Research
In developing a new generation of optical computers, one aspect remains crucial: the ability to bind light and matter in an efficient manner. A new study by researchers at ITMO’s School of Physics might just offer a solution. Last week, our portal took a deep dive into this ambitious proposal – visit the full article for a detailed breakdown of the science behind the project.
Read more: ITMO Scientists Present A Way to Control Light-Matter Connection in Next-Gen Optical Devices
Chirality, a kind of symmetry that’s often found in living things as well as in particles and molecules, is well-known to scientists as a boon for many optical systems. Now, a team at the International Research and Educational Center for Physics of Nanostructures is planning to use “twisted” radiation to create plasmonic chiral particles with properties that make the material equally useful in purification and biosensing.
Read more: ITMO Researchers Propose New Production Method for Biosensor Nanoparticles
Teaming up with Nobel Prize laureate Frank Wilczek, researchers at ITMO have come closer to solving the mystery of dark matter. Their recent study focuses on axions – dark matter “candidates” – and more specifically on a metamaterial that may help prove the existence of such particles. The idea is that the multi-layered material would be able to elicit a response that can only be produced by particles possessing the same qualities as axions.
Read more: A Material Simulating Dark Matter Particles Described
Artificial intelligence
Coffee enthusiasts, look out: a new rival is in town. The staff of ITMO’s Infochemistry Scientific Center are hard at work on an AI system capable of analyzing and describing the intricate flavors of a coffee bean just like an actual connoisseur of the drink. Trained with the help of professional coffee tasters, the program is intended to help maintain a higher quality of coffee in vending machines. Its creators also believe that it has the potential for similar applications in the catering and food retail industries.
Read more: AI Barista: Digital Coffee Taste Predictor To Be Developed at ITMO
Artificial Intelligence, a flagship Master’s program launched by ITMO in collaboration with AI developer Napoleon IT, is welcoming a new partner: the food retail company X5 Group, the owner of some of Russia’s largest supermarket chains, will partner with the university on the creation of an AI research lab. Here, students will develop ML- and AI-based products and integrate them into the company’s operational infrastructure under the guidance of practicing experts.
Read more: ITMO and Х5 Group Launch Joint AI Laboratory
Popular science
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As the general public grows aware of the importance of inclusivity, accessibility becomes a more prevalent topic in public discourse. ITMO.NEWS recently spoke to sign language experts and members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community about the history and intricacies of Russian sign language, the challenges associated with ensuring that people with disabilities are included in the conversation, and how popular science today is being made accessible to everyone.
Read more: This Is a Sign: Translating Popular Science into Sign Language
Who said science can’t be entertaining? With audiences flocking to the cinema to learn about Oppenheimer et al., it’s high time that we dispel the stereotype once and for all. In our latest cinema digest, we look at the films that center on mad geniuses, passionate scholars, and legendary thinkers – both real and fictional.
