Breakthrough promises secure quantum computing at home

UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

 

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THE PROCESS ALLOWS A REMOTE USER (RIGHT) TO ACCESS A QUANTUM COMPUTER IN THE CLOUD (LEFT) WITH COMPLETE SECURITY. BY HELENE HAINZER. COPYRIGHT OXFORD UNIVERSITY PHYSICS.

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CREDIT: BY HELENE HAINZER. COPYRIGHT OXFORD UNIVERSITY PHYSICS.

The full power of next-generation quantum computing could soon be harnessed by millions of individuals and companies, thanks to a breakthrough by scientists at Oxford University Physics guaranteeing security and privacy. This advance promises to unlock the transformative potential of cloud-based quantum computing and is detailed in a new study published in the influential U.S. scientific journal Physical Review Letters.

Quantum computing is developing rapidly, paving the way for new applications which could transform services in many areas like healthcare and financial services. It works in a fundamentally different way to conventional computing and is potentially far more powerful. However, it currently requires controlled conditions to remain stable and there are concerns around data authenticity and the effectiveness of current security and encryption systems.

Several leading providers of cloud-based services, like Google, Amazon, and IBM, already separately offer some elements of quantum computing. Safeguarding the privacy and security of customer data is a vital precursor to scaling up and expending its use, and for the development of new applications as the technology advances. The new study by researchers at Oxford University Physics addresses these challenges.

“We have shown for the first time that quantum computing in the cloud can be accessed in a scalable, practical way which will also give people complete security and privacy of data, plus the ability to verify its authenticity,” said Professor David Lucas, who co-heads the Oxford University Physics research team and is lead scientist at the UK Quantum Computing and Simulation Hub, led from Oxford University Physics.

In the new study, the researchers use an approach dubbed “blind quantum computing”, which connects two totally separate quantum computing entities – potentially an individual at home or in an office accessing a cloud server – in a completely secure way. Importantly, their new methods could be scaled up to large quantum computations.

“Using blind quantum computing, clients can access remote quantum computers to process confidential data with secret algorithms and even verify the results are correct, without revealing any useful information. Realising this concept is a big step forward in both quantum computing and keeping our information safe online’’ said study lead Dr Peter Drmota, of Oxford University Physics.

The researchers created a system comprising a fibre network link between a quantum computing server and a simple device detecting photons, or particles of light, at an independent computer remotely accessing its cloud services. This allows so-called blind quantum computing over a network. Every computation incurs a correction which must be applied to all that follow and needs real-time information to comply with the algorithm. The researchers used a unique combination of quantum memory and photons to achieve this.

“Never in history have the issues surrounding privacy of data and code been more urgently debated than in the present era of cloud computing and artificial intelligence,” said Professor David Lucas. “As quantum computers become more capable, people will seek to use them with complete security and privacy over networks, and our new results mark a step change in capability in this respect.”

The results could ultimately lead to commercial development of devices to plug into laptops, to safeguard data when people are using quantum cloud computing services.

Researchers exploring quantum computing and technologies at Oxford University Physics have access to the state-of-the-art Beecroft laboratory facility, specially constructed to create stable and secure conditions including eliminating vibration.

Funding for the research came from the UK Quantum Computing and Simulation (QCS) Hub, with scientists from the UK National Quantum Computing Centre, the Paris-Sorbonne University, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Maryland, collaborating on the work.

Read further detail on the study here:

The study ‘Verifiable blind quantum computing with trapped ions and single photons’ has been published in Physical Review Letters: http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.150604

Images, animation and media pack here are available at: https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/about-us/media/latest-media-release or via tessa.curtis@physics.ox.ac.uk

Images and video are for editorial use only and must be credited. These must NOT be sold on to third parties. A video summary is available at https://youtu.be/PBZLrmk1c4s 

Experiments on quantum computing in the Beecroft facility, Oxford University Physics. 

Photo credit: David Nadlinger, Oxford University Physics. 

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Oxford University Physics

Oxford University Physics  is one of the largest physics departments in the world, top-ranked in the UK and among the lead research universities globally in all key areas of physics. Its mission is to apply the transformative power of physics to the foremost scientific problems and educate the next generation of physicists as well as to promote innovation and public engagement with physics.

Oxford University Physics leads ground-breaking scientific research across a wide spectrum of challenges: from quantum computing, quantum materials and quantum matter to space missions and observation; from climate science to the development of next-generation technologies for renewable energy; and from designing experiments to understand the nature of existence to revolutionising medicine and healthcare through biophysics.

Oxford University Physics has spun out 18 companies since launching the University’s first commercial venture in 1959 and works with enterprise across most areas of its leading scientific research.

About Oxford University

Oxford University has been placed number 1 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for the eighth year running, and ​number 3 in the QS World Rankings 2024. At the heart of this success are the twin-pillars of our ground-breaking research and innovation and our distinctive educational offer.

Oxford is world-famous for research and teaching excellence and home to some of the most talented people from across the globe. Our work helps the lives of millions, solving real-world problems through a huge network of partnerships and collaborations. The breadth and interdisciplinary nature of our research alongside our personalised approach to teaching sparks imaginative and inventive insights and solutions.

Through its research commercialisation arm, Oxford University Innovation, Oxford is the highest university patent filer in the UK and is ranked first in the UK for university spinouts, having created more than 300 new companies since 1988. Over a third of these companies have been created in the past five years. The university is a catalyst for prosperity in Oxfordshire and the United Kingdom, contributing £15.7 billion to the UK economy in 2018/19, and supports more than 28,000 full time jobs.

About the Quantum Computing and Simulation (QCS) Hub

The Quantum Computing & Simulation Hub (QCS) is a collaboration of 17 universities, supported by a wide range of commercial and governmental organisations, with the University of Oxford as its lead partner. It is one of four quantum technologies hubs in the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme, a £1 billion dynamic collaboration between industry, academia and government.

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JOURNAL

Physical Review Letters

DOI

10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.150604 

ARTICLE TITLE

Verifiable blind quantum computing with trapped ions and single photons’

Harnessing quantum technology for industry: Cutting-edge simulations for Industry 4.0

Hannover Messe

SAARLAND UNIVERSITY

 

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WOLFGANG MAASS (LEFT), DOCTORAL RESEARCH STUDENT HANNAH STEIN AND RESEARCHER ANKIT AGRAWAL (RIGHT) ARE WORKING WITH PARTNERS FROM INDUSTRY AND ACADEMIA TO HARNESS THE POWER OF QUANTUM COMPUTATIONAL METHODS FOR THE METALWORKING INDUSTRY

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CREDIT: CREDIT: OLIVER DIETZE

High-quality, defect-free and perfectly dimensioned metal components. Quantum computing power looks set to optimize production processes in the metalworking industry. A team led by Professor of Business Informatics Wolfgang Maaß of Saarland University and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) is working with commercial and academic partners in the 'Quasim' project to develop novel quantum-based simulations that simply could not be performed on today's conventional computing architectures due to computing time and storage limits. The team will be demonstrating how these simulations can be used to boost quality, productivity and cost-efficiency at this year's Hannover Messe on 22-26 April (Hall 2, Stand B10).

Aero engines have to reliably deliver high levels of thrust even under adverse conditions, so precision is of paramount concern in the manufacture of modern aircraft turbines. In turbofan engines, the fan that draws air into the turbine has multiple blades with complex curved geometries. These metal blades are made by a precision milling process that requires a careful machining strategy. Precision milling is only possible if the relative motion of the tool and the workpiece is very tightly controlled. Failure to do so can mean that the blade starts to vibrate causing the surface of the blade to hit the milling head in an uncontrolled manner and damaging the blade. For a component that becomes essentially unusable even if very slightly out-of-spec, this can be a very expensive mishap. 'This kind of production error can be extremely costly for manufacturers of high-precision aero engine components,' said Wolfgang Maaß, professor of business informatics at Saarland University and head of the Smart Service Engineering research area at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI).

But the situation is similar for many other companies, large and small, that manufacture metal components – including those produced by laser cutting. The extreme heat that is generated during the cutting process can cause the metal to expand in places where it should not. Or in conventional cutting operations, off-cuts can get caught in the machine, which then comes to a halt. The result is increased rejection rates and lengthy machine downtimes, costing the manufacturing company material, time and money. 'The metalworking industry is a major economic sector in Germany and the EU, and safety and quality standards are high. Production processes in the metalworking sector sometimes have rejection rates of about 1%, which doesn't sound like much, but overall, it can have a significant impact on competitiveness,' explained Wolfgang Maaß.

A reduction in rejection rate can be achieved by digital simulations that make use of artificial intelligence. By creating a digital twin of the workpiece, everything that happens to a real component can be simulated in a virtual environment – from planning and production through to quality assurance. In theory, every aspect of the production chain can be precisely optimized, whether it is the perfect spindle speed for milling or the ideal power density delivered by the laser. But there's a catch. The gigantic volume of data required to produce these high-resolution simulations simply cannot be handled with conventional computer systems. Quantum computers, which could deliver the level of computing power needed, are not yet available. The result: 'Simulations are currently rarely used in practical applications. In part, because sufficient computing power is just not available, and partly because specialized data and information are needed, which in turn requires detailed expertise in computational simulations,' explained Hannah Stein from Maaß' research team. At present, metalworking companies have to content themselves with lower resolution digital twins and they rely heavily on the practical expertise and experience of their production engineers.

And there is still some way to go before quantum computers deliver the sort of warp-speed computing needed to handle massive data volumes. The research partners in the Quasim project are however firmly rooted in reality. The consortium of industrial and academic partners is working on short-and long-term solutions that harness the power of quantum systems to deliver enhanced simulations for use in manufacturing scenarios. 'Our initial studies have shown that by exploiting the principles underlying quantum mechanical systems and using quantum-based machine learning strategies, we can solve algorithmic problems significantly faster,' said project coordinator Wolfgang Maaß. 'Although today's quantum computers are still in their infancy, the underlying technology can already be deployed in areas where conventional computers would be working at their limits, requiring immense amounts of time to complete a calculation.'

The researchers are using a variety of quantum computing methods to explore ways of making complex simulations faster and suitable for practical applications. The work involves applying quantum computing technologies to conventional simulation methods based on mathematical models from physics and materials science. The research team is also investigating quantum-based machine learning methods. By comparing these new approaches with conventional methodologies, and assessing the efficacy of the various solutions, the team is developing innovative solutions that could find practical application in the near future. The results are already being integrated into existing simulation methods. 'We are currently developing the first prototypes. So far, the most promising results have been achieved using hybrid models that combine conventional simulation methodologies with quantum technology and machine learning,' said doctoral researcher Hannah Stein.

As the researchers use production data from real manufacturing lines, aero engine manufacturers may soon be using quantum computer-based simulations to predict blade vibrations during milling. By working with an accurate digital twin, they can precisely set machining parameters, such as milling speed, enabling them to eradicate machining inaccuracies and significantly reduce rejection rates. Improved simulations also mean that laser cutters can deliver the right amount of power during an optimized machining sequence producing undamaged, perfectly dimensioned metal components. At this year's Hannover Messe, the business informatics specialists from Saarbrücken will be showcasing milling and laser cutting prototypes that demonstrate how conventional manufacturing can be enhanced by quantum-based simulations by delivering shorter material processing times and improved product quality.

The Quasim project ('QC-Enhanced Service Ecosystem for Simulation in Manufacturing') is a consortium comprising Wolfgang Maaß' research group at Saarland University and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), Professor Frank-Wilhelm Mauch's group at Forschungszentrum Jülich and Saarland University, the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology (IPT), the machine tool manufacturing company TRUMPF, the software component provider ModuleWorks and the associated project partners Ford and the aero engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines. Total project funding of over €5 million has been provided by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR).

 

Biofortified rice to combat deficiencies

A team from UNIGE, together with ETH Zurich and NCHU in Taiwan, has developed a rice line that has enhanced vitamin B1 content

UNIVERSITÉ DE GENÈVE

Vitamin B1 is an essential micronutrient for human beings. Its deficiency is the cause of numerous diseases of the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration with teams at ETH Zurich and Taiwan’s National Chung Hsing University (NCHU), have achieved a significant advance in the fight against vitamin B1deficiency, frequently associated with a rice-based diet. By specifically targeting the nourishing tissues of the rice grain, the scientists have succeeded in considerably increasing its vitamin B1content, without compromising agronomic yield. These results, to be read in the Plant Biotechnology Journal, could help solve a major public health problem in regions where rice is the staple food.
 

Most vitamins cannot be produced by the human body and must be supplied by the diet. When the diet is varied, vitamin requirements are generally covered. But in populations where cereals such as rice are the main or even the only food source, deficiencies are common. This is particularly true of vitamin B1 (thiamine), a deficiency of which causes numerous nervous and cardiovascular diseases, such as beriberi.

Vitamin B1 in rice is lost during processing

Rice is the staple crop for half the world’s population, particularly in the tropical countries of Asia, South America and Africa. Rice grains are low in vitamin B1, and processing steps such as polishing (i.e. removing the bran by grating the peripheral layers) reduce it even further, taking 90% with them. This practice thus further aggravates chronic deficiencies.

The laboratory of Teresa Fitzpatrick, full professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at the UNIGE Faculty of Science, specializes in vitamin biosynthesis and degradation pathways in plants. Her group, in collaboration with a team from ETH Zurich and Taiwan’s NCHU, focused on improving vitamin B1 content in the endosperm of rice, i.e. the nourishing tissue that makes up the bulk of the seed, and therefore of what is eaten.

‘‘Previous attempts at biofortification by other teams had succeeded in increasing the vitamin B1 content of the leaves and bran - the outer layer of rice grains - but not that of the ready-to-eat rice grain. In our study, we specifically targeted the increase in vitamin B1 content in the endosperm,’’ explains Teresa Fitzpatrick, first author of the study. The scientists generated rice lines that express a gene that sequesters vitamin B1 in a controlled manner in the endosperm tissues. After growing in glasshouses, harvesting and polishing the rice grains, they found that the vitamin B1 content was increased in rice grains from these lines.

Promising experimental crops

The lines were then seeded in an experimental field in Taiwan and grown for several years. From an agronomic point of view, the characteristics analyzed were the same for both modified and unmodified rice plants. Plant height, number of stems per plant, grain weight and fertility were all comparable. On the other hand, the level of vitamin B1 in rice grains, after the polishing stage, is multiplied by 3 to 4 in the modified lines. This modification therefore enables vitamin B1 accumulation without impacting yield.

‘‘Most studies of this type are carried out with glasshouse grown crops. The fact that we have been able to grow our lines under real field conditions, that the expression of the modified gene is stable over time without any of the agronomic characteristics being affected, is very promising,’’ enthuses Wilhelm Gruissem, Professor emeritus at ETH Zurich and Distinguished Chair Professor and Yushan Fellow at NCHU. A 300-gram bowl of rice from this crop provides around a third of the recommended daily intake of vitamin B1 for an adult. The next step towards the goal of biofortified plants with vitamin B1 will be to pursue this approach in commercial varieties. However, regulatory steps relating to biofortification by genetic engineering will have to be taken before these plants could be cultivated.

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JOURNAL

Plant Biotechnology Journal

DOI

10.1111/pbi.14348 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

News article

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Vitamin B1 enhancement in the endosperm of rice through thiamine sequestration

 

Unraveling the song of ice and fire across the American landscape with machine learning

INSTITUTE OF ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICS, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

In the rugged terrain of the western United States, where wildfires rage unchecked, a surprising connection emerges with the tumultuous skies of the central US. A recent study published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences explores the intriguing relationship between wildfires in the West and hailstorms in the Central US. At the core of this pioneering study led by Jiwen Fan, who was at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and is currently at Argonne National Laboratory, lies the innovative application of machine learning (ML) techniques to illuminate the hidden link between seemingly disparate phenomena.

Machine learning algorithms, including Random Forest and Extreme Gradient Boosting, are employed to analyze vast datasets spanning two decades, from 2001 to 2020. These ML models are trained to predict the occurrence of large hail in Central US states based on a multitude of variables, including meteorological conditions in the fire region, wind patterns, and characteristics of wildfires themselves.

Through meticulous analysis and data processing, the ML models achieve remarkable accuracy, with predictions exceeding 90% in some cases. By identifying key variables and patterns, these models unveil correlations between wildfires in the western US and hailstorms in the central US, providing invaluable insights into the remote impacts of wildfires on severe weather events thousands of miles away.

"We are now able to paint a vivid picture of the intricate relationship between fire and hail across the American landscape. Wildfires in the western US, exert a far-reaching influence on atmospheric conditions, shaping the trajectory of severe weather events thousands of miles away - something that we never thought before”  said Dr. Jiwen Fan, “Meteorological variables like westerly wind, the temperature and relative humidity in the fire region and the intensity of wildfires emerge as key players in this climatic symphony.”

Yet, amidst the marvel of discovery, challenges abound. Attempts to predict the daily count of large hail events reveal the complexities of nature's whims, reminding us of the unpredictable nature of weather phenomena. As researchers continue to refine their models and confront data imbalances, the quest for understanding presses onward.

The utilization of ML techniques represents a significant advancement in atmospheric science, allowing researchers to navigate complex datasets and extract meaningful patterns that may have eluded traditional statistical methods. With ML as their guiding light, scientists embark on a journey to unravel the mysteries of Earth's interconnected systems and pave the way for more accurate predictions and proactive measures in the face of evolving climate dynamics.

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JOURNAL

Advances in Atmospheric Sciences

DOI

10.1007/s00376-024-3198-7 

ARTICLE TITLE

Machine Learning Analysis of Impact of Western US Fires on Central US Hailstorms

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

11-Apr-2024

Decoding spontaneous thoughts from the brain via machine learning

Predicting self-relevance and valence during personal narratives using fMRI and predictive modeling

INSTITUTE FOR BASIC SCIENCE

 

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FIRST, THE DATA WAS INDEPENDENTLY SEGMENTED INTO QUINTILES (5 LEVELS) FOR SELF-RELEVANCE AND VALENCE BASED ON PARTICIPANT’S RATINGS. NEXT, TIME POINTS (TRS) WERE ASSIGNED ACCORDING TO THE LEVELS OF THESE TWO DIMENSIONS, RESULTING IN A TOTAL OF 5×5 QUANTIZED TR INDICES. UTILIZING THESE INDICES, EXEMPLIFIED BY LEVEL 2 FOR SELF-RELEVANCE AND LEVEL 5 FOR VALENCE HIGHLIGHTED AS RED-SHADED TRS IN THE FIGURE, EACH INDEX'S FMRI AND RATING DATA WERE AVERAGED, THEREBY GENERATING 25 FMRI IMAGES AND CORRESPONDING RATING DATA FOR EACH PARTICIPANT. SUBSEQUENTLY, EMPLOYING THESE ORTHOGONALIZED DATA, WHOLE-BRAIN PATTERN-BASED PREDICTIVE MODELS WERE DEVELOPED USING PRINCIPAL COMPONENT REGRESSION (PCR) ALONG WITH LEAVE-ONE-SUBJECT-OUT CROSS-VALIDATION (LOSO-CV) AND RANDOM-SPLIT CROSS-VALIDATION (RS-CV).

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CREDIT: INSTITUTE FOR BASIC SCIENCE

A team of researchers led by KIM Hong Ji and WOO Choong-Wan at the Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research (CNIR) within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), in collaboration with Emily FINN at Dartmouth College, has unlocked a new realm of understanding within the human brain. The team demonstrated the possibility of using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and machine learning algorithms to predict subjective feelings in people’s thoughts while reading stories or in a freely thinking state.

The brain is constantly active, and spontaneous thoughts occur even during rest or sleep. These thoughts can be anything ranging from memories of the past to aspirations for the future, and they are often intertwined with emotions and personal concerns. However, because spontaneous thought typically occurs without any constraint of consciousness, researching them poses challenges - even simply asking individuals what they are currently thinking can change the nature of their thoughts.

New research suggests that it may be possible to develop predictive models of affective contents during spontaneous thought by combining personal narratives with fMRI. Narratives and spontaneous thoughts share similar characteristics, including rich semantic information and temporally unfolding nature. To capture a diverse range of thought patterns, participants engaged in one-on-one interviews to craft personalized narrative stimuli, reflecting their past experiences and emotions. While participants read their stories inside the MRI scanner, their brain activity was recorded.

After the fMRI scan, the participants were asked to read the stories again and report perceived self-relevance (i.e., how much this content is related to themselves) and valence (i.e., how much this content is positive or negative) at each moment. Using a quintile (five levels) from each participant's self-relevance and valence ratings, 25 (5 levels of self-relevance rating × 5 levels of valence rating) possible segments of fMRI and rating data were created. The team then harnessed machine learning techniques to train predictive models, combining these data with the fMRI brain scans from 49 individuals to decode the “emotional dimensions” of thoughts in real time.

To interpret the brain representations of the predictive models, the research team employed multiple approaches, such as virtual lesion and virtual isolation analyses at both region and network levels. Through these analyses, they discovered the significance of the default mode, ventral attention, and frontoparietal networks in both self-relevance and valence predictions. Specifically, they identified the involvement of the anterior insula and midcingulate cortex in self-relevance prediction, while the left temporoparietal junction and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex played important roles in valence prediction.

Moreover, the predictive models showed their capacity to predict both self-relevance and valence not only during story reading but also when applied to data from 199 individuals engaging in spontaneous, task-free thinking or even during resting. These findings show the promise of daydream decoding.

“Several tech companies and research teams are currently endeavoring to decode words or images directly from brain activity, but there are limited initiatives aimed at decoding intimate emotions underlying these thoughts,” stated Dr. WOO Choong-Wan, associate director of IBS, who led the study. “Our research is centered on human emotions, with the aim of decoding emotions within the natural flow of thoughts to obtain information that can benefit people’s mental health.”

KIM Hongji, a doctoral candidate and the first author of this study, emphasized, "This study holds significance as we decoded the emotional state associated with general thoughts, rather than targeting emotions limited to specific tasks," adding, "These findings advance our understanding of the internal states and contexts influencing subjective experiences, potentially shedding light on individual differences in thoughts and emotions, and aiding in the evaluation of mental well-being."

Video abstract can be found at: https://youtu.be/wUr6apaRuAE

The brain maps shown in the left panel illustrate the results of searchlight-based virtual isolation analysis for the self-relevance (top) and the valence model (bottom). The plots in the right panel show the virtual isolation analysis results for the self-relevance model (top) and the valence model (bottom), incorporating large-scale networks and selected ROIs. Each colored dot represents the prediction-outcome correlations for each network or region with bootstrap tests of 10,000 iterations.

CREDIT

Institute for Basic Science

JOURNAL

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI

10.1073/pnas.2401959121 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Brain decoding of spontaneous thought: predictive modeling of self-relevance and valence using personal narratives

 

Economist: Tens of billions of dollars in forest products are being overlooked

UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN - FACULTY OF SCIENCE

 

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LOCAL PRODUCTION OF SHEA BUTTER IN BURKINA FASO 

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CREDIT: HANNA SIMONSEN

In the Roman Empire, custom taxes on spices, black pepper in particular, accounted for up to a third of the empire's annual income. And during the late Middle Ages, European efforts to cut out middle men and monopolise the spice trade led to colonization in Asia. Historically, non-timber forest products have frequently played a key role in the global economy.

Today however, non-timber forest products are neglected when the values of forests are recorded in official trade statistics. This applies both in the EU and globally. And it is despite the fact that these products account for a large part of the economies of many countries – from medicinal plants and edible insects to nuts, berries and herbs, to materials like bamboo and latex.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that annual producer income from non-wood products is US$ 88 billion – and when the added value of processing and other links in the value chain are included, the value of these products rockets up to trillions of dollars.

According to Professor Carsten Smith-Hall, an economist at the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Food and Resource Economics, this is a good reason to begin including forest products like ginseng, shea nuts, acai berries, baobab and acacia gum into global trade accounts.

"We estimate that roughly 30,000 different non-timber forest products are traded internationally, but less than fifty of them currently have a commodity code. We’re talking about goods worth enormous sums of money that are not being recorded in official statistics – and are therefore invisible. This means that the countries and communities that deliver these goods do not earn enough from them, in part because there is no investment in local processing companies," says Smith-Hall, a world-leading bioeconomy researcher. He adds:

"Because we underestimate the role of these goods, we’re wasting clear opportunities to combat poverty. These are goods that contribute significantly to food security, health and employment in large parts of the world, especially in low- and middle-income countries."

Carsten Smith-Hall and James Chamberlain from the U.S. Department of Agriculture have written a commentary in the journal Forest Policy and Economics, in which they argue for the great, though yet to be realized, potential. 

Adding value

Examples of valuable products that go unrecorded, but are traded in informal markets, are numerous. One of these is caterpillar fungus (Ophiocordyceps sinensis), a fungus that infects and then erupts from the heads of mummified moth larvae. On the Tibetan plateau and in the Himalayas, people collect the medicinal mushroom that they call yartsa gunbu – and is also known as the Viagra of the Himalayas –at every opportunity.

"Caterpillar fungus is exported to China, where it is sold as an aphrodisiac and traditional medicine. Rural gatherers can sell it for about €11,500 per kilo. It fights poverty and helps transform local communities. That is, it allows people to send their children to better schools and build new houses. But because the trade goes unrecorded, local communities aren’t getting what they could out of the product," says Carsten Smith-Hall.

The professor goes on to explain that the consequence of products like these not appearing in official trade accounts is that they are ignored in important contexts:

"The products are not prioritised when funds are allocated for the development of industries and new technology. This means that many countries are missing out on the huge sums of money involved in the processing of a product in the country where a raw material is harvested. Processing is where you really see value being added to a product.”

Another major consequence is that non-timber products are ignored when developing policies for how natural resources should be managed. Though official registries could also serve biodiversity, Smith-Hall points out:

"Many of these products appear on various red lists because they are believed to be overexploited. In such cases, investment may be needed to develop cultivation technology, as opposed to harvesting them in the wild. But when investors and decision-makers aren’t aware of the importance of a product, the money ends up elsewhere."

Focus and systematize

According to the researchers, one of the obstacles standing in the way of non-timber products being included in trade accounts today is the overwhelmingly large number of products. It is a concern for which they have advice.

"There is a general perception among researchers and public agencies that there are simply too many products to manage. But if you list the economically important products in a country, ones that are traded in large quantities, you can shorten the list from, for example, 2,000 items to perhaps only fifteen. This lets people know which species to take an interest in and where to better focus research and technological investments. For example, in relation to developing cultivation techniques," says Carsten Smith-Hall.

Furthermore, the researchers recommend establishing systematic data collection at local, national and global levels of the volumes traded and prices fetched. They point out that tools have already been developed for this and could be made more widely available.

"We have a huge untapped potential here that can contribute in tackling extreme poverty and at the same time conserving nature and biodiversity. But this requires us to broaden our horizons and not just maintain the traditional focus on timber as the only important forest resource," Carsten Smith-Hall concludes.

 

 

[BOX:] THE IMPORTANCE OF NON-TIMBER PRODUCTS

• Only a very limited number of non-timber product types appear in official trade statistics today. These include coffee, cocoa, rubber, vanilla, avocado and bananas, which are all considered agricultural crops. The researchers estimate that tens of thousands of different non-timber products are traded worldwide which are not included in the statistics. However, the number of economically significant products is much smaller.
• One study estimates that between 3.5 and 5.8 billion people currently use non-timber products. About half of these users live in rural areas in the Global South, while the other half live in urban areas and the Global North.
• In the subtropics and tropics, it is estimated that roughly 28% of rural household income comes from non-timber products. 

 

[BOX:] SHEA NUTS AS SAFETY NET

Shea nut oil is a common ingredient in body care products, but is also used in chocolate and other products. Shea nuts are an example of a non-timber forestry product that plays an important role in rural West African communities.

"Shea nuts prevent people from sinking deeper into poverty in Ghana, Burkina Faso and other places. Global demand for them has grown, contributing to local incomes and providing a safety net for people if, for example, their cattle are stolen or there is a sudden death in the family. At these times, many people go out and harvest these nuts to cover sudden income gaps," explains Carsten Smith-Hall.

 

[BOX:] HOW INVISIBLE TRADE WORKS

"Many non-timber products are harvested by small-scale farmers in the countryside at certain times of the year – for example, when they are not working in the fields. At these times, they go into the forest to harvest. This makes production relatively hidden. Typically, smallholders then go to the village and sell the goods to a local trader. The trader loads the goods onto a truck, and they are transported to wholesalers, who often export them unprocessed to other countries. However, these long logistics and value chains are also largely invisible," says Carsten Smith-Hall.

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JOURNAL

Forest Policy and Economics

DOI

10.1016/j.forpol.2023.103105 

ARTICLE TITLE

Harnessing the full potential of a global forest-based bioeconomy through non-timber products: Beyond logs, biotechnology, and high-income countries

Enhancing radiative cooling with aperture mirror structures

New research demonstrates how a simple mirror design can boost radiative cooling processes for buildings

SPIE--INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR OPTICS AND PHOTONICS

 

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THE APERTURE MIRROR STRUCTURE ENHANCES COOLING AS ITS GEOMETRY BRINGS INTO PLAY BOTH THE EMISSIVITY OF THE RADIATIVE SURFACE AND THE EMISSIVITY OF THE ATMOSPHERE. 

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CREDIT: J. HWANG, DOI 10.1117/1.JPE.14.028001.

In a world where rising temperatures increase the demand for cooling, traditional air-conditioning (AC) systems contribute significantly to global energy consumption. They also heat the Earth overall: to cool down a certain volume of space (e.g., a room), AC systems typically dump heat nearby (e.g., outside the house). Seeking sustainable alternatives, researchers have turned to radiative cooling—a passive, zero-energy cooling method. Radiative cooling irreversibly removes heat to outer space, so from the point of view of the Earth, it’s a net cooling effect.

Radiative cooling routes thermal radiation from the surface of the Earth through the atmosphere to outer space. Transmissivity of the atmosphere to thermal radiation varies depending on angle: the greatest thermal radiation transmission through the atmosphere happens in the “zenith direction,” right above your head; the least transmissive angle is horizontal.

Recent research reported the Journal of Photonics for Energy (JPE) investigates a practical approach to enhancing radiative cooling: arranging a heat mirror structure around a radiative cooling surface to amplify the cooling effect. The mirror structure effectively guides the thermal radiation towards the most transmissive portion of the atmosphere, such that thermal radiation escapes the Earth most efficiently. This stronger cooling can bring down temperatures faster and widen options for designing cooling systems.

The principle is elegantly simple: the more the cooling surface faces upwards, the more cooling power it has. The mirror structure increases this power without needing to expand the surface area. Adding the mirror structure makes the cooling device take up more space for a given area, but this added space is protected from moving air, which helps block heat gain from air flow.

Through parametric simulation, Hwang demonstrates that the mirror structure can be particularly effective in cities, where buildings are close together and different heights can mean that not every building’s roof gets a full view of the sky. This mirror setup enhances radiative cooling by focusing the cooling surface’s view to a specific area in the sky above.

The potential benefits of using such a mirror structure appear to be significant especially for tropical areas, where cooling power may be boosted by more than 40 percent. According to author Jaesuk Hwang at the Centre for Quantum Technologies (National University of Singapore), “Radiative cooling is possible because the atmosphere is thin enough at some angles.” Hwang explains, “Arid regions allow a wider range of angles for thermal emission to transmit through the atmosphere than tropical regions, so redirecting thermal radiation upwards with a heat mirror structure is most effective in tropical climates, yet overall radiative cooling is stronger in dry climates.”

This simple approach for directing thermal energy could offer practical solutions to reduce temperatures and enhance the performance of radiative cooling for buildings, particularly in tropical regions where stagnant heat is a challenge.

For details, see the original article by Hwang, “Climate-dependent enhancement of radiative cooling with mirror structures,” J. Photon. Energy 14(2), 028001 (2024), doi 10.1117/1.JPE.14.028001.

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JOURNAL

Journal of Photonics for Energy

DOI

10.1117/1.JPE.14.028001 

ARTICLE TITLE

Climate-dependent enhancement of radiative cooling with mirror structures

 

Ants in Colorado are on the move due to climate change

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT BOULDER

 

IMAGE: 

ANTS IN GREGORY CANYON IN BOULDER, COLORADO

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CREDIT: ANNA PARASKEVOPOULOS/CU BOULDER

Over the past 60 years, climate change has forced certain ant species, unable to tolerate higher temperatures, out of their original habitats in Gregory Canyon near Boulder, Colorado, according to a new research published April 9 in the journal Ecology.

The resulting biodiversity change could potentially alter local ecosystems, according to first author Anna Paraskevopoulos, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado Boulder. 

Like all insects, ants are ectothermic, meaning their body temperature, metabolism and other bodily functions depend on the environment’s temperature. As a result, ants are sensitive to temperature fluctuations, making them a good marker to study the impact climate change has on ecosystems. 

More than six decades ago, CU Boulder entomologist Robert Gregg and his student John Browne surveyed the ant populations in Gregory Canyon. After reading their study, Paraskevopoulos and her team set off to investigate whether the ant community had changed since. The researchers sampled the same survey sites on roughly the same dates between 2021 and 2022 as Browne and Gregg did in 1957 and 1958. The team collected hundreds of ant samples from different parts of Gregory Canyon, each with its own unique environment. For example, the canyon’s north-facing slope is a forest with cool temperatures, dominated by pine and fir trees. The south-facing slope is primarily shrubland, while streams and ditches shape the canyon bottom area.

While the city of Boulder has expanded greatly since the original study, Gregory Canyon has remained a natural environment and largely unaffected by land-use change.

“This gave us an opportunity to study the isolated impacts of climate change. In many other studies, the effect of land use and climate change are often entangled,” Paraskevopoulos said.

While she and her team discovered some ant species that were not recorded previously in the canyon, several other ant species had expanded their habitats and dominated the sites. 

The team found while the total number of ant species in Gregory Canyon increased from what was recorded in their 1969 paper, several species had expanded their habitats to a broader region and now dominated the sites. At the same time, some other ants Browne and Gregg observed had become less widespread or were even undetected.

“Across the different environments and habitats in the canyon, we're seeing the composition of ant species becoming more similar,” said Julian Resasco, the paper’s senior author and an assistant professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

The team said 12 ant species have become hard to find compared with six decades ago. Ant species that foraged across a broader range of temperatures are now more widespread, while species that foraged across a narrower range of temperatures have become rare, potentially because they are more sensitive to temperature changes, or are facing increased competition from other ant species that managed to expand their habitats.
     
An ‘insect apocalypse’

Despite their tiny size, ants are essential ecosystem engineers. They supply soil with air through making tunnels and chambers underground, and accelerate the decomposition of dead plants and animals. Different ant species may play unique roles in the ecosystem, such as dispersing certain types of seeds or preying on specific bugs. 

“If the ecosystem has only a single type of ant, it could mean that the animal is only contributing to ecosystem functioning in one way, potentially reducing ecosystem stability,” Paraskevopoulos said. 

It remains unclear how changes in ant populations in Gregory Canyon have affected the local ecosystem. But when a species disappears, it affects other organisms that rely on them for food, pollination or pest control, Paraskevopoulos said. 

The finding illustrates that changes in ant biodiversity could be happening all around the world in both urban and wild spaces as a result of climate change. Globally, insect populations and diversity are rapidly declining, and the study adds another piece of evidence to what many scientists call an ongoing “insect apocalypse.” 

An analysis across 16 studies has shown insect populations declined by 45% in the last four decades. In North America, the monarch butterfly population fell by 90% in the last 20 years. In Colorado, one in five native bumblebees is at risk. 

 “In response to climate change, species are changing the ranges where they're occurring. Some of them are spreading and becoming winners, while others are crashing and becoming losers. This work helps us understand how those communities reshuffle, which could have implications on how ecosystems function,” Resasco said.
 

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JOURNAL

Ecology

DOI

10.1002/ecy.4302 

ARTICLE TITLE

Temperature-driven homogenization of an ant community over 60 years in a montane ecosystem

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

9-Apr-2024

Potomac Yard: A Rare Victory of People Power Over Stadium Socialism

The citizens and taxpayers of Virginia handed an ignominious defeat to the combined forces of corporate bread-and-circuses and the real estate-development complex.


Protesters gather outside the venue as Monumental Sports & Entertainment CEO Ted Leonsis and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announce a new sports arena for the Washington Wizards NBA basketball team and Washington Capitals NHL hockey team, December 13, 2023 in Alexandria, Virginia. 

(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

MIKE LOFGREN
Apr 10, 2024

Common Dreams

It seems as if there is nothing but bad news these days, from the butchery in the Middle East and Ukraine to the constitutional butchery in the Supreme Court. All the more reason to celebrate an uncommon triumph: Somehow, the citizens and taxpayers of Virginia handed an ignominious defeat to the combined forces of corporate bread-and-circuses and the real estate-development complex. The $2-billion Potomac Yard arena boondoggle is dead.

In December, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, once thought to be presidential timber (meaning: He is a reactionary troglodyte, but a mediagenic one) announced a deal he had secretly concocted with Ted Leonsis, owner of the Washington Capitals and Wizards. The scheme was to build a sports arena at Potomac Yard, once a railroad switching facility but now mainly distinguished by a strip mall and auto body shops. But that’s not all: Over 7 million square feet of the surrounding area would be developed into an entertainment district. It would supposedly create 30,000 jobs and $12 billion in economic activity.

There was just one little hitch. The citizens of Alexandria were almost unanimously opposed because Northern Virginia’s traffic, already some of the worst in the country, would become epically awful. And many Virginians were dismayed that $2 billion worth of bonds would be issued in their names, leaving them on the hook for issuance fees and 40 years of debt service—all to subsidize a billionaire mogul.

A stand of trees just might be healthier for a community than the umpteenth corporate-franchised sports bar with its focus group-choreographed “hometown” atmosphere.

Once the plan came under scrutiny, the opposition only grew. Over the last year, Alexandria’s unemployment rate varied between 2.2-2.5%. The very populous Fairfax County, which wraps around much of Alexandria, has had unemployment of 2.3%. Considering the baseline level of people changing jobs, this is essentially full employment; does the area really need 30,000 likely low-paid service jobs in an already crowded metro area?

As is usual for stadium and arena projects, a consulting firm was hired to manufacture highly optimistic economic scenarios based on assumptions that never pan out. Revenues would pay back the bonds—but predicated on $75 parking and $730 a night stays in the hotels that would be built. We still don’t know at what eyewatering level the ticket prices would be. And the arena was projected to support 221 events a year—an impossible prediction to substantiate over four decades because of potential pandemics or other disruptions, or simply declining attendance once the novelty effect wore off.

Youngkin attempted to steamroll the scheme through the Virginia General Assembly with no changes. It was his way or the highway, and disgracefully, a number of Democratic officeholders were willing to accommodate him (this shortly after Youngkin appeared at a Trump rally and proclaimed that Democrats won’t defend America). It took Louise Lucas, an 80-year-old Black state senator and chair of the Senate appropriations committee, to bring the plan to a halt. Flipping the script on Republicans who hypocritically tout their fiscal conservatism, she said that the deal could endanger Virginia’s AAA bond rating.

The entire fiasco was an example of the American ethos at its worst. Professional sports team owners attempting to feed at the public trough while big-footing a community; local developers circling like a school of hungry barracudas; elected officials either dazzled by the faux-glamor of professional sports (it is said that all politicians are suckers for Hollywood actors and jocks) or hoping to land a lucrative gig on a redevelopment corporation’s board once they leave office; deceit in planning estimates (this article is an admirable deconstruction of the economic implications of government subsidized stadiums, which usually amount to “heads I win; tails you lose”).

Unfortunately, there are also millions of Americans who would die on the barricades to resist socialism as represented by single-payer healthcare or public transit; House Republicans are already making noises about not funding the reconstruction of Baltimore’s Key Bridge. But when it is “stadium socialism,” they become like the proletarian mob of ancient Rome, grateful to the emperor for bestowing a mindless amusement on them—at their own expense (at least the Roman games were free to spectators).

Stadium socialism and $700-per-night hotel suites are the exact opposite of quality-of-life enhancements that could be achieved at a fraction of the cost. Traffic mitigation and better public transportation; walkable neighborhoods on a human scale rather than alienating steel and glass canyons; green spaces for recreation, something desperately needed in crowded metro areas. A stand of trees just might be healthier for a community than the umpteenth corporate-franchised sports bar with its focus group-choreographed “hometown” atmosphere.

Potomac Yard could certainly use such upgrading rather than building a sports mausoleum; the Washington Metro region already has an “entertainment center” masquerading as a town at National Harbor, complete with the mandatory MGM casino to draw the suckers. It fairly oozes a sterile, vacuous atmosphere that makes it the perfect venue for the annual CPAC freak-fest.

Cities and counties could plan and zone for such quality-of-life improvements, but they do not generate enormous windfalls for developers and political contributions for elected officials. The website of my own county district supervisor—a Democrat—says in bold letters, “Development and land use are very important to the growth of the Mount Vernon District in coming years.” Note that it says “growth” rather than “quality of life.” Growth for its own sake is like metastatic cancer, a pathological condition.

No doubt for every victory like Potomac Yard, a dozen major monstrosities will sail through. But not only did it prove that a vigilant citizenry can make a difference, it was also a two-fer: Glenn Youngkin’s future political viability as a Reaganesque Trump may have taken a fatal hit.


Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.


MIKE LOFGREN is a former Republican congressional staff member who served on both the House and Senate budget committees. His books include: "The Deep State: The Fall of the Constitution and the Rise of a Shadow Government" (2016) and "The Party is Over: How Republicans Went Crazy, Democrats Became Useless, and the Middle Class Got Shafted" (2013).
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