The thunderstorms in The Legend of Zelda defy earthly physics, but real storms cannot last forever, atmospheric scientists say. Earth’s weather systems redistribute heat, moisture and electrical charges, and even the strongest storms eventually fade unless constantly refueled. Some real-world phenomena, such as the Intertropical Convergence Zone and Venezuela’s Catatumbo lightning, come closer to persistent storms.
Atoms on gold’s surface rearrange into a geometry that hinders oxidation, quantum calculations indicate. Without that rearrangement, gold would begin to oxidize in seconds, researchers report.
Microsoft says a materials swap improved a key topological qubit metric from milliseconds to about 20 seconds. Some physicists see progress; critics say the preprint does not prove a topological qubit or Majoranas.
Jason Statham’s $40 million action thriller Mutiny has become a major hit on Prime Video less than three weeks after it opened in theaters, despite falling short of its break-even point at the global box office.
