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Muon experiment nears moment of truth
A result that has been 20 years in the making could reveal the existence of new particles and upend fundamental physics. Physicists have high hopes that the magnetism of muons, measured in the Muon g – 2 experiment and scheduled to be released on 7 April, will uphold sensational findings first announced in 2001. The project’s earlier results hinted that the muon’s magnetic moment — a measure of the magnetic field it generates — is slightly larger than theory had predicted. If that finding is ultimately confirmed, it could help to reveal what kinds of ephemeral, unknown ‘virtual particles’ swirl in the vacuum.
1,209 years
The time period over which the peak date of Japan’s cherry-blossom season has been recorded. This year’s peak was on 26 March, the earliest ever. (BBC | 3 min read)
Features & opinion
AI spots cell structures that humans can’t
Researchers have harnessed deep learning to do ‘virtual staining’ — detecting many structures in a cell on the fly, without fluorescent labels. The artificial intelligence (AI) approach is trained on data from cells that have been fluorescently labelled. The AI can then pick out patterns in unlabelled images without making the sacrifices demanded by fluorescence microscopy, such as damage to the cells.
Learn to be a great lab leader
It’s never too early or late to start working on your leadership skills. The key to success is learning to form strong connections, a feat that might require a new way of thinking. “Scientists need a lot of self-sufficiency and determination,” says Kate Jennings, who trains science leaders. “But the things that helped drive you forward for your individual success don’t always play so well when you’re trying to bring out the best in other people.”