ScienceDaily: Technology - April 29, 2024
Top technology research news
Computer scientists unveil novel attacks on cybersecurity
Researchers have found two novel types of attacks that target the conditional branch predictor found in high-end Intel processors, which could be exploited to compromise billions of processors currently in use.
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New algorithm cuts through 'noisy' data to better predict tipping points
A new algorithm can identify the most predictive data points that a tipping point is near.
From disorder to order: Flocking birds and 'spinning' particles
Researchers have demonstrated that ferromagnetism, an ordered state of atoms, can be induced by increasing particle motility and that repulsive forces between atoms are sufficient to maintain it. The discovery not only extends the concept of active matter to quantum systems but also contributes to the development of novel technologies that rely on the magnetic properties of particles, such as magnetic memory and quantum computing.
New circuit boards can be repeatedly recycled
Researchers have developed a new PCB that performs on par with traditional materials and can be recycled repeatedly with negligible material loss. Researchers used a solvent that transforms a type of vitrimer -- a cutting-edge class of polymer -- into a jelly-like substance without damage, allowing solid components to be plucked out for reuse or recycling. With these 'vPCBs' (vitrimer printed circuit boards), researchers recovered 98% of the vitrimer and 100% of the glass fiber.
Getting dynamic information from static snapshots
Researchers have created TopicVelo, a powerful new method of using the static snapshots from scRNA-seq to study how cells and genes change over time. This will help researchers better study how embryos develop, cells differentiate, cancers form, and the immune system reacts.
Automated machine learning robot unlocks new potential for genetics research
Researchers have constructed a robot that uses machine learning to fully automate a complicated microinjection process used in genetic research.
Professor resolves two decades of oxide semiconductor challenges
Successful development of high-performance amorphous P-type oxide semiconductor using tellurium-selenium composite oxide.
The use of pliable soft materials to collaborate with humans and work in disaster areashas drawn much recent attention. However, controlling soft dynamics for practical applications has remained a significant challenge. Researchers developed a method to control pneumatic artificial muscles, which are soft robotic actuators. Rich dynamics of these drive components can be exploited as a computational resource.
Robotic nerve 'cuffs' could help treat a range of neurological conditions
Researchers have developed tiny, flexible devices that can wrap around individual nerve fibers without damaging them. The researchers combined flexible electronics and soft robotics techniques to develop the devices, which could be used for the diagnosis and treatment of a range of disorders, including epilepsy and chronic pain, or the control of prosthetic limbs.
Researchers co-led a study that will improve the detection of gravitational waves--ripples in space and time.
Airborne single-photon lidar system achieves high-resolution 3D imaging
Researchers have developed a compact and lightweight single-photon airborne lidar system that can acquire high-resolution 3D images with a low-power laser. This advance could make single-photon lidar practical for air and space applications such as environmental monitoring, 3D terrain mapping and object identification.
Computer vision researcher develops privacy software for surveillance videos
Estimating emissions potential of decommissioned gas wells from shale samples
Extracting natural gas from shale formations can provide an abundant, lower-carbon footprint fossil fuel, but also creates concerns over increased methane emissions. Researchers have now developed a new tool that can estimate the emission potential of shale wells after they are no longer active.
Nanomaterial that mimics proteins could be basis for new neurodegenerative disease treatments
A newly developed nanomaterial that mimics the behavior of proteins could be an effective tool for treating Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. The nanomaterial alters the interaction between two key proteins in brain cells -- with a potentially powerful therapeutic effect.
A recent study utilized ground-based instruments to measure solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) that reflect plant health and photosynthesis.
The longer spilled oil lingers in freshwater, the more persistent compounds it produces
Oil is an important natural resource for many industries, but it can lead to serious environmental damage when accidentally spilled. While large oil spills are highly publicized, every year there are many smaller-scale spills into lakes, rivers and oceans. The longer that oil remains in freshwater, the more chemical changes it undergoes, creating products that can persist in the environment.
Key to efficient and stable organic solar cells
A team of researchers has made a significant breakthrough in the field of organic photovoltaics.
Diamond dust shines bright in Magnetic Resonance Imaging
An unexpected discovery surprised a scientist: nanometer-sized diamond particles, which were intended for a completely different purpose, shone brightly in a magnetic resonance imaging experiment -- much brighter than the actual contrast agent, the heavy metal gadolinium. Could diamond dust -- in addition to its use in drug delivery to treat tumor cells -- one day become a novel contrast agent used for MRI?
Scientists have watched a molecule move across a graphite surface in unprecedented detail. It turns out this particular molecule moves like a Moon lander -- and the insights hold potential for future nanotechnologies.
Freeze casting: A guide to creating hierarchically structured materials
Freeze casting is an elegant, cost-effective manufacturing technique to produce highly porous materials with custom-designed hierarchical architectures, well-defined pore orientation, and multifunctional surface structures. Freeze-cast materials are suitable for many applications, from biomedicine to environmental engineering and energy technologies.
IRIS beamline at BESSY II extended with nanomicroscopy
The IRIS infrared beamline at the BESSY II storage ring now offers a fourth option for characterizing materials, cells and even molecules on different length scales. The team has extended the IRIS beamline with an end station for nanospectroscopy and nanoimaging that enables spatial resolutions down to below 30 nanometers. The instrument is also available to external user groups.
Researchers have pioneered a breakthrough in ferroelectric material development. They've engineered a novel displacement-type ferroelectric material boasting remarkable dielectric properties. Their achievement includes the successful synthesis of rubidium niobate (RbNbO3), a compound previously deemed challenging to produce under pressures exceeding 40,000 atmospheres. Additionally, they characterized how polarization changes across a wide temperature range during phase transitions. This breakthrough can lead to new design guidelines for ferroelectric materials.
AI in medicine: The causality frontier
Machines can learn not only to make predictions, but also to handle causal relationships. An international research team shows how this could make therapies safer, more efficient, and more individualized.
How electric vehicle drivers can escape range anxiety
Two of the biggest challenges faced by new and potential electric vehicle (EV) drivers are range anxiety and speed of charging, but these shouldn't have to be challenges at all. Researchers discovered that a change in refueling mindset, rather than improving the size or performance of the battery, could be the answer to these concerns.
Using AI to improve diagnosis of rare genetic disorders
Diagnosing rare Mendelian disorders is a labor-intensive task, even for experienced geneticists. Investigators are trying to make the process more efficient using artificial intelligence. The team developed a machine learning system called AI-MARRVEL (AIM) to help prioritize potentially causative variants for Mendelian disorders.
The secret to saving old books could be gluten-free glues
'Bookworm' is a cute thing to call a voracious reader, but actual bookworms -- as well as microorganisms and time -- break down the flour pastes commonly used to keep old publications in one piece. Now, researchers have analyzed the proteins in wheat-based glues applied in historic bookbinding to provide insights on their adhesiveness and how they degrade. This information could help conservators restore and preserve treasured tomes for future generations.
Artificial intelligence helps scientists engineer plants to fight climate change
Scientists are using artificial intelligence software to analyze plant root systems, laying out a protocol that can be applied to gather data on crop and model plant phenotypes (physical characteristics) more efficiently and with equal or greater accuracy than existing methods.
Scientists tune the entanglement structure in an array of qubits
A new technique can generate batches of certain entangled states in a quantum processor. This advance could help scientists study the fundamental quantum property of entanglement and enable them to build larger and more complex quantum processors.
How light can vaporize water without the need for heat
Researchers discovered that light can cause evaporation of water from a surface without the need for heat. This 'photomolecular effect' could be important for understanding climate change and for improving some industrial processes.
Positive perceptions of solar projects
A new survey has found that for residents living within three miles of a large-scale solar development, positive attitudes outnumbered negative attitudes by almost a 3-to-1 margin. Researchers surveyed almost 1,000 residents living near solar projects.
Artificial intelligence can develop treatments to prevent 'superbugs'
Cleveland Clinic researchers developed an artficial intelligence (AI) model that can determine the best combination and timeline to use when prescribing drugs to treat a bacterial infection, based solely on how quickly the bacteria grow given certain perturbations. PNAS recently published their findings.
New study reveals how AI can enhance flexibility, efficiency for customer service centers
AI is a valuable asset, so long as it's used properly, though customer service organizations shouldn't rely on it exclusively to guide their strategies, according to new research.
Laser technology offers breakthrough in detecting illegal ivory
A new way of quickly distinguishing between illegal elephant ivory and legal mammoth tusk ivory could prove critical to fighting the illegal ivory trade. A laser-based approach could be used by customs worldwide to aid in the enforcement of illegal ivory from being traded under the guise of legal ivory.
Why can't robots outrun animals?
Robotics engineers have worked for decades and invested many millions of research dollars in attempts to create a robot that can walk or run as well as an animal. And yet, it remains the case that many animals are capable of feats that would be impossible for robots that exist today.
On the trail of deepfakes, researchers identify 'fingerprints' of AI-generated video
According to new research, current methods for detecting manipulated digital media will not be effective against AI-generated video; but a machine-learning approach could be the key to unmasking these synthetic creations.
Rubber-like stretchable energy storage device fabricated with laser precision
Scientists use laser ablation technology to develop a deformable micro-supercapacitor.
AI designs new drugs based on protein structures
A new computer process makes it possible to generate active pharmaceutical ingredients quickly and easily based on a protein's three-dimensional surface. The new process could revolutionize drug research.
Advancing the safety of AI-driven machinery requires closer collaboration with humans
An ongoing research aims to create adaptable safety systems for highly automated off-road mobile machinery to meet industry needs. Research has revealed critical gaps in compliance with legislation related to public safety when using mobile working machines controlled by artificial intelligence.
Pattern formation in the nano-cosmos
A new model extends the theory of elastic phase separation towards nanoscopic structures. Such patterns are frequent in biological systems and also used in nano-engineering to create structural color. With their new insights, the scientists can predict the length scale of nanoscopic patterns and thus control them during production.
Social media can be used to increase fruit and vegetable intake in young people
Researchers have found that people following healthy eating accounts on social media for as little as two weeks ate more fruit and vegetables and less junk food.
Computer game in school made students better at detecting fake news
A computer game helped upper secondary school students become better at distinguishing between reliable and misleading news.
Holographic displays offer a glimpse into an immersive future
Researchers have invented a new optical element that brings us one step closer to mixing the real and virtual worlds in an ordinary pair of eyeglasses using high-definition 3D holographic images.
This salt battery harvests osmotic energy where the river meets the sea
Estuaries -- where freshwater rivers meet the salty sea -- are great locations for birdwatching and kayaking. In these areas, waters containing different salt concentrations mix and may be sources of sustainable, 'blue' osmotic energy. Researchers report creating a semipermeable membrane that harvests osmotic energy from salt gradients and converts it to electricity. The new design had an output power density more than two times higher than commercial membranes in lab demonstrations.
AI tool recognizes serious ocular disease in horses
Researchers have developed a deep learning tool that is capable of reliably diagnosing moon blindness in horses based on photos.
Researchers find oldest undisputed evidence of Earth's magnetic field
A new study has recovered a 3.7-billion-year-old record of Earth's magnetic field, and found that it appears remarkably similar to the field surrounding Earth today.
Biophysics: Testing how well biomarkers work
Researchers have developed a method to determine how reliably target proteins can be labeled using super-resolution fluorescence microscopy.
Researchers show it's possible to teach old magnetic cilia new tricks
Magnetic cilia -- artificial hairs whose movement is powered by embedded magnetic particles -- have been around for a while, and are of interest for applications in soft robotics, transporting objects and mixing liquids. However, existing magnetic cilia move in a fixed way. Researchers have now demonstrated a technique for creating magnetic cilia that can be 'reprogrammed,' changing their magnetic properties at room temperature to change the motion of the cilia as needed.
High-resolution lidar sees birth zone of cloud droplets
Scientists demonstrated the first-ever remote observations of the fine-scale structure at the base of clouds. The results show that the air-cloud interface is a transition zone where aerosol particles suspended in Earth's atmosphere give rise to the droplets that ultimately form clouds. The research will enable scientists to gain insight into how changes in atmospheric aerosol levels could affect clouds and climate.
A chemical mystery solved -- the reaction explaining large carbon sinks
A mystery that has puzzled the scientific community for over 50 years has finally been solved. A team has discovered that a certain type of chemical reaction can explain why organic matter found in rivers and lakes is so resistant to degradation.
Opening up the potential of thin-film electronics for flexible chip design
The mass production of conventional silicon chips relies on a successful business model with large 'semiconductor fabrication plants' or 'foundries'. New research by shows that this 'foundry' model can also be applied to the field of flexible, thin-film electronics.
Making diamonds at ambient pressure
Researchers have grown diamonds under conditions of 1 atmosphere pressure and at 1025 degrees Celsius using a liquid metal alloy composed of gallium, iron, nickel, and silicon, thus breaking the existing paradigm. The discovery of this new growth method opens many possibilities for further basic science studies and for scaling up the growth of diamonds in new ways.
Eruption of mega-magnetic star lights up nearby galaxy
While ESA's satellite INTEGRAL was observing the sky, it spotted a burst of gamma-rays -- high-energy photons -- coming from the nearby galaxy M82. Only a few hours later, ESA's XMM-Newton X-ray space telescope searched for an afterglow from the explosion but found none. An international team realized that the burst must have been an extra-galactic flare from a magnetar, a young neutron star with an exceptionally strong magnetic field.
A simple 'twist' improves the engine of clean fuel generation
Researchers have found a way to super-charge the 'engine' of sustainable fuel generation -- by giving the materials a little twist. The researchers are developing low-cost light-harvesting semiconductors that power devices for converting water into clean hydrogen fuel, using just the power of the sun. These semiconducting materials, known as copper oxides, are cheap, abundant and non-toxic, but their performance does not come close to silicon, which dominates the semiconductor market.
Child pedestrians, self-driving vehicles: What's the safest scenario for crossing the road?
Crossing roads for children can be a risky calculation, especially when the vehicles are self-driven. In a new study, researchers determined pre-teenage children are safest when self-driving vehicles signaled their intent to yield with a green light when they arrived at the intersection, then stopped.
Condensed matter physics: Novel one-dimensional superconductor
In a significant development in the field of superconductivity, researchers have successfully achieved robust superconductivity in high magnetic fields using a newly created one-dimensional (1D) system. This breakthrough offers a promising pathway to achieving superconductivity in the quantum Hall regime, a longstanding challenge in condensed matter physics.
A novel universal light-based technique to control valley polarization in bulk materials
Scientists report a new method that achieves for the first time valley polarization in centrosymmetric bulk materials in a non-material-specific way. This 'universal technique' may have major applications linked to the control and analysis of different properties for 2D and 3D materials, which can in turn enable the advancement of cutting-edge fields such us information processing and quantum computing.
Critical minerals recovery from electronic waste
A nontoxic separation process recovers critical minerals from electronic scrap waste.
This tiny chip can safeguard user data while enabling efficient computing on a smartphone
A new chip can efficiently accelerate machine-learning workloads on edge devices like smartphones while protecting sensitive user data from two common types of attacks -- side-channel attacks and bus-probing attacks.
Super Mario hackers' tricks could protect software from bugs
Video gamers who exploit glitches in games can help experts better understand buggy software, students suggest.
Researchers create artificial cells that act like living cells
Researchers describe the steps they took to manipulate DNA and proteins -- essential building blocks of life -- to create cells that look and act like cells from the body. This accomplishment, a first in the field, has implications for efforts in regenerative medicine, drug delivery systems and diagnostic tools.