A forgotten cup of coffee will gradually cool down as its heat flows into the cooler surrounding air, but in the quantum realm, it appears this experience can be turned on its head. As a result, we ...

Thermodynamic computing uses physical energy flows instead of fixed digital circuits to perform AI calculations Image data is allowed to degrade naturally through tiny fluctuations in the computer’s ...

A long-standing law of thermodynamics turns out to have a loophole at the smallest scales. Researchers have shown that quantum engines made of correlated particles can exceed the traditional ...

Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story: Researchers have made a breakthrough in applying the first law of thermodynamics to complex systems. The law is a bedrock of physics, but has long ...

More than 200 years ago, Count Rumford showed that heat isn’t a mysterious substance but something you can generate endlessly through motion. That insight laid the foundation for thermodynamics, the ...

Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Why Trust Us? Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story: The Laws of Thermodynamics explain ...

How it works When laser light passes through a cavity filled with atoms, part of it can do useful work. In this example the work is charging a quantum battery (top). The rest of the light turns into ...

When laser light passes through a cavity filled with atoms, part of it can do useful work (for instance, charge a quantum battery, top), whereas the other part turns into “heat” (bottom). Credit: ...

The physics of thermodynamics, which involves quantities like heat and entropy, offers well-established tools for determining how far from equilibrium an idealised system of particles is. But when it ...

What if the key to unlocking artificial general intelligence (AGI) lies not in brute computational power but in something as unassuming as thermal noise? Imagine a world where AI systems capable of ...

What if the future of artificial intelligence wasn’t just faster or smarter, but fundamentally more sustainable? Picture this: a world where the energy demands of AI no longer threaten to outpace our ...