Christine Silberhorn

In geometry, sphere packing refers to the arrangement of non-overlapping spheres within a containing space. An everyday example would be how oranges may be stacked as closely and thus efficiently as possible. What appears to be a rather ordinary task, has stumped mathematicians for centuries. It was only in 1998…

We create a domain-specific programming language, PVL, which aims to verify program implementations against their specifications via an internal verification engine embedded into PVL compiler. Tags: Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Safety-Critical Systems.

The nominating institution Japan Science and Technology Agency on the breakthrough: Quantum information technologies are expected to bring scientific and social benefits that will change the world. Prof. Oiwa in Osaka University is conducting a JST project to develop a Poincaré interface using quantum dots as hardware for realizing long…

The nominating institution Austrian Academy of Sciences on the breakthrough: Cachexia is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in various cancers, chronic inflammation and infections. But our understanding of it is limited, especially infection-associated cachexia (IAC). In the present paper, Bergthaler and his colleagues describe a model of reversible…

How Climate Science Calls For Radical Changes in Energy Policy On the long and winding road to more sustainable energy and climate policies, the year 2015 saw several unexpected and positive developments – the largest fossil fuel divestment campaign in history reached its peak and led to trillions of dollars…

Colorectal cancer is one of the most frequent cancers globally. A large proportion of people have modifiable risk factors, such as weight and diet. Coffee is the main source of chlorogenic acid, the most abundant polyphenol in natural products. Hernán Villota argues that these polyphenolic compounds could have a preventive…

Nominated by: Jerome Etwaroo, University Of Victoria Presented by: Stephanie Willerth

To measure the magnetic moment of the muon to unprecedented precision in the search for new fundamental particles and forces that may contribute to the muon’s internal magnetism. By producing copious numbers of subatomic muon particles in a powerful accelerator, a precise measurement of the muon spin precession and the…

The nominating institution University of Zurich on the breakthrough: Neuromorphic and quantum computers will revolutionize the way we perform calculations. Both concepts require new hardware foundations, creating a demand for quantum materials with exotic properties. In particular, systems with topological effects — described using tools from the name-bearing field of…

Soha is a network of volunteer astronomers and institutions interested in communicating science to vulnerable communities in Iran, including underprivileged youth, refugees, sick people and children with disability. The project facilitates interdisciplinary events mixing astronomy with arts, sports, and entertainment, and integrates psychological support to work effectively with target groups.