Good Morning! 🌞 

Saturday lands differently. It’s not the hustle of Monday or the reset of Sunday—it’s the in-between. A chance to pause without pressure, reflect without noise, or move without the usual grind.

In today’s edition, we’re bringing you things worth your time—nothing extra, nothing forced. Just ideas, insights, and a little bit of grounding before the week spins up again.

Let’s get into it.

Innovation

The First Quantum Teleportation

Quantum teleportation—once purely theoretical—is now driving real-world advances in building a next-generation internet. Rather than sending data through wires or signals, quantum teleportation transfers the quantum state of a particle from one place to another—without moving the particle itself. It relies on quantum entanglement, a phenomenon where two particles become so deeply linked that the state of one instantly affects the other, no matter the distance. In a new breakthrough, researchers at Nanjing University have successfully teleported a telecom-wavelength photonic qubit to a solid-state quantum memory, marking the first time this has been achieved using fully telecom-compatible hardware.

Led by Xiao-Song Ma, the experiment transferred quantum information from a photon to an erbium ion–based memory unit, without the need to convert signal frequencies. “Quantum teleportation is always a fascinating protocol in quantum communication for its ability to transfer quantum states without ever revealing,” Ma told Phys.org. Earlier systems required cumbersome frequency shifting to function with existing infrastructure, but Ma’s setup operated entirely within the telecom band used by today’s fiber-optic networks. “To extend the state transmission distance further, the incorporation of quantum memory into a quantum teleportation system is of critical importance,” he said.

The team’s system consisted of five key modules: a state preparation unit, an entangled photon source on an integrated photonic chip, a Bell-state measurement module, the erbium-based memory, and a precision frequency control system using a Fabry-Pérot cavity and the Pound-Drever-Hall (PDH) technique. “Our study demonstrated the quantum teleportation from telecom photons to a solid-state quantum memory based on erbium ions for the first time,” Ma said. “Our entire system uses components compatible with existing fiber networks perfectly.” That compatibility could be the key to scalable quantum networking. “This telecom-compatible platform for generating, storing and processing quantum states of light establishes a highly promising approach to large-scale quantum networks,” Ma added. The team’s next focus: further improving the memory system to enhance future applications.

Environment

An Unlikely Friendship

A joke about a wildcat and a small mammal meeting in the park might end with “Dinner!”—but newly recorded footage from the Amazon suggests a more surprising outcome. In Peru’s Manu National Park, scientists captured video of an ocelot casually following a common opossum without attacking it. The footage, recorded by researchers from Germany and Peru at the Cocha Cashu Biological Station, was initially part of a bird behavior study. But once the team noticed the unexpected pairing, their attention quickly shifted.

The two animals briefly walked out of frame, only to return two minutes later—still in formation, now heading the opposite direction. Curious about the interaction, the researchers contacted colleagues and uncovered four more similar instances between 2019 and 2023, each involving different ocelots and opossums in various parts of the Peruvian Amazon. In one 2022 video from the El Gato Concession in Madre de Dios, the pair even appeared to interact, with the ocelot possibly lunging momentarily—though the opossum showed no visible fear.

“Even though we still do not know if this is the case, we could be witnessing the South American counterpart to the well-known partnership between coyotes and badgers in North America,” said Dr. Isabel Damas-Moreira, behavioral ecologist at Bielefeld University and lead author of the study. “These cooperations are particularly fascinating because they can show that these relationships can develop even between unrelated species.” Further observations revealed that opossums are drawn to the scent of ocelots, often rubbing against it while ignoring the scent of other predators like pumas—suggesting the behavior may be intentional. Researchers now propose two possibilities: the ocelot may benefit from the opossum’s foraging activity, or it may use the opossum’s scent as camouflage while hunting. “This discovery was accidental. It reminds us how important it is to observe closely – because nature is often more complex than we think,” Damas-Moreira said.

Pop Culture

Seniors Level Up Gaming

You might expect a grandmother to scoff at video games—but Michelle Statham is no ordinary grandma. From her home in Washington state, the 60-year-old gamer known as TacticalGramma spends her time sniping players on Call of Duty, a game usually marketed to young men. Ask her about video games and she’ll likely reply, “Which game?” She’s not worried about what people think. “That’s pretty fun,” she says casually about her in-game sharpshooting. With over 110,000 Twitch followers, she’s built a loyal audience and even used her platform to raise thousands for charity. When she’s not gaming, she’s at the gym with her daughter, staying active between sessions.

Statham is far from alone. Roughly 57 million Americans over 50 now play video games—a natural continuation for the generation that grew up on Pac-Man and Super Mario Bros. Nearly half of Americans in their 60s and 70s play weekly on mobile, PC, or console, according to the Entertainment Software Association, and 36% of people in their 80s do too. Games like Super Mario Odyssey and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild have even been linked to increased grey matter in the hippocampus, the brain region associated with memory and learning—possibly due to their open-world designs and puzzle-solving mechanics.

Will, a 72-year-old retired Navy veteran, also spoke with The Guardian about his love of gaming. He prefers simulators like Hunter: Call of the Wild, and believes older adults should stay connected with modern technology. “People always say: ‘I love you, Gramps. Keep on doing what you’re doing’… things like that, that really tug at your heart,” he shared. Despite a head injury that makes sitting difficult, he still logs in regularly. Researchers interviewed by The Guardian noted gaming benefits like improved memory, coordination, reaction time, and social engagement. While some games like Call of Duty have been linked to reductions in grey matter, those studies didn’t include older adults. The lead author clarified that seniors able to learn and play these games likely aren’t at risk. As Will puts it: “You’re never too old to respawn.”

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Mind Stretchers

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Answers to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers

I fall without jumping,
I tap without hands.
I can bring life or ruin,
And slip through your plans.
What am I? — rain! Debbie Ettinger got this correct first! 🌞 

Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected] or reply to the email.

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.