Quantum computing has taken a major step forward with a breakthrough demonstrating an unconditional exponential speedup—a long-awaited milestone in the field. Led by Daniel Lidar, a professor of engineering at the University of Southern California (USC) and a leading expert in quantum error correction, the research was carried out in collaboration with teams from USC and Johns Hopkins University. Their findings were published in Physical Review X.

Quantum computers have promised transformative capabilities: solving complex equations, designing next-generation medicines, breaking encryption, and discovering new materials. However, one persistent barrier has slowed progress—noise. These small but constant errors disrupt quantum operations, often rendering results less reliable than those from traditional classical computers.

Australian researchers at Swinburne University of Technology have created strong, sustainable bricks using used coffee grounds, offering a promising solution for reducing the construction industry’s carbon footprint.

On June 27, Swinburne signed an intellectual property licensing agreement with startup Green Brick to bring these eco-friendly bricks to market.

This breakthrough marks a powerful convergence of ancient botanical wisdom and modern science, showing how plants can be tapped more sustainably for life-saving medicine. For decades, the chemotherapy drug Taxol—used to treat breast, ovarian, lung, and other aggressive cancers—was derived from the bark of the Pacific yew tree.

But harvesting Taxol in this way kills the tree, posing a major ecological and supply challenge since yews grow slowly and live for centuries. In recent years, scientists discovered that a precursor chemical called baccatin III, which can be chemically converted into Taxol, is produced in the tree’s needles and can be harvested without harming the plant.