ScienceDaily: Technology - April 08, 2024
Top technology research news
A simple way to harvest more 'blue energy' from waves
As any surfer will tell you, waves pack a powerful punch. Now, we are one step closer to capturing the energy behind the ocean's constant ebb and flow with an improved 'blue energy' harvesting device. Researchers report that simply repositioning the electrode -- from the center of a see-sawing liquid-filled tube to the end where the water crashes with the most force -- dramatically increased the amount of wave energy that could be harvested.
Image: wave in the ocean, somavarapu madhavi/shutterstock.com
A simple, inexpensive way to make carbon atoms bind together
The active ingredient in many drugs is what's known as a small molecule: bigger than water, much smaller than an antibody and mainly made of carbon. It's tough, however, to make these molecules if they require a quaternary carbon -- a carbon atom bonded to four other carbon atoms. But now, scientists have uncovered a potential cost-effective way to produce these tricky motifs.
Innovative sensing platform unlocks ultrahigh sensitivity in conventional sensors
Engineers unlock the power of exceptional points (EPs) for advanced optical sensing. EPs -- specific conditions in systems where extraordinary optical phenomena can occur -- can be deployed on conventional sensors to achieve a striking sensitivity to environmental perturbations.
Chemical reactions can scramble quantum information as well as black holes
A team of researchers has shown that molecules can be as formidable at scrambling quantum information as black holes by combining mathematical tools from black hole physics and chemical physics and testing their theory in chemical reactions.
Rapid, simultaneous detection of multiple bacteria achieved with handheld sensor
A team has developed a method for simultaneous detection of multiple disease-causing bacterial species within one hour using a handheld device.
Astronomy: How do brown dwarfs form?
New observations provide insights into whether the birth of the giant planets takes a similar course to that of stars.
CHEOPS detects a 'rainbow' on an exoplanet
The CHEOPS space telescope is providing new information on the mysterious exoplanet WASP-76b. This ultra-hot giant is characterized by an asymmetry between the amount of light observed on its eastern terminator -- the fictitious line that separates its night side from its day side -- and that observed on its western terminator. This peculiarity is thought to be due to a 'glory', a luminous phenomenon similar to a rainbow, which occurs if the light from the star -- the 'sun' around which the exoplanet orbits -- is reflected by clouds made up of a perfectly uniform substance. If this hypothesis is confirmed, this would be the first detection of this phenomenon outside our solar system.
Stellar collisions produce strange, zombie-like survivors
Densely packed, fast-moving stars at the Milky Way's center can collide with each other. New research uses simulations to explore the outcomes of these collisions. Some collisions are more like 'violent high fives' while others are full-on mergers.
Millions of historical employment records show the British workforce turned sharply towards manufacturing jobs during the 1600s -- suggesting the birth of the industrial age has much deeper roots, say historians.
First results from DESI make the most precise measurement of our expanding universe
Researchers have used the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument to make the largest 3D map of our universe and world-leading measurements of dark energy, the mysterious cause of its accelerating expansion.
Progress in quantum physics: Researchers tame superconductors
An international team including researchers from the University of W rzburg has succeeded in creating a special state of superconductivity. This discovery could advance the development of quantum computers.
Self-assembly of complex systems: Hexagonal building blocks are better
Physicists show that the shape of components is a major determinant of how quickly and efficiently complex structures self-assemble.
One-third of ride-share drivers have had a crash on the job, survey finds
Using a cell phone, driving while tired and driving on unfamiliar roads increased the likelihood of a crash.
Researchers 3D print key components for a point-of-care mass spectrometer
Researchers 3D printed a miniature ionizer, a key component of a mass spectrometer. Their device could someday enable an affordable, in-home mass spectrometer for health monitoring.
Physics of complex fluids: Ring polymers show unexpected motion patterns under shear
An international research team is attracting the attention of experts in the field with computational results on the behavior of ring polymers under shear forces: They showed that for the simplest case of connected ring pairs, the type of linkage -- chemically bonded vs. mechanically linked -- has profound effects on the dynamic properties under continuous shear. In these cases novel rheological patterns emerge.
New privacy-preserving robotic cameras obscure images beyond human recognition
In a bid to restore privacy, researchers have created a new approach to designing cameras that process and scramble visual information before it is digitized so that it becomes obscured to the point of anonymity.
'Tug of war' tactic enhances chemical separations for critical materials
Lanthanide elements are important for clean energy and other applications. To use them, industry must separate mixed lanthanide sources into individual elements using costly, time-consuming, and waste-generating procedures. An efficient new method can be tailored to select specific lanthanides. The technique combines two substances that do not mix and that prefer different types of lanthanides. The process would allow for smaller equipment, less use of chemicals, and less waste production.
NASA's Webb probes an extreme starburst galaxy
A team of astronomers has used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to survey the starburst galaxy Messier 82 (M82). Located 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major, this galaxy is relatively compact in size but hosts a frenzy of star formation activity. For comparison, M82 is sprouting new stars 10 times faster than the Milky Way galaxy.
Large language models respond differently based on user's motivation
A new study reveals how large language models (LLMs) respond to different motivational states. In their evaluation of three LLM-based generative conversational agents (GAs)--ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Llama 2, scientists found that while GAs are able to identify users' motivation states and provide relevant information when individuals have established goals, they are less likely to provide guidance when the users are hesitant or ambivalent about changing their behavior.
For mining in arid regions to be responsible, we must change how we think about water
In an unprecedented study of the South American 'Lithium Triangle,' hydrologists discover that not all water responds the same way to environmental change and human use.
Developing a vaccine for the 'zombie drug' xylazine
Chemical biologists design an early 'proof-of-concept' vaccine that could lead to the first effective treatment of xylazine overdose in people.
Researchers discover 'neutronic molecules'
Researchers have discovered 'neutronic' molecules, in which neutrons can be made to cling to quantum dots, held just by the strong force. The finding may lead to new tools for probing material properties at the quantum level and exploring new kinds of quantum information processing devices.
'Smart swarms' of tiny robots inspired by natural herd mentality
Researchers gave nanorobots a trait called adaptive time delay, which allows them to better work together.
Machine learning enables viability of vertical-axis wind turbines
Researchers have used a genetic learning algorithm to identify optimal pitch profiles for the blades of vertical-axis wind turbines, which despite their high energy potential, have until now been vulnerable to strong gusts of wind.
Plant-based plastic releases nine times less microplastics than conventional plastic
A newly developed plant-based plastic material releases nine times less microplastics than conventional plastic when exposed to sunlight and seawater, a new study has found.
Drawing inspiration from plants: A metal-air paper battery for wearable devices
Drawing inspiration from the way plants breathe, a group of researchers has created a paper-based magnesium-air battery that can be used in GPS sensors or pulse oximeter sensors. Taking advantage of paper's recyclability and lightweight nature, the engineered battery holds promise for a more environmentally friendly source of energy.
New granular materials flow but can still be compressed
When we take a stroll on the beach, we walk on the sand without any trouble. The sand appears solid and is difficult to compress. When we put the same sand grains in an hourglass, they behave very differently: the sand flows like a liquid. Granular materials like sand have many interesting properties. In lab-made granular materials, scientists have so far been able to fine tune their 'liquid' flow properties, but the 'solid' compressibility properties have remained rather robust. Researchers have now managed to design new granular materials that can also easily be compressed, a result which could have great potential in applications like shock dampening.
Plastic-free vegan leather that dyes itself grown from bacteria
Researchers have genetically engineered bacteria to grow animal- and plastic-free leather that dyes itself.
Magnetic fields boost clean energy
Researchers show that using magnetic fields can boost electrocatalysis for sustainable fuel production by enhancing the movement of the reactants, which improves the efficiency of energy-related reactions.
Water-based paints: Less stinky, but some still contain potentially hazardous chemicals
Choosing paint for your home brings a lot of options: What kind of paint, what type of finish and what color? Water-based paints have emerged as 'greener' and less smelly than solvent-based options. And they are often advertised as containing little-to-no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). But, according to new research, some of these paints do contain compounds that are considered VOCs, along with other chemicals of emerging concern.
Research reveals pre-collapse monitoring of Kakhovka dam, Ukraine
New evidence from a spaceborne-monitoring team indicates that the Ukrainian Kakhovka Dam, which collapsed early into the Russian invasion, may have been vulnerable even before the war.
Researchers have developed a programmable meta-fluid with tunable springiness, optical properties, viscosity and even the ability to transition between a Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid. The first-of-its-kind meta-fluid uses a suspension of small, elastomer spheres -- between 50 to 500 microns -- that buckle under pressure, radically changing the characteristics of the fluid. The meta-fluid could be used in everything from hydraulic actuators to program robots, to intelligent shock absorbers that can dissipate energy depending on the intensity of the impact, to optical devices that can transition from clear to opaque.
First results from BREAD experiment demonstrate a new approach to searching for dark matter
One of the great mysteries of modern science is dark matter. We know dark matter exists thanks to its effects on other objects in the cosmos, but we have never been able to directly see it. And it s no minor thing currently, scientists think it makes up about 85% of all the mass in the universe.
Elastocaloric cooling: Refrigerator cools by flexing artificial muscles
There is room for just one small bottle in the world's first refrigerator that is cooled with artificial muscles made of nitinol, a nickel-titanium alloy. But the mini-prototype is groundbreaking: it shows that elastocalorics is becoming a viable solution for practical applications. This climate-friendly cooling and heating technology is far more energy-efficient and sustainable than current methods.
Sunrise to sunset, new window coating blocks heat -- not view
Windows welcome light into interior spaces, but they also bring in unwanted heat. A new window coating blocks heat-generating ultraviolet and infrared light and lets through visible light, regardless of the sun's angle. The coating can be incorporated onto existing windows or automobiles and can reduce air-conditioning cooling costs by more than one-third in hot climates.
AI writing, illustration emits hundreds of times less carbon than humans, study finds
A group of scholars calculated the amount of energy used by AI tools for the tasks of writing and illustrating and compared it to the average amount of energy humans use for the same processes. Their results showed artificial intelligence results in hundreds of times less carbon emissions than humans. This does not mean, however, that AI can or should replace humans in those tasks, simply that its energy usage is less. The better approach is a partnership between humans and AI, the authors write.
Building blocks for greener energy: Reconfigurable elastic metasurface
Energy harvesting, an eco-friendly technology, extends beyond solar and wind power in generating electricity from unused or discarded energy in daily life, including vibrations generated by passing car engines or trains. Recent intriguing research has been announced, aiming to enhance the efficiency of energy harvesting using a new type of metasurface that can be reconfigured, resembling the assembly of LEGO bricks.
The math problem that took nearly a century to solve: Secret to Ramsey numbers
Little progress had been made in solving Ramsey problems since the 1930s. Now, researchers have found the answer to r(4,t), a longstanding Ramsey problem that has perplexed the math world for decades.
Biofilm-resistant glass for marine environments
Engineers have created ultraviolet (UV) rays-emitting glass that can reduce 98% of biofilm from growing on surfaces in underwater environments.
Chemistry researchers modify solar technology to produce a less harmful greenhouse gas
Researchers are using semiconductors to harvest and convert the sun's energy into high-energy compounds that have the potential to produce environmentally-friendly fuels.
Wound treatment gel fights the battle against antibacterial resistance
Polymer-based hydrogels are used to treat skin ailments and in tissue engineering because of their ability to retain water, deliver drugs into wounds, and biodegrade. However, they are complicated to manufacture and not very resilient to external forces like rubbing against clothing, sheets, or wound dressings. Scientists have now created a hydrogel enhanced with the amino acid polylysine and blood plasma that is easier to synthesize, contains natural antibiotic properties, and promotes cell growth.
100 kilometers of quantum-encrypted transfer
Researchers have taken a big step towards securing information against hacking. They have succeeded in using quantum encryption to securely transfer information 100 kilometers via fiber optic cable -- roughly equivalent to the distance between Oxford and London.
New materials discovered for safe, high-performance solid-state lithium-ion batteries
All-solid-state lithium-ion batteries offer enhanced safety and energy density compared to liquid electrolyte counterparts, but face challenges like lower conductivity and insufficient electrode contact. In a recent study, scientists have discovered a stable, highly conductive lithium-ion conductor in the form of a pyrochlore-type oxyfluoride. This innovation addresses the need for non-sulfide solid electrolytes, offering higher conductivity and stability and paves the way for advanced all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries with improved performance and safety.
I spy with my speedy eye: Scientists discover speed of visual perception ranges widely in humans
Using a blink-and-you'll-miss-it experiment, researchers have discovered that individuals differ widely in the rate at which they perceive visual signals. Some people perceive a rapidly changing visual cue at frequencies that others cannot, which means some access more visual information per timeframe than others. This discovery suggests some people have an innate advantage in certain settings where response time is crucial, such as in ball sports, or in competitive gaming.