yes or no question to an AI running classic algorithms. Even when researchers design AI that rates things, they usually just break the degrees between ratings down into yes-or-no questions for the AI to answer in increments.

But tomorrows AI wont be stuck in the mire of classical physics. Useful quantum computers are just around the corner they should be here sometime between next Tuesday and the year 2121.

With quantum computers, our military systems wont be constrained to yes-or-no questions and they certainly wont have to run boring old binary simulations to determine the confidence factor for a given operation.

Prasanth Shyamsundar, a researcher at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, a Department of Energy research lab for the US government, recently published a fascinating paper describing two new types of algorithms that could revolutionize quantum computing and, potentially, lead to a quantum brain for military AI systems.

A press release from Fermi describes what the algorithms do by invoking the image of an AI sorting through a stack of 100 assorted vinyl records to find the sole jazz album. Under the normal AI paradigm, a deep learning system would be trained on what jazz sounds like and then it would parse each record individually until one of them meets a pass/fail threshold for jazz.

The first of the algorithms Shyamsundar proposes would, essentially, allow that same AI to sort through the entire stack of albums at the same time.

Quantum AI isnt smarter, its just fast and takes advantage of superposition. Where classical AI works in a black box, quantum AI could exploit superposition to operate in many black boxes at once.

Unfortunately, that doesnt mean it comes up with the right answer. When its a yes-or-no question, the odds are good. But when its a question that requires non-Boolean logic, such as rating 100 albums for their jazzyness on a scale of 1-10, even a quantum computer needs a different kind of algorithm.

And thats what the second algorithm does, according to Shyamsundar.

Per a press release from the Fermi lab:

A second algorithm introduced in the paper, dubbed the quantum mean estimation algorithm, allows scientists to estimate the average rating of all the records. In other words, it can assess how jazzy the stack is as a whole.

Both algorithms do away with having to reduce scenarios into computations with only two types of output, and instead allow for a range of outputs to more accurately characterize information with a quantum speedup over classical computing methods.

To be clear, Shyamsundars work has nothing to do with military operations and the Fermi lab, as mentioned, belongs to the DoE (not the DoD). Their paper represents the groundwork towards basic functioning quantum algorithms.

But what is a military AI technology if not an innocuous, basic algorithm persisting?

The problem with todays military logic systems and the one in the movie Wargames is that theyre all based on binary thinking.

You can run a million simulations on advanced military software using cutting-edge AI, but eventually the limitations of pass/fail thinking will reduce almost any conflict into an arms race that ends in either stalemate or mutually-assured destruction.

But, what if the confidence factor for a given military operation didnt rely on binary simulations? The same quantum algorithms that can determine which album in a given stack is a jazz album 10 times faster than a binary system, and how jazzy a given album is, could easily determine which combination of feasible operational strategies would result in the highest overall confidence factor for a military campaign.

In other words, where Sun Tzu was said to be able to envision an entire battle unfolding in front of his eyes before it happened, and modern software such as CMANO can simulate entire operations, a quantum system running simple non-Boolean algorithm solutions should be able to surface strong predictions for the outcome of a multi-step war campaign.

Published April 7, 2021 18:39 UTC

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The World Awaits the First Powerful Quantum Computer – Analytics Insight

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Today, our life is so different in comparison to the end of the 20th century. Gone are the days when our mobile phones had small screens, keyboard mounted on the body and was limited to just making calls and messages. Today, we are at a stage where mobile phones are way more powerful than desktop computers. With the advent of technology, we are now all set to embark on a journey to build the next-generation computer. This is exactly where the concept of quantum computers comes into play.

The main idea behind this is to solve problems that classical computing could not. Not one, not two but there seems to be many areas where classical computing seems to have not worked in our favour. Though, we do have some quantum computers in place, they are still unreliable as far as the demands are concerned. Today, we get to see giant market players like IBM, Google, Microsoft, etc. in the race of building the first powerful quantum computer. Though this is an expensive invention, companies are not hesitating from pouring in so much money because they know that the advantages offered last an eternity. Today, the aim is to build a quantum communication system that doesnt communicate bits and bytes, but quantum states that quantum computers can understand. The reason why this is important is because we are in a position to build up a quantum version of the internet.

Quantum AI, in addition to being smart and fast also boasts of an advantage of superposition. Considering the fact that classical AI works in a black box, Quantum AI stands the potential to exploit superposition to operate in many black boxes at once.

That said, how about being prepared for a World War 3 well in advance? It is highly likely that the US takes up every possible step to pre-emptively win World War 3 and before the perceived enemy nations could even react.

As known to all, today the computers employ binary logic to address the yes-or-no questions. But with quantum computers, the scenario will be a lot different. They wouldnt be limited to just yes-or-no questions. Theyll hold the potential to determine the confidence factor for a given operation. A lot is being speculated about the first huge powerful quantum computer that is soon going to make its entry into the world of technology.

One of the researchers at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, a Department of Energy research lab for the US government,Prasanth Shyamsundar described two new types of algorithms that could revolutionize quantum computing. Well, not just this. These algorithms can lead to a quantum brain for military AI systems as well.

He talked about how one of the two algorithms allows the same AI to sort through the entire stack of albums at the same time. The second algorithm can assess how jazzy the stack is as a whole. This algorithm would allow the scientists to estimate the average rating of all the records. In a nutshell, both these algorithms allow for a range of outputs to more accurately characterize information with a quantum speedup contrary to what classical computing methods do. Prasanth Shyamsundars paper represents the groundwork towards basic functioning quantum algorithms.

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Quantum Computing Revolution: Is it the next big thing? – Analytics Insight

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Quantum computing has the ability to transform the world in the near future. Experts have extensively predicted that quantum computers could solve certain kinds of issues much faster than conventional computers, particularly those involving a large number of variables and potential scenarios, such as simulations or optimization concerns.

Quantum computingis a field of research that focuses on developing computational technology based on quantum mechanics concepts, which describes the origin and behavior of matter and energy at the quantum (atomic and subatomic) levels. It has the ability to dramatically increase computational power, ushering in a new age incomputertechnology.

Quantum computers have the capability to revolutionize computing by allowing for the solution of previously unsolvable problems. Although no quantum computer has yet been built to perform calculations that a classical computer cannot, substantial progress is being made. A few large corporations and small start-ups now have working non-error-corrected quantum computers with tens of thousands of qubits, and some of these are also available to the general public through the cloud. Quantum simulators are also making progress in areas as diverse as molecular energetics and many-body physics.

According to IEEE Spectrum,Computer scientists and engineers have started down a roadthat could one day lead to a momentous transition: from deterministic computing systems, based on classical physics, to quantum computing systems, which exploit the weird and wacky probabilistic rules of quantum physics. Many commentators have pointed out that if engineers are able to fashion practical quantum computers, there will be a tectonic shift in the sort of computations that become possible.

But thats a big if.

Probabilistic computing will enable future systemsto understand and function with the uncertainties fundamentalin naturaldata, allowing us to develop computers capable of comprehending, forecasting, and making decisions.

Intel Newsroom mentioned that,Research into probabilistic computing is not a new area of study, but the improvements in high-performance computing and deep learning algorithms may lead probabilistic computing into a new era. In the next few years, we expect that research in probabilistic computing will lead to significant improvements in the reliability, security, serviceability and performance of AI systems, including hardware designed specifically for probabilistic computing. These advancements are critical to deploying applications into the real world from smart homes to smart cities.

To accelerate our work in probabilistic computing, Intel is increasing its research investment in probabilistic computing and we are working with partners to pursue this goal.

Also, Purdue University researchers have announced that they are working on a probabilistic computer that could cross the void between classical and quantum computing to solve issues more efficiently in areas including drug discovery, security and safety, financial services, data processing, and supply chain management.

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IBM, Cleveland Clinic Team Up on Quantum Computing and a Healthcare Discovery Accelerator – Morning Brew

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In The Office, Ryan Howard bets on Ohios future as the next Silicon Valley: They call it the Silicon Prairie.

It looks like IBMs been binge-watching in quarantine, too: The company just announced a 10-year partnership with the Cleveland Clinic, a nonprofit academic medical center, centered on AI, quantum, and cloud computing.

Heres the plan: Establish the Discovery Accelerator, a research engine using emerging tech to advance healthcare and life sciences. Think: discovering new molecules and expanding knowledge on viral pathogens, treatments, and more.

That engine will be powered, in part, by a quantum computer. IBM plans to release the Q System One in 2023, and the Cleveland Clinic will be the first private-sector organization to buy and operate its own IBM quantum computer. (Right now, they can only be found in the companys own labs and data centers.)

Big picture: Cleveland Clinic gets access to pioneering healthcare research tech, and IBM gets its first major quantum computer sale...and a whole lot of exposure in the healthcare sector. The latter likely tops IBMs pros list after the disappointments of Watson, which made headlines for under-delivering in healthcare AI.

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Cleveland Clinic and IBM Partner on HPC, AI and Quantum Computing – insideHPC

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ARMONK, N.Y.andCLEVELAND Cleveland Clinicand IBM (NYSE:IBM) have announced a planned 10-year partnership to establish the Discovery Accelerator, a joint effort to advance the pace of discovery in healthcare and life sciences through the use of high performance computing on the hybrid cloud, artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing technologies.

The collaboration is anticipated to build a robust research and clinical infrastructure to empower big data medical research in ethical, privacy preserving ways, discoveries for patient care and novel approaches to public health threats such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the Discovery Accelerator,the researchers plan to use advanced computational technology to generate and analyze data to help enhance research in the newGlobal Center for Pathogen Research & Human Health,in areas such as: genomics, single cell transcriptomics, population health, clinical applications, and chemical and drug discovery.

Through this innovative collaboration, we have a unique opportunity to bring the future to life, saidTom Mihaljevic, M.D., CEO and President of Cleveland Clinic. These new computing technologies can help revolutionize discovery in the life sciences.The Discovery Accelerator will enable our renowned teams to build a forward-looking digital infrastructure and help transform medicine, while training the workforce of the future and potentially growing our economy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has spawned one of the greatest races in the history of scientific discovery one that demands unprecedented agility and speed, saidArvind Krishna, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of IBM. At the same time, science is experiencing a change of its own with high performance computing, hybrid cloud, data, AI, and quantum computing, being used in new ways to break through long-standing bottlenecks in scientific discovery. Our new collaboration with Cleveland Clinic will combine their world-renowned expertise in healthcare and life sciences with IBMs next-generation technologies to make scientific discovery faster, and the scope of that discovery larger than ever.

Quantum will make the impossible possible, and whenthe Governor and I announced the Cleveland Innovation District earlier this year, this was the kind of innovative investment I hoped it would advance, said Ohio Lt. GovernorJon Husted, Director of InnovateOhio. A partnership between these two great institutions will putCleveland, andOhio, on the map for advanced medical and scientific research, providing a unique opportunity to improve treatment options for patients and solve some of our greatest healthcare challenges.

The Discovery Accelerator will serve as the technology foundation for Cleveland Clinics newGlobal Center for Pathogen Research & Human Health,announced last month as part of theCleveland Innovation District. The center, supported by a$500 millioninvestment from theState of Ohio, Jobs Ohio and Cleveland Clinic, brings together a research team focused on broadening understanding of viral pathogens, virus-induced cancers, genomics, immunology and immunotherapies. It will build upon Cleveland Clinics existing programs and expertise, with newly recruited world leaders in immunology, cancer biology, immune-oncology and infectious disease research as well as technology development and education. Researchers will expand critical work on studying, preparing and protecting against emerging pathogens and virus-related diseases.

The pace of progress in science historically has been limited by bottlenecks. Researchers are increasingly working to overcome these bottlenecks with the application of AI, quantum computing and hybrid cloud technologies. New technologies are enabling accelerated methods of discovery that include deep search, AI and quantum-enriched simulation, generative models, and cloud-based AI-driven autonomous labs. Leveraging these combined innovations will supercharge new generations of information technology,fuel important advances in science, and IBM will provide access to a variety of research and commercial technologies, education and tools to assist Cleveland Clinic in accelerating discovery in healthcare and life science, includingRoboRXN, a cloud-based platform that combines AI models and robots to help scientists design and synthesize new molecules remotely; theIBM Functional Genomics Platform, a cloud-based repository and research tool, which uses novel approaches to reveal the molecular features in viral and bacterial genomes to help accelerate discovery of molecular targets required for drug design, test development and treatment;Deep Search,which helps researchers access structured and unstructured data quickly; andHigh-Performance Hybrid Cloud Computingtechnologies that can enable researchers to burst their workloads into the cloud and access the resources they need at scale.

Quantum computing has the potential to have an immense impact on key healthcare challenges, such as the discovery of new molecules that can serve as the basis of new pharmaceutical breakthroughs and spur the development of new medicines and could help enhance the ability to derive deep insight from complex data that is at the heart of some of the largest challenges in healthcare.

The Discovery Accelerator will leverage IBMs multi-year roadmap for advancing quantum computing, bringing its revolutionary capabilities into the hands of scientists and practitioners in healthcare and life sciences. In addition to an on-premises quantum system, Cleveland Clinic will also have access to IBMs fleet of currently more than 20 quantum systems, accessible via the cloud. IBM is targeting to unveil its first next generation 1,000+ qubit quantum system in 2023, and Cleveland Clinic is planned to be the site of the first private-sector on-premises system.

A significant pillar of the program plans to focus on educating the workforce of the future and creating jobs to grow the economy. The 10-year collaboration plans to include education and workforce development opportunities related to quantum computing.

The innovative educational curriculum will be designed for participants from high school to professional level and offer training and certification programs in data science and quantum computing, building the skilled workforce needed for cutting-edge data science research of the future. Cleveland Clinic and IBM plan to hold research symposia and workshops with joint sessions by IBM and academic researchersfor academia, industry, government and the general public.

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Cleveland Clinic and IBM Partner on HPC, AI and Quantum Computing - insideHPC

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OneConnect Financial Technology and Singapore Management University announce key findings from joint research on potential for quantum computing to…

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SINGAPORE, April 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- OneConnect Financial Technology Co., Ltd. (OneConnect) the leading technology-as-a-service platform provider and an associate of Ping An Insurance Group, and Singapore Management University (SMU) today announced the key findings from a jointly conducted research on the potential of quantum computing to augment blockchain technology for businesses. The research report has been vetted by the Blockchain Association Singapore (BAS) and the findings were shared at the BAS webinar titled "Enterprise Blockchain in the New Decade" earlier today, moderated by Ms Tan Bin Ru, Co-Chairwoman of BAS, who is also CEO (SEA) of OneConnect Financial Technology.

The findings from this research follow an earlier Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between OneConnect and SMU in 2019 to develop a Proof of Concept (POC) to investigate the characteristics of quantum computing for distributed ledger technologies (DLTs). Co-led by Associate Professor Paul Griffin from SMU School of Computing and Information Systems, the report focused on studying quantum algorithms that could augment blockchain technology in the area of robust large-scale consensus.

While reviewing various types of consensus mechanisms and the suitability of quantum computing in business, the research has shown that the inherent constraints faced by classical DLTs known as the "blockchain trilemma", or the notion of improving all three fundamental attributes of blockchain speed, security and size at once could be broken by quantum technologies, thus increasing potential business usage. For current blockchains, a longer time is required to reach a consensus for highly secure DLTs, and increasing the speed of consensus leads to lower security.

The result findings from the research project include:

Ms Tan Bin Ru shared, "We are excited to be announcing the results and insights gathered from this joint research over the last one year it has indeed been a remarkable journey and a significant milestone that we are sharing with SMU today. Collaborations like these will allow us to better understand and lay the groundwork for the potentialof blockchain technology that can be applied to businesses in the future, such asimproving financing and the under-banked woes. We look forward to continuing long-term partnerships with educational institutes like SMU to potentially expand its usefulness in industry applications."

Associate Professor Paul Griffin, a speaker at the BAS webinar, shared, "It has been a wonderful journey with OneConnect to work on this exciting future-oriented research. The potential for quantum computing is just beginning to be explored and this project has helped to move this forward in a relevant area for the industry. SMU would like to thank all the people involved and look forward to continuing this and other research with OneConnect in the future."

Following the joint research, OneConnect and SMU will continue to forge partnerships in the areas of innovation and building talents for the digital economy.

About OneConnect Financial Technology

OneConnect Financial Technology Co., Ltd. (NYSE: OCFT) is a leading technology-as-a-service platform for financial institutions. The Company's platform provides cloud-native technology solutions that integrate extensive financial services industry expertise with market-leading technology. The Company's solutions provide technology applications and technology-enabled business services to financial institutions. Together they enable the Company's customers' digital transformations, which help them increase revenue, manage risks, improve efficiency, enhance service quality and reduce costs.

The Company's 13 technology solutions strategically cover multiple verticals in the financial services industry, including banking, insurance and asset management, across the full scope of their businesses from sales and marketing and risk management to customer services, as well as technology infrastructures such as data management, program development, and cloud services.

About Singapore Management University

A premier university in Asia, the Singapore Management University (SMU) is internationally recognised for its world-class research and distinguished teaching. Established in 2000, SMU's mission is to generate leading-edge research with global impact and to produce broad-based, creative and entrepreneurial leaders for the knowledge-based economy. SMU's education is known for its highly interactive, collaborative and project-based approach to learning.

Home to over 11,000 students across undergraduate, postgraduate professional and postgraduate research programmes, SMU comprises six schools: School of Accountancy, Lee Kong Chian School of Business, School of Economics, School of Computing and Information Systems, School of Law, and School of Social Sciences. SMU offers a wide range of bachelors', masters', and PhD degree programmes in the disciplinary areas associated with the six schools, as well as in multidisciplinary combinations of these areas.

SMU emphasises rigorous, high-impact, multi- and interdisciplinary research that addresses Asian issues of global relevance. SMU faculty members collaborate with leading international researchers and universities around the world, as well as with partners in the business community and public sector. SMU's city campus is a modern facility located in the heart of downtown Singapore, fostering strategic linkages with business, government and the wider community. http://www.smu.edu.sg

About Blockchain Association Singapore

The Blockchain Association Singapore (BAS) seeks to empower its members and the community to leverage blockchain and scalable technologies for business growth and transformation. The Association is designed to be an effective platform for members to engage with multiple stakeholders - both regional and international - to discover solutions and promote best practices in a collaborative, open, and transparent manner.

It aims to promote blockchain literacy and build a strong talent pipeline for the digital economy in Singapore. BAS also aims to accelerate the development of blockchain companies operating in or entering into Singapore, and their subsequent integration and acceleration into the Singapore blockchain ecosystem.

For more information, please visithttps://singaporeblockchain.org/.

SOURCE OneConnect

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Know about How to build a Probabilistic Computer and more! – Analytics Insight

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Probabilistic computing is one of the excellent ways to deal with the uncertainties in the data

Over the years, the world of technology has been waiting desperately for quantum computing. The fact that still remains is that quantum computers sound great as far as theory is concerned. But building practical machines is concerned with a truck load of hurdles and challenges. On the brighter side, if the engineers are able to successfully step into the world of practical quantum computers, the kind of computations performed would be taken to a different level altogether. Considering these challenges, one of the most remarkable ways that we could employ here is Probabilistic computing. It is one of the excellent ways to deal with the uncertainties in the data.

Experts believe that the technical challenges faced in case of quantum computers are so immense that it is very unlikely that general-purpose quantum computers would become available anytime in the future. Additionally, it might take anywhere between 5 to 10 years or may be even more to bring the first practical general-purpose quantum computers on line. Evidently, it is a huge investment of time. It is because of all the complications and challenges that people are inspired to delve deeper into understanding the importance and role of probability in computing systems. Late physicist Richard Feynman was confident about people accepting this and proceeding with the same about 30 years back. He believed that a probabilistic computer holds the potential to stand as a competition to quantum computers.

The base, needless to say, is a probabilistic bit. Long back, computers used a magnet with two possible directions of magnetization to store a bit. These magnets can be used to implement p-bits. A team had used the similar technique to build a probabilistic computer in 2019 with eight p-bits.

The best part about using unstable magnets as the fundamental building block is that the p-bit can be implemented using a few transistors rather than thousands of them. This feature makes it possible to build larger probabilistic computers.

Talking about the working principle of probabilistic computers, a system of p-bits evolves from an initial to a final state. Obviously, there are could be a considerable number of intermediate states. Each path has a different probability. The surprise element here is that which path is taken by the computer totally depends on the chance. To get the overall probability, you need to add together all the probabilities of all possible paths. In case of a quantum computer, it uses qubits instead of p-bits. Here, the probability is determined by adding the complex amplitudes for all the possible paths between the initial state and the final state.

Simply put, the difference between a probabilistic computer and a quantum computer is that the former adds up the probabilities whereas the latter adds complex probability amplitudes. There is yet another point to note, probabilities are positive numbers less than one whereas the probability amplitudes are complex numbers. Hence, when you add an additional path in case of quantum computing, it can cancel out an existing path. On the other hand, adding an extra path in probabilistic computers can only increase the final probability.

Another point worth noting is that the qubits carry complex amplitudes. These have to be carefully protected from the environment. A lot of attention has to be paid to the temperature thats maintained. All this hassle is eliminated in case of a probabilistic computer as it can be built with simpler technology operating at room temperature.

On the downside, you cannot deal with negative probabilities here. Thisfurther makes it suitable only for those algorithms that do not require path cancellation.

In a nutshell, probabilistic computing is one of the most effective ways to replace quantum computing.

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Know about How to build a Probabilistic Computer and more! - Analytics Insight

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