Breakthrough paved the way to many of today’s budding quantum computers
Steadying the output of fiber lasers
High-power fiber lasers are used in a range of scientific fields in addition to their standard use for technology. However, increases in laser output power are limited by nonlinear effects that can damage the optical components and reduce the beam quality. Rothe et al. used a spatial wavefront-shaping technique for multimode fiber lasers that mitigates their detrimental processes, thus enabling output power to be increased appreciably while maintaining beam quality.
Last week was Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. A day of prayer and staying away from news. As people made their way to Heaton Park synagogue in north Manchester, they saw a small car being driven erratically before it crashed into the gates. In seconds, Jihad al-Shamie had jumped from the vehicle and started stabbing those nearby. Within six minutes three people had been killed, including the attacker, who was shot by armed police.
For our cover story, Chris Osuh and Geneva Abdul speak to members of the Jewish community about how they feared such an assault was likely, as well as their hopes for unity in the face of hatred. Our reporting team pieces together what is known about Shamie, and Jonathan Freedland says the terror attack was no surprise amid rising antisemitism, but must be a turning point.
Five essential reads in this week’s edition
Spotlight | A chilling message David Smith reports on how Donald Trump is stepping up attacks on Democratic donors little more than a year before the midterm elections for Congress
Science | Catching Zs If you’ve ever found yourself awake in the small hours, mind whirring, you’re not alone. Jillian Pretzel asks experts about what causes maintenance insomnia – inability to stay asleep – and which treatments can help to tackle it
Feature | Broken connection A volcanic eruption in the South Pacific in 2022 ripped apart the underwater cables that connect Tonga to the world.Samanth Subramanian examines how losing the internet catapulted the archipelago back in time
Opinion | Man without a plan? Latin American governments are fretfully watching a big US military buildup around Venezuela as Donald Trump steps up action against drug cartels. The president’s efforts to act as a neighbourhood policeman, writes Simon Tisdall, are regressive, dangerous and almost certain to backfire
Culture | Boss mode New biopic Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere captures the musician at a pivotal point in his career. Alexis Petridis speaks to the film’s cast and crew about bringing the musical icon to life
Yasmina Snyder spoke to writers, poets, musicians and event organisers based in London about the connections between live music and poetry, and the spaces that host them.
‘There’s big trouble in the world of little magazines. In the last two years, an alarming number have vanished into that second-hand bookshop in the sky. Each leaves the world a little quieter, a little poorer.’
Peace abroad and war at home? It’s an unusual note to strike in an electoral democracy. By Benjamin Wallace-Wells
Before Kimmel, the Smothers Brothers Ate It
President Nixon got the brothers’ variety show cancelled after they wouldn’t let up on Vietnam. In the wake of the new late-night wars, Dick Smothers is having flashbacks. By Bruce Handy
The Prime Minister Who Tried to Have a Life Outside the Office
As the thirtysomething leader of Finland, Sanna Marin pursued an ambitious policy agenda. The press focussed on her nights out and how she paid for breakfast. By Jennifer Wilson
The Hague on Trial
The chief prosecutor has obtained warrants against Israeli leaders for war crimes—but faces allegations of sexual misconduct. By David D. Kirkpatrick
THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE: The 10.5.25 Issue features Matthieu Aikins and Victor J. Blue reporting on crimes and impunity in the U.S. Special Forces.
Pete Hegseth’s advocacy for service members accused of war crimes, and Trump’s pardons of them, have helped usher in an era of military aggression and disregard for the rule of law. By Matthieu Aikins and Victor J. Blue
In 2012, after a team member was nearly killed, a Special Forces unit went on a rampage that might have been one of the worst war crimes in recent U.S. history. By Matthieu Aikins and Victor J. Blue
As cases of lawless behavior and extrajudicial killings mounted, the Special Forces had to decide how to respond — and whom to protect. By Matthieu Aikins and Victor J. Blue
Walmart is leveraging its scale and technology to make Sam’s Club even more appealing to its loyal shoppers. Why all three warehouse-club chains stand to win.
Fights about digital filtering tools have turned more and more bitter. That’s because of their extraordinary power to shape both political opinion and mass culture.
Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality by Renée DiResta
Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter by Kate Conger and Ryan Mac
Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture by Kyle Chayka
Shadow Ticket is brisker than Thomas Pynchon’s other work, but it’s full of his usual vaudevillian sensibility, and it addresses his favorite theme: how to live freely under powerful systems of control.
SCIENCE MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘Slipping through the cracks’ – Plants attract bacteria by leaking glutamine from gaps between cells when root barriers break down.
Boomers Daily 