Science &amp; Technology /today/ en TiKTok's future: Ethicist weighs in on app's not-so-mindful, no-so-demure ban /today/2025/01/17/tiktoks-future-ethicist-weighs-apps-not-so-mindful-no-so-demure-ban <span>TiKTok's future: Ethicist weighs in on app's not-so-mindful, no-so-demure ban </span> <span><span>Daniel William…</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-01-17T15:26:57-07:00" title="Friday, January 17, 2025 - 15:26">Fri, 01/17/2025 - 15:26</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-01/TikTok_screen_AdobeStock.jpeg?h=56d0ca2e&amp;itok=RmXS4gBB" width="1200" height="800" alt="Finger touches smartphone screen displaying the TikTok logo"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/6"> Science &amp; Technology </a> </div> <a href="/today/daniel-strain">Daniel Strain</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p>The graveyard of social media platforms past: MySpace, Vine, Friendster and now, maybe, TikTok, at least in the United States.</p><p>This morning, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision allowing a ban of TikTok, the popular app for sharing short-form videos, to go into effect across the country. Lawmakers passed the bill in 2024 after raising concerns about TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, which is based in China.</p><p>Casey Fiesler was among the content creators anxiously awaiting the decision. She studies technology ethics and policy as an associate professor in Department of Information Science at CU «Ƶ. She’s also @professorcasey on TikTok where she shares videos on AI and social media with her more than 100,000 followers.</p><p>Fiesler noted that apps like TikTok come with a lot of risks. But she said that millions of people around the world have also turned to TikTok to find community—and maybe even learn something.</p><p>“Someone could be scrolling through cat videos or dance videos, and then, suddenly, there’s me explaining how algorithms work,” Fiesler said. “To me, that’s magical.”</p><p>As the possible ban looms, Fiesler weighs in on what will happen to TikTok’s online communities—and whether they can rebuild those connections on another app.</p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-large"><div class="ucb-callout-content"> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/article-image/fiesler_headshot.jpg?itok=44G_2s96" width="1500" height="1500" alt="Casey Fiesler headshot"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p>Casey Fiesler</p> </span> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-01/Fiesler_screengrab.png?itok=Rfs2gsLC" width="1500" height="2663" alt="Screengrab from TikTok showing a woman's face against a green screen background of news articles with the words &quot;is gonna happen&quot; highlighted"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p>@professorcasey talks the future of TikTok in a Jan. 16 post.</p> </span> </div></div><h2>What is happening with TikTok?</h2><p>There is a possibility that TikTok will be banned in the United States in just a few days, which is pretty wild. In this country, completely banning a social media platform is not something that has happened before.</p><p>But it's also unclear exactly what happens should TikTok become officially banned in the United States. It means that app stores would not be permitted to carry it, so, eventually, we wouldn't be able to get updates on the app, which might make it unusable. It also could mean that third party service providers wouldn’t be allowed to service TikTok—things like PayPal. But it’s unclear exactly what this would look like.</p><h2>What makes TikTok different from other video-sharing apps?</h2><p>One thing that feels very special about TikTok is that the recommendation algorithm that determines what you see next in your scroll tends to show people what they want to see. Now, this can be good and bad because you don't always know what kinds of signals you're giving the system. Have you been doomscrolling? More of the same, please.</p><p>This algorithm is also creating communities. It can help you find a community that you didn't even necessarily know you needed.</p><h2>What kinds of communities?</h2><p>What I found first on TikTok were a lot of other academics and professors who were interested in public education and science communication, and that's been a fun community for me. But I’ve also been lurking on BookTok—I love seeing all of the book content. I also find myself in the middle of a social justice activist community on TikTok.</p><p>People are worried about losing these communities. You can try to reconstitute a community on a different platform, but it's not going to be exactly the same.</p><h2>Do you think people will try to do that—rebuild on another app?</h2><p>It’s very easy to say, ‘Instagram Reels is just like TikTok. Why don't you just go there?’ But it's not just about the functionality of the app. It's also the fact that you can't bring your community and your audience with you. You have to rebuild from scratch. For some people, particularly those who have built large platforms, this represents a huge amount of work over many, many years.</p><h2>Recently, a lot of TikTok users have been flocking to the app RedNote, which is also owned by a Chinese company. Is that a viable alternative to TikTok?</h2><p>It seems unlikely to me that this can be a lasting thing, in part because of the regulatory issues in both China and the United States. I also think that part of what’s happening is that people are trying to make a point.</p><h2>Some commentators have pointed out that many U.S. lawmakers don’t seem to know what they’re banning—that technology literacy is fairly low in Congress. Do you agree?</h2><p>It’s clear that policymakers might not have an understanding of how TikTok is similar to, or sometimes different than, other social media platforms. Many of the critiques that have been very justifiably hurled at TikTok apply equally to X, Instagram or basically any social media platform.</p><p>One of the frustrating things about watching this law move forward is that some of the things that are at the basis of this law—data privacy, for example—are incredibly important. It's frustrating, therefore, to see the ban of an entire platform rather than see lawmakers enact data privacy laws.</p><h2>What can we learn from this saga?</h2><p>One of the things that's frustrating to me when policymakers talk about the risks and harms of TikTok is that they don't seem to be weighing those risks and harms against the benefits of the platform and against the risks and harms of the platform going away. Tiktok is really important to a lot of people—for community, social support, income. It’s incredibly important for small businesses, and these are concrete, tangible harms that will happen if the app goes away.</p><p>All social media is good for us and bad for us at the same time. What we have to do is think about how to get more of the good and less of the bad without throwing the baby out with the bath water.</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>As the clock ticks down for TikTok, Casey Fiesler, a technology ethicist at CU «Ƶ, says that U.S. lawmakers are focusing on the harms of social media and not the benefits.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-01/TikTok_screen_AdobeStock.jpeg?itok=MHzt90dy" width="1500" height="1000" alt="Finger touches smartphone screen displaying the TikTok logo"> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Fri, 17 Jan 2025 22:26:57 +0000 Daniel William Strain 53995 at /today Quantum engineers ‘squeeze’ laser frequency combs to make more sensitive gas sensors /today/2025/01/16/quantum-engineers-squeeze-laser-frequency-combs-make-more-sensitive-gas-sensors <span>Quantum engineers ‘squeeze’ laser frequency combs to make more sensitive gas sensors </span> <span><span>Daniel William…</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-01-16T10:50:59-07:00" title="Thursday, January 16, 2025 - 10:50">Thu, 01/16/2025 - 10:50</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-01/Diddams_students.png?h=4a113a0d&amp;itok=tkS0dBUL" width="1200" height="800" alt="A man and two women examine scientific equipment in a lab"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/6"> Science &amp; Technology </a> </div> <a href="/today/daniel-strain">Daniel Strain</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div> <div class="align-center image_style-wide_image_style"> <div class="imageMediaStyle wide_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/wide_image_style/public/2025-01/Diddams_students.png?h=4a113a0d&amp;itok=CNG0_z7x" width="1500" height="563" alt="A man and two women examine scientific equipment in a lab"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p>Scott Diddams, left, and graduate students Pooja Sekhar and Mary Kate Kreider in their quantum engineering lab on campus. (Credit: CU «Ƶ)</p> </span> </div> <p>The trick to creating a better quantum sensor? Just give it a little squeeze.</p><p>For the first time ever, scientists have used a technique called “quantum squeezing” to improve the gas sensing performance of devices known as optical frequency comb lasers. These ultra-precise sensors are like fingerprint scanners for molecules of gas. Scientists have used them to spot <a href="/today/2022/06/08/methane-leaks-are-major-factor-climate-change-one-startup-wants-stop-them" rel="nofollow">methane leaks in the air above oil and gas operations</a> and signs of <a href="/today/2023/04/10/new-laser-based-breathalyzer-sniffs-out-covid-other-diseases-real-time" rel="nofollow">COVID-19 infections in breath samples</a> from humans.</p><p>Now, in a series of lab experiments, researchers have laid out a path for making those kinds of measurements even more sensitive and faster—doubling the speed of frequency comb detectors. The work is a collaboration between Scott Diddams at CU «Ƶ «Ƶ and Jérôme Genest at Université Laval in Canada.</p><p>“Say you were in a situation where you needed to detect minute quantities of a dangerous gas leak in a factory setting,” said Diddams, professor in the <a href="/ecee" rel="nofollow">Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering</a>. “Requiring only 10 minutes versus 20 minutes can make a big difference in keeping people safe.” &nbsp;</p><p>He and his colleagues <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ads6292" rel="nofollow">published their findings Jan. 16</a> in the journal Science. Daniel Herman, a postdoctoral researcher in ECEE, led the study.</p><p>While normal lasers emit light in just one color, frequency comb lasers send out pulses of thousands to millions of colors—all at the same time. In the new study, the researchers used common optical fibers to precisely manipulate the pulses coming from those lasers. They were able to “squeeze” that light, making some of its properties more precise and others a little more random.</p><p>The research, in other words, represents a victory over some of the natural randomness and fluctuations that exist in the universe at very small scales.</p><p>“Beating quantum uncertainty is hard, and it doesn’t come for free,” he said. “But this is a really important step for a powerful new type of quantum sensors.”</p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-xlarge"><div class="ucb-callout-content"> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-01/Methane_Detection.CC27.JPG?itok=YfBOZtSP" width="1500" height="1073" alt="Equipment sitting on top of a metal scaffold with blue skies in the background"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p>The laser emitter for a frequency comb gas sensor developed by LongPath Technologies, a company <a href="/today/2022/06/08/methane-leaks-are-major-factor-climate-change-one-startup-wants-stop-them" rel="nofollow">founded by researchers at CU «Ƶ</a>. The company's detectors can spot methane leaking from oil and gas facilities in real time. (Credit: Casey Cass/CU «Ƶ)</p> </span> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-01/FrequencyComb.jpg?itok=3s2kBmLp" width="1500" height="771" alt="Two-part illustration showing graphs with lines in various colors on the left. On the right, cartoon molecules have absorbed some of those colors"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p>Illustration of how frequency comb gas sensors work: Lasers emit pulses of light in many different colors, left, and molecules in the air absorb some of those colors, right. Scientists can then identify what molecules are present based on what colors go missing. (Credit: Scott Diddams)</p> </span> </div></div><h2>Photon wrangling</h2><p>The results represent the latest step in the evolution of frequency combs, a technology born at <a href="https://jila.colorado.edu/" rel="nofollow">JILA, a joint research institute</a> between CU «Ƶ and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Diddams was part of a team led by JILA’s Jan Hall that first pioneered frequency comb lasers in the late 1990s. Hall would go on to win a <a href="https://www.nist.gov/nist-and-nobel/jan-hall" rel="nofollow">Nobel Prize in Physics for this work</a> in 2005.</p><p>As these laser pulses travel through the atmosphere, for example, molecules in the way will absorb certain colors of light, but not others. Scientists can then identify what’s in the air based on what colors go missing from their laser light. Picture it a bit like a hair comb that’s lost a few of its teeth—hence, the name.</p><p>But those measurements also come with intrinsic uncertainties, Diddams said.</p><p>Light, he noted, is made up of tiny packets called photons. While lasers may look orderly from the outside, their individual photons are anything but.</p><p>“If you’re detecting these photons, they don't arrive at a perfectly uniform rate like one per nanosecond,” Diddams said. “Instead, they arrive at random times.”</p><p>Which, in turn, creates what he calls “fuzziness” in the data coming back from a frequency comb sensor.</p><p>Enter quantum squeezing.</p><h2>Giving the squeeze</h2><p>In quantum physics, many properties are coupled so that measuring one precisely will make your measurements of the other less precise. A classic example is the speed and location of a small particle like an electron—you can know where an electron is or how fast it’s moving, but never both at the same time. Squeezing is a technique that maximizes one type of measurement at the expense of the other.</p><p>In a series of lab experiments, Diddams and his colleagues achieved that feat in a surprisingly simple way: They sent their pulses of frequency comb light through a normal optical fiber, not so different from what delivers internet to your home.</p><p>The structure of the fiber altered the light in just the right way so that photons from the lasers now arrived at a more regular interval. But that increase in orderliness came at a price. It became a little harder to measure the frequency of the light, or how the photons oscillated to produce specific colors.</p><p>That trade-off, however, allowed the researchers to detect molecules of gas with a lot fewer errors than before.</p><p>They tested the approach out in the lab using samples of hydrogen sulfide, a molecule that is common in volcanic eruptions and smells like rotten eggs. The team reported that it could detect those molecules around twice as fast with its squeezed frequency comb than with a traditional device. The researchers were also able to achieve this effect over a range of infrared light around 1,000 times greater than what scientists had previously accomplished.</p><p>The group still has work to do before it can bring its new sensor out into the field.</p><p>“But our findings show that we are closer than ever to applying quantum frequency combs in real-world scenarios,” Herman said.</p><p>Diddams agreed: “Scientists call this a ‘quantum speedup,’” he said. “We’ve been able to manipulate the fundamental uncertainty relationships in quantum mechanics to measure something faster and better.”</p><hr><p><em>Other CU «Ƶ co-authors of the new study included Professor Joshua Combes; graduate students Molly Kate Kreider, Noah Lordi, Eugene Tsao and Matthew Heyrich; and postdoctoral researcher Alexander Lind. Mathieu Walsh, a graduate student at Université Laval, was also a co-author.</em></p><p><em>The work at CU «Ƶ was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation through the </em><a href="/research/qsense/" rel="nofollow"><em>Quantum Systems through Entangled Science and Engineering</em></a><em> (Q-SEnSE) Quantum Leap Challenge Institute and by the Office of Naval Research.</em></p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Scientists use devices known as frequency comb lasers to search for methane in the air above oil and gas operations and to screen for signs of infection in human breath. A new study from CU «Ƶ could help make these sensors even more precise. </div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Thu, 16 Jan 2025 17:50:59 +0000 Daniel William Strain 53963 at /today ‘She remains a touchstone’ /today/2025/01/15/she-remains-touchstone <span>‘She remains a touchstone’</span> <span><span>Megan Maneval</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-01-15T09:01:12-07:00" title="Wednesday, January 15, 2025 - 09:01">Wed, 01/15/2025 - 09:01</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-01/Lucy%20skeleton.jpg?h=5d2c9a2e&amp;itok=-A8jp7DQ" width="1200" height="800" alt="3.2-million-year-old hominin skeleton popularly known as Lucy"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/6"> Science &amp; Technology </a> </div> <span>Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine</span> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p>CU «Ƶ anthropologist Matt Sponheimer says the 3.2 million-year-old hominin ”Lucy” is pivotal to the science of human origins a half-century after her discovery.</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>CU «Ƶ anthropologist Matt Sponheimer says the 3.2 million-year-old hominin ”Lucy” is pivotal to the science of human origins a half-century after her discovery.</div> <script> window.location.href = `/asmagazine/2025/01/09/she-remains-touchstone`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Wed, 15 Jan 2025 16:01:12 +0000 Megan Maneval 53974 at /today New quantum incubator in «Ƶ to propel innovations for real-world impact /today/2025/01/15/new-quantum-incubator-boulder-propel-innovations-real-world-impact <span>New quantum incubator in «Ƶ to propel innovations for real-world impact</span> <span><span>Julie Poppen</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-01-15T07:03:31-07:00" title="Wednesday, January 15, 2025 - 07:03">Wed, 01/15/2025 - 07:03</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-01/QI_Ribboncutting7GA.jpg?h=76fa2ef5&amp;itok=eDcJVLvn" width="1200" height="800" alt="Platform guests and dignitaries watch Gov. Jared Polis celebrate after cutting a ribbon to signify the opening of the Quantum Incubator site"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/6"> Science &amp; Technology </a> </div> <a href="/today/daniel-strain">Daniel Strain</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div> <div class="align-center image_style-default"> <div class="field_media_oembed_video"><iframe src="/today/media/oembed?url=https%3A//youtu.be/Oa4-3-OjvmM&amp;max_width=516&amp;max_height=350&amp;hash=4ynA3Jbh01Gymd2XHVC-NK34aiYmUFisMT6z1Kq8rD4" frameborder="0" allowtransparency width="516" height="350" class="media-oembed-content" loading="eager" title="CU «Ƶ Quantum Timeline"></iframe> </div> </div> <p class="text-align-center small-text">See a history of quantum research at CU «Ƶ<br>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><div class="ucb-box ucb-box-title-hidden ucb-box-alignment-right ucb-box-style-outline ucb-box-theme-white"><div class="ucb-box-inner"><div class="ucb-box-title">&nbsp;</div><div class="ucb-box-content"><p class="hero"><i class="fa-solid fa-atom">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<strong>Learn more</strong></p><p><em>Interested in being part of the quantum incubator? Reach out to&nbsp;</em><br><a href="mailto:cubit@colorado.edu" rel="nofollow"><em>cubit@colorado.edu</em></a></p></div></div></div><p>To kick off the <a href="https://quantum2025.org/" rel="nofollow">International Year of Quantum Science and Technology</a> in 2025, three Colorado universities in collaboration with <a href="https://www.elevatequantum.org/" rel="nofollow">Elevate Quantum</a> have announced that a new facility for fostering quantum technologies is coming to Colorado.</p><p>The State of Colorado has taken bold action to help bring the advances in quantum physics out of the lab and into the real world through its investment into the Quantum Incubator and related quantum assets throughout the state.</p><p>The facility will be housed in a 13,000-square-foot space in east «Ƶ. It is funded by a state tax incentive and spearheaded by CU «Ƶ, in partnership with Colorado State University, Colorado School of Mines and Elevate Quantum, a coalition of 120 organizations, including the three campuses, in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming. Additionally, CU «Ƶ is providing leadership and staff resources for its development and launch.</p><div class="ucb-box ucb-box-title-hidden ucb-box-alignment-right ucb-box-style-outline ucb-box-theme-black"><div class="ucb-box-inner"><div class="ucb-box-title">&nbsp;</div><div class="ucb-box-content"><p class="hero"><i class="fa-solid fa-comment">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<strong>From the partners</strong></p><p><strong>Gov. Jared Polis:</strong></p><p>"Colorado is the national hub for innovation in the fast-growing quantum industry and this new incubator will strengthen the industry in our state. By bringing together our world-class higher education system with the companies who are helping to shape this industry, this incubator will help drive forward the next chapter for quantum in Colorado, driving more jobs and economic development."</p><p><strong>U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, House Assistant Minority Leader"</strong></p><p>“Thanks to the partnership of CU «Ƶ, Colorado State University and Colorado School of Mines, we were successful in designating Colorado and the Rocky Mountain West the nation’s leading quantum tech hub under the CHIPS and Science Act. And as we cheer the development of our state’s new quantum incubator—right here in Colorado’s 2nd—we are also celebrating the advancements and developments still to come."</p><p><strong>CSU President Amy Parsons:</strong></p><p>"Quantum technology will revolutionize industries, solve complex problems and significantly improve lives. CSU is proud to collaborate with other quantum experts across the state as part of this effort. We will continue to develop a leading-edge degree program infrastructure that will meet future workforce needs in this high-demand space."</p><p><strong>Colorado School of Mines President Paul C. Johnson:</strong></p><p>"The new quantum incubator is a great example of the strong collaborative spirit driving Colorado's leadership in quantum innovation. The quantum incubator and the Quantum COmmons shared-use campus in Arvada will be great attractors for and enablers of the technological innovation and quantum industry growth that is the Elevate Quantum vision."</p><p><strong>Elevate Quantum CEO and Regional Innovation Officer Zachary Yerushalmi:</strong></p><p>"With these new facilities from CU and our R1 universities, we're strengthening the foundation of what is already the world's largest quantum industry cluster. Elevate Quantum could not be more excited to see this vital piece of infrastructure come to life."</p><p><strong>University of Colorado President Todd Saliman:</strong></p><p>"As a longstanding leader in this research, CU is excited to team up with CSU, the School of Mines, our partners at Elevate Quantum and the State of Colorado to realize this wonderful new facility. This meaningfully advances our efforts to establish Colorado as a global epicenter of quantum research and technology, and it will enable our great state to continue to drive this critical industry."</p></div></div></div><p>“I couldn’t be prouder of the role CU «Ƶ is playing in this important work,” said Massimo Ruzzene, vice chancellor for research and innovation and dean of the institutes at CU «Ƶ. “By stepping up to secure the physical facility, establish the operating entity, identify prospective tenants and ready the building to ramp up operations starting in January, we are positioning the incubator to quickly fill an important need in advancing quantum innovation across the region.”</p><p>The facility will include a collaborative office environment for early-stage quantum companies and state-of-the-art scientific equipment—providing a testbed to transform ideas for quantum technologies into products that will benefit consumers in Colorado and beyond. Quantum technologies could include sensors for detecting signs of illness in human breath or networks that may one day send data that can’t be hacked over long distances.</p><p>“Quantum science and technologies will enable life-changing advances that touch every segment of society,” said Chancellor Justin Schwartz. “This collaborative facility will allow our researchers’ discoveries to progress more quickly from lab to market and will help cement Colorado and the United States as global leaders in this exciting field.”</p><p>The quantum incubator is one piece of a wide-ranging effort to grow the Mountain West region as a “center of mass” for quantum technology, said Scott Sternberg, executive director of the <a href="/initiative/cubit/" rel="nofollow">CUbit Quantum Initiative</a> at CU «Ƶ. It is especially timely as UNESCO has deemed 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.</p><h2>Rapid growth</h2><p>Momentum around quantum has been building.</p><p>JILA, a joint research institute between CU «Ƶ and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has served as the regional epicenter for quantum research for over 60 years.</p><p>In 2023, the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) named Elevate Quantum, headquartered in Denver, as an official tech hub for quantum information technology. Since that designation, the coalition has secured more than $120 million in funding to grow the quantum industry in Colorado and the Mountain West.</p><p>As part of that effort, <a href="/today/2024/05/30/gov-jared-polis-signs-quantum-industry-bill-campus" rel="nofollow">Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed into law</a> House Bill 1325 in 2024, which directed funds to create the new incubator. Today, the quantum industry supports about 3,000 jobs in the state, but that number could grow to more than 10,000 in the next decade.</p><p>“We asked the question: What is «Ƶ great at when it comes to quantum?” Sternberg said. “And how can the incubator provide a catalyst to make these assets even greater?”</p><h2>Center of mass</h2><p>The quantum incubator will not be alone in Colorado. In June, the U.S. National Science Foundation announced a $20 million <a href="/today/2024/06/20/cu-boulder-wins-20m-lead-national-quantum-nanofab-facility" rel="nofollow">National Quantum Nanofab</a> facility that will be constructed on the CU «Ƶ campus. Elevate Quantum is also launching a 70-acre campus in Arvada, Colorado, called the Quantum COmmons, with an initial 30,000 square feet of shared-use facilities being developed by Colorado School of Mines in support of Elevate Quantum partners.</p><p>Sternberg sees these facilities as part of a progression—helping companies go from papers in a scientific journal, to new prototypes, to products built at scale and, eventually, to the market.</p><p>“Colorado’s new quantum facilities will help turn discoveries in the lab into real-world applications, continuing our leadership in quantum science and creating thousands of new jobs for Coloradans,” said Eve Lieberman, executive director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. “We are excited to celebrate this milestone and look forward to the achievements it will bring to our state.”</p><p>The new «Ƶ facility will also be a vibrant place to work. Physicists, engineers, lab workers and businesspeople can meet quantum experts from Colorado and around the world to share ideas and expertise. They’ll also be able to run experiments on equipment rarely seen outside of large universities. That could include working atomic clocks or devices that measure the extremely fast “ticking” of atoms.</p><p>The quantum incubator will be located in BioMed Realty’s Flatiron Park at 5555 Central Ave. in «Ƶ. Flatiron Park, a hub for life science and technology innovation, consists of 23 buildings and more than 1 million square feet of lab and office space.</p> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-01/QI_Ribboncutting7GA.jpg?itok=mSC9mrZW" width="1500" height="938" alt="Platform guests and dignitaries watch Gov. Jared Polis celebrate after cutting a ribbon to signify the opening of the Quantum Incubator site"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p class="small-text"><span>Leaders in the quantum ecosystem, including higher education, government and the private sector, celebrate the official launch of a new quantum incubator in «Ƶ on Jan. 15. Photo by Glenn Asakawa/CU «Ƶ.</span></p> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>A new quantum incubator coming to Colorado will provide private companies with a testbed to transform ideas for quantum technologies into products that will benefit consumers in the Mountain West and beyond.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Wed, 15 Jan 2025 14:03:31 +0000 Julie Poppen 53947 at /today CU «Ƶ establishes worldwide standards for repairing inaccessible, leaking pipelines /today/2025/01/06/cu-boulder-establishes-worldwide-standards-repairing-inaccessible-leaking-pipelines <span>CU «Ƶ establishes worldwide standards for repairing inaccessible, leaking pipelines</span> <span><span>Elizabeth Lock</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-01-06T11:13:30-07:00" title="Monday, January 6, 2025 - 11:13">Mon, 01/06/2025 - 11:13</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-01/leaking%20pipes%20advancements%20cropped.jpg?h=12337932&amp;itok=fMpYsOxj" width="1200" height="800" alt="People in hard hats crouch over large pipes, appearing to repair them."> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/6"> Science &amp; Technology </a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>CU «Ƶ’s Center for Infrastructure, Energy, and Space Testing has pioneered testing procedures for innovative pipe replacement solutions for aging urban pipes buried beneath buildings and roads.</div> <script> window.location.href = `/ceae/2024/12/20/cu-boulder-establishes-worldwide-standards-repairing-inaccessible-leaking-pipelines`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Mon, 06 Jan 2025 18:13:30 +0000 Elizabeth Lock 53933 at /today Shuo Sun receives NSF CAREER Award for quantum internet research /today/2025/01/03/shuo-sun-receives-nsf-career-award-quantum-internet-research <span>Shuo Sun receives NSF CAREER Award for quantum internet research</span> <span><span>Elizabeth Lock</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-01-03T11:53:15-07:00" title="Friday, January 3, 2025 - 11:53">Fri, 01/03/2025 - 11:53</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-01/shuo_sun_2019_web_v2.jpg?h=144e88b8&amp;itok=K5lsDzQL" width="1200" height="800" alt="A portrait of Shuo Sun"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/1008"> Celebrate </a> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/6"> Science &amp; Technology </a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Shuo Sun, associate fellow at JILA and assistant professor in the Department of Physics, has been awarded an NSF CAREER Award for his research proposal, “Developing a High-Dimensional Photonic Quantum Register for the Quantum Internet.”</div> <script> window.location.href = `https://jila.colorado.edu/news-events/news/jila-associate-fellow-and-cu-boulder-physics-assistant-professor-shuo-sun-receives`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Fri, 03 Jan 2025 18:53:15 +0000 Elizabeth Lock 53929 at /today New project aims to advance secure communications through quantum technology /today/2024/12/18/new-project-aims-advance-secure-communications-through-quantum-technology <span>New project aims to advance secure communications through quantum technology</span> <span><span>Daniel William…</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-12-18T13:45:16-07:00" title="Wednesday, December 18, 2024 - 13:45">Wed, 12/18/2024 - 13:45</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2024-12/Quantum%20Lab_Juliet%20Gopinath_20230524_JMP_002.jpg?h=f9515182&amp;itok=jcgHXuOq" width="1200" height="800" alt="Three people stand at a scientific bench working on equipment"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/6"> Science &amp; Technology </a> </div> <span>Kenna Castleberry</span> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p>The U.S. National Science Foundation has named CU «Ƶ a collaborator on newly announced pilot projects supported by the National Quantum Virtual Laboratory (NQVL) initiative. This groundbreaking effort seeks to accelerate the development of quantum technologies and make cutting-edge quantum tools accessible to researchers nationwide. To do this, the NSF has funded 11 pilot projects (with <a href="https://new.nsf.gov/news/final-6-pilot-projects-selected-nsf-national-quantum-virtual" rel="nofollow">six announced Dec. 16</a>) to overcome the current engineering challenges facing the development of quantum devices.&nbsp;</p><p>Among the six new pilot projects selected, CU «Ƶ will contribute to the Attosecond Synchronized Photonic Entanglement Network (ASPEN-Net). This ambitious project, led by the University of Oregon, aims to create a high-performance, 16-node quantum networking testbed capable of distributing entanglement over distances of up to 100 kilometers. The network is expected to revolutionize secure quantum communications and enable novel distributed quantum sensors and computers.</p> <div class="align-right image_style-medium_750px_50_display_size_"> <div class="imageMediaStyle medium_750px_50_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/medium_750px_50_display_size_/public/2024-12/Quantum%20Lab_Juliet%20Gopinath_20230524_JMP_002.jpg?itok=a4E2ApIE" width="750" height="500" alt="Three people stand at a scientific bench working on equipment"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p>From left to right, Catherine Saladrigas, Juliet Gopinath and Killian Dickson in the Gopinath lab at CU «Ƶ. (Credit: College of Engineering and Applied Science)</p> </span> </div> <p>Mike Mazurek and Krister Shalm, researchers affiliated with CU «Ƶ and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), will spearhead CU «Ƶ’s efforts along with CU «Ƶ electrical engineering and physics Professor Juliet Gopinath. Their combined quantum physics and engineering expertise positions them as key players in advancing the project’s goals.</p><p>“This collaboration exemplifies the cutting-edge quantum science happening at CU «Ƶ and highlights our commitment to fostering innovation in this transformative field,” said Mazurek.&nbsp;</p><p>The NSF NQVL initiative reflects a broader national strategy to harness quantum properties for practical applications, such as secure communication, advanced computing and biomedical sensing. Each pilot project receives $1 million in funding over 12 months to develop real-world test environments to advance the potential of quantum-based technologies.</p><p>Shalm, a member of CU «Ƶ’s <a href="/research/quantum-engineering-initiative/" rel="nofollow">Quantum Engineering Initiative</a>, added: “The ASPEN-Net project pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in quantum networking. CU «Ƶ has a rich history of developing the kinds of breakthrough science and technologies that will be needed for this national effort.”</p><p>By participating in ASPEN-Net, CU «Ƶ continues to build on its legacy of leadership in quantum research, cementing its reputation as a hub for innovation and collaboration in this rapidly evolving field.</p><p>“Our involvement in ASPEN-Net highlights the interdisciplinary strength of CU «Ƶ, where engineering, physics and national labs converge to tackle the most challenging problems in quantum technology,” said Gopinath.</p><p><em>For more information about CU «Ƶ’s quantum initiatives, visit the </em><a href="/initiative/cubit/" rel="nofollow"><em>CUbit Quantum Initiative</em></a><em> website.</em></p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Three CU «Ƶ researchers have joined a newly funded project to develop secure quantum networks.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2024-12/AdobeStock_286724760.jpeg?itok=5YJ1JDp5" width="1500" height="899" alt="Digital illustration of two particle-like objects with a connection between them "> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Wed, 18 Dec 2024 20:45:16 +0000 Daniel William Strain 53900 at /today Colorado and the AI revolution /today/2024/12/18/colorado-and-ai-revolution <span>Colorado and the AI revolution</span> <span><span>Megan Maneval</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-12-18T12:20:31-07:00" title="Wednesday, December 18, 2024 - 12:20">Wed, 12/18/2024 - 12:20</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2024-12/AI-word-cloud_0.jpg?h=b9f6dd29&amp;itok=ACFRoLq0" width="1200" height="800" alt="AI-generated word cloud on a computer screen"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/6"> Science &amp; Technology </a> </div> <a href="/today/leeds-school-business">Leeds School of Business</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p>Colorado is at the forefront of the AI revolution, adopting applications across industries and leading with the Colorado Artificial Intelligence Act. This topic was a spotlight at the 60th annual Colorado Business Economic Outlook Forum.</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Colorado is at the forefront of the AI revolution, adopting applications across industries and leading with the Colorado Artificial Intelligence Act. This topic was a spotlight at the 60th annual Colorado Business Economic Outlook Forum.</div> <script> window.location.href = `/business/news/2024-12-16/colorado-and-the-ai-revolution`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Wed, 18 Dec 2024 19:20:31 +0000 Megan Maneval 53898 at /today Learning the recipe for grizzly gourmet /today/2024/12/16/learning-recipe-grizzly-gourmet <span>Learning the recipe for grizzly gourmet</span> <span><span>Megan Maneval</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-12-16T12:39:58-07:00" title="Monday, December 16, 2024 - 12:39">Mon, 12/16/2024 - 12:39</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2024-12/Montana%20grizzly%20bear.jpg?h=61824ab4&amp;itok=nt01CaER" width="1200" height="800" alt="Grizzly bear in Montana"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/6"> Science &amp; Technology </a> </div> <span>Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine</span> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p>CU «Ƶ anthropology doctoral candidate Sabrina Bradford has been learning what’s on the menu for grizzlies in Montana.</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>CU «Ƶ anthropology doctoral candidate Sabrina Bradford has been learning what’s on the menu for grizzlies in Montana.</div> <script> window.location.href = `/asmagazine/2024/12/12/learning-recipe-grizzly-gourmet`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Mon, 16 Dec 2024 19:39:58 +0000 Megan Maneval 53885 at /today Robotics research to help strengthen domestic battery supply chain /today/2024/12/10/robotics-research-help-strengthen-domestic-battery-supply-chain <span>Robotics research to help strengthen domestic battery supply chain</span> <span><span>Megan Maneval</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-12-10T08:25:23-07:00" title="Tuesday, December 10, 2024 - 08:25">Tue, 12/10/2024 - 08:25</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2024-12/image.png?h=e310545f&amp;itok=xpH-k5JQ" width="1200" height="800" alt="Robotic disassembly"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/6"> Science &amp; Technology </a> </div> <span>College of Engineering and Applied Science</span> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p>Computer science professor Nikolaus Correll and his lab have been awarded $1.8 million to research autonomous electric vehicle battery disassembly. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy.</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Computer science professor Nikolaus Correll, and his lab, has been awarded $1.8 million to research autonomous electric vehicle battery disassembly. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy.</div> <script> window.location.href = `/cs/2024/12/02/cs-robotics-research-help-strengthen-domestic-battery-supply-chain`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Tue, 10 Dec 2024 15:25:23 +0000 Megan Maneval 53844 at /today