ScienceDaily: Technology - February 24, 2025
Top technology research news
Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly large language models like GPT-4, has shown impressive performance on reasoning tasks. But does AI truly understand abstract concepts, or is it just mimicking patterns? A new study reveals that while GPT models perform well on some analogy tasks, they fall short when the problems are altered, highlighting key weaknesses in AI's reasoning capabilities.
New microscope can image, at once, the full 3D orientation and position of molecules in cells
A hybrid microscope allows scientists to simultaneously image the full 3D orientation and position of an ensemble of molecules, such as labeled proteins inside cells. The microscope combines polarized fluorescence technology, a valuable tool for measuring the orientation of molecules, with a dual-view light sheet microscope (diSPIM), which excels at imaging along the depth (axial) axis of a sample.
Glass fertilizer beads could be a sustained nutrient delivery system
Agricultural fertilizers are critical for feeding the world's population, restoring soil fertility and sustaining crops. Excessive and inefficient use of those resources can present an environmental threat, contaminating waterways and generating greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide. Now, researchers have addressed those challenges with glass fertilizer beads. The beads control nutrient release, and the researchers say they're environmentally compatible.
How to get a robot collective to act like a smart material
Researchers are blurring the lines between robotics and materials, with a proof-of-concept material-like collective of robots with behaviors inspired by biology.
Illuminating the proton's inner workings
Scientists have now mapped the forces acting inside a proton, showing in unprecedented detail how quarks -- the tiny particles within -- respond when hit by high-energy photons. The international team includes experts who are exploring the structure of sub-atomic matter to try to provide further insight into the forces that underpin the natural world.
Breakthrough in high-performance oxide-ion conductors using rubidium
Rubidium could be the next key player in oxide-ion conductors. Researchers have discovered a rare rubidium (Rb)-containing oxide-ion conductor with exceptionally high conductivity. Identified through computational screening and experiments, its superior performance stems from low activation energy and structural features like large free volume and tetrahedral motion. Its stability under various conditions offers a promising direction for solid oxide fuel cells and clean energy technologies.
Microcomb chips help pave the way for thousand times more accurate GPS systems
Optical atomic clocks can increase the precision of time and geographic position a thousandfold in our mobile phones, computers, and GPS systems. However, they are currently too large and complex to be widely used in society. Now, a research team has developed a technology that, with the help of on-chip microcombs, could make ultra-precise optical atomic clock systems significantly smaller and more accessible -- with significant benefits for navigation, autonomous vehicles, and geo-data monitoring.
Highly uniform nanocrystals synthesized by liquid crystalline antisolvent
A research team has developed a groundbreaking method for synthesizing perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs), a next-generation semiconductor material, in a more uniform and efficient manner. This study is expected to serve as a key breakthrough in overcoming the complexities of conventional synthesis methods and accelerating the commercialization of various optoelectronic devices, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and solar cells, that utilize nanocrystals.
Flexible crystals reveal secrets of elasticity
Researchers have identified the origin of the restoring force that lets elastic crystals return to their original shape.
AI unlocks the emotional language of animals
Groundbreaking study shows machine learning can decode emotions in seven ungulate species. A game-changer for animal welfare? Can artificial intelligence help us understand what animals feel? A pioneering study suggests the answer is yes. Researchers have successfully trained a machine-learning model to distinguish between positive and negative emotions in seven different ungulate species, including cows, pigs, and wild boars. By analyzing the acoustic patterns of their vocalizations, the model achieved an impressive accuracy of 89.49%, marking the first cross-species study to detect emotional valence using AI.
Novel method to synthesize valuable fluorinated drug compounds
Researchers have pioneered a new catalytic transformation that converts epoxides into fluorinated oxetanes, a coveted but difficult-to-make class of drug molecules that escaped synthetic preparation for years. By unlocking a pathway to these valuable drug scaffolds, this discovery potentially opens the door to new medicines for drug discovery applications.
Precision therapy with microbubbles
Researchers have investigated how microbubbles tiny gas bubbles can deliver drugs into cells in a targeted manner using ultrasound. For the first time, they have visualized how tiny cyclic microjets liquid jets generated by microbubbles penetrate the cell membrane enabling the drug uptake.
Perovskite solar cells: Thermal stresses are the key to long-term stability
Perovskite solar cells are highly efficient and low cost in production. However, they still lack stability over the decades under real weather conditions. An international research collaboration has now explored the effects of multiple thermal cycles on microstructures and interactions between different layers of perovskite solar cells. They conclude that thermal stress is the decisive factor in the degradation of metal-halide perovskites. Based on this, they derive the most promising strategies to increase the long-term stability of perovskite solar cells.
Self-imaging of structured light in new dimensions
Photonics researchers have demonstrated how self-imaging of light, a phenomenon known for nearly two centuries, can be applied to cylindrical systems, facilitating unprecedented control of light's structure with great potential for advanced optical communication systems. In addition, a new type of space-time duality is explored for powerful analogies bridging different fields of optics.
Chip-based system for terahertz waves could enable more efficient, sensitive electronics
Researchers developed a low-cost, scalable terahertz amplifier that could be used to make antenna arrays that can steer and focus high-frequency terahertz waves, for applications like high-resolution radar, high-speed communications, and medical imaging.
Rooftop panels, EV chargers, and smart thermostats could chip in to boost power grid resilience
After a cyber attack or natural disaster, a backup network of decentralized devices -- like residential solar panels, batteries, electric vehicles, heat pumps, and water heaters -- could restore electricity or relieve stress on the grid, engineers find.
Predator robots help researchers uncover how larval zebrafish rapidly learn
A novel system that chases larval zebrafish around an arena with predator robots is enabling scientists to understand how these days-old fish quickly learn in the real world.
Topological quantum processor marks breakthrough in computing
In a leap forward for quantum computing, physicists unveiled an eight-qubit topological quantum processor, the first of its kind. The chip, built as a proof-of-concept for the scientists' design, opens the door to the development of the long-awaited topological quantum computer.
Chemists find greener path to making key industrial chemical
Chemical engineers have discovered that adding nickel atoms to silver catalysts could revolutionize the production of ethylene oxide by eliminating the need for toxic chlorine while maintaining efficiency. The breakthrough could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the $40 billion global ethylene oxide industry, which currently produces this crucial chemical used in plastics, textiles, antifreeze, and disinfectants through a process that emits millions of tons of carbon dioxide annually.
Giant X-ray facility shows that magnets can reduce flaws in 3D printed components
Safety critical components for aircraft and Formula 1 racing cars could one day be 3D printed via a new technique that substantially reduces imperfections in the manufacturing process.
Cooling materials -- Out of the 3D printer
Rapid, localized heat management is essential for electronic devices and could have applications ranging from wearable materials to burn treatment. While so-called thermoelectric materials convert temperature differences to electrical voltage and vice versa, their efficiency is often limited, and their production is costly and wasteful. Researchers have now used a 3D printing technique to fabricate high-performance thermoelectric materials, reducing production costs significantly.
New AI system accurately maps urban green spaces, exposing environmental divides
A research team has unveiled a new artificial intelligence (AI) system that uses satellite imagery to track urban green spaces more accurately than prior methods, critical to ensuring healthy cities.
Closing the recycle loop: Waste-derived nutrients in liquid fertilizer
Researchers have succeeded in establishing a method for producing recycled liquid fertilizer that contains high concentrations of phosphorus.
Deep Nanometry reveals hidden nanoparticles
Researchers have developed Deep Nanometry, an analytical technique combining advanced optical equipment with a noise removal algorithm based on unsupervised deep learning. Deep Nanometry can analyze nanoparticles in medical samples at high speed, making it possible to accurately detect even trace amounts of rare particles. This has proven its potential for detecting extracellular vesicles indicating early signs of colon cancer, and it is hoped that it can be applied to other medical and industrial fields.
Promising new class of antimalarial drugs discovered
Epigenetic inhibitors as a promising new antimalarial intervention strategy? A new study identifies an inhibitor of gene regulation that specifically kills the malaria pathogen.
Breakthrough study challenges long-held beliefs about the shape of atomic nuclei
An international research collaboration has overturned the long-standing belief that the atomic nucleus of lead-208 is perfectly spherical. The discovery challenges fundamental assumptions about nuclear structure and has far-reaching implications for our understanding of how the heaviest elements are formed in the universe.
In ancient stellar nurseries, some stars are born of fluffy clouds
Researchers have found that stars in the early universe may have formed from 'fluffy' molecular clouds. Using the ALMA telescope to observe the Small Magellanic Cloud -- whose environment is similar to the early universe -- they observed that about 60% of the observed clouds had the common filamentary structure, while the remaining 40% had a 'fluffy' shape. These results could provide new insights into the formation of stars in the universe.
Researchers develop novel computational approach for identifying synergistic drug combinations
Researchers have developed a powerful computational tool, named iDOMO, to improve the prediction of drug synergy and accelerate the development of combination therapies for complex diseases. The study highlights iDOMO's ability to identify synergistic drug combinations using gene expression data, outperforming existing methods.
Revolutionizing dynamic facial projection mapping: A leap forward in augmented reality
Dynamic facial projection mapping (DFPM) has reached new heights in speed and accuracy, with the development of a state-of-the-art system with groundbreaking innovations. The first breakthrough involved a hybrid detection technique combining different methods to detect facial landmarks in just 0.107 milliseconds. The researchers also proposed a way to simulate high-frame-rate video annotations to train their models and introduced a lens-shift co-axial projector-camera setup to reduce alignment errors, enabling smoother and more immersive projections.
A miniature swimming robot inspired by marine flatworms
Engineers have developed a versatile swimming robot that nimbly navigates cluttered water surfaces. Inspired by marine flatworms, the innovative device offers new possibilities for environmental monitoring and ecological research.
Towards new battery tech: Chemists demonstrate high-performance sodium-ion cathode
For decades, scientists have sought ways to counter our dependence on lithium-ion batteries. These traditional, rechargeable batteries energize today's most ubiquitous consumer electronics -- from laptops to cell phones to electric cars. But raw lithium is expensive and is often sourced through fragile geopolitical networks. This month, chemists have announced an exciting alternative that relies on an organic, high-energy cathode material to make sodium-ion batteries, advancing the likelihood that this technology will find commercialization with safe, cheaper, more sustainable components.
A new way to observe electrons in motion
Electrons are incredibly fast. Because of their ultrafast motions, directly observing their behavior has been challenging. Now researchers have suggested a new method to make visualizing electron motion a reality.
For success in bioelectronics, build with nature-inspired design
Researchers have 3D printed bioelectronic scaffolds that have the properties cells need to form new tissue.
Like human brains, large language models reason about diverse data in a general way
Researchers find large language models process diverse types of data, like different languages, audio inputs, images, etc., similarly to how humans reason about complex problems. Like humans, LLMs integrate data inputs across modalities in a central hub that processes data in an input-type-agnostic fashion.
A catalytic two-step: Transforming industrial CO2 into a renewable fuel
Scientists have taken a critical next step in creating a scalable process to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and 'recirculate' it as a renewable fuel. Chemists now describe their latest breakthrough in creating methanol -- a widely used liquid fuel for internal combustion and other engines -- from industrial emissions of CO2, a primary greenhouse gas contributing to climate change. The process could have far-reaching applications throughout industry.
Contact electrification depends on materials' contact history, physicists show
From a tiny electric jolt when touching a doorknob to styrofoam peanuts that cling to a mischievous cat's fur -- the well-known and seemingly simple phenomenon of static electricity has puzzled people since antiquity. How could this ubiquitous effect, frequently demonstrated to bedazzled children by rubbing a balloon on their hair, still not be completely understood by scientists? For centuries, static electricity has been the subject of intrigue and scientific investigation. Now, researchers have uncovered a vital clue to this enduring mystery: the contact history of materials controls how they exchange charge. The groundbreaking findings explain the prevailing unpredictability of contact electrification, unveiling order from what has long been considered chaos.
300 new intermediate-mass black holes plus 2500 new active black holes in dwarf galaxies discovered
Within the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument's early data, scientists have uncovered the largest samples ever of intermediate-mass black holes and dwarf galaxies hosting an active black hole, more than tripling the existing census of both. These large statistical samples will allow for more in-depth studies of the dynamics between dwarf galaxy evolution and black hole growth, and open up vast discovery potential surrounding the evolution of the Universe's earliest black holes.
Advances in AI can help prepare the world for the next pandemic, global group of scientists find
Scientists across Africa, America, Asia, Australia, and Europe outline for the first time how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can transform the landscape of infectious disease research and improve pandemic preparedness.
New sensor can take any gas and tell you what's in it
A new laser-based device can scan almost any sample of gas and detect its molecular ingredients down to concentrations in the parts per trillion.
New process gets common rocks to trap carbon rapidly, cheaply
Scientists have discovered how to turn common minerals into materials that spontaneously remove and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In the lab, the materials pull CO2 from the air thousands of times faster than occurs with natural rock weathering.
Bio-hybrid drone uses silkworm moth antennae to navigate using smell
Conventional drones use visual sensors for navigation. However, environmental conditions like dampness, low light, and dust can hinder their effectiveness, limiting their use in disaster-stricken areas. Researchers have now developed a novel bio-hybrid drone by combining robotic elements with odor-sensing antennae from silkworm moths. Their innovation, which integrates the agility and precision of robots with biological sensory mechanisms, can enhance the applicability of drones in navigation, gas sensing, and disaster response.
New environmentally-friendly mortar reduces heat loss
A mortar made from recycled plastic and silica aerogel which improves insulation and reduces plastic waste has been developed.
Magnetic semiconductor preserves 2D quantum properties in 3D material
Physicists have developed a novel approach to maintain special quantum characteristics, even in 3D materials, with potential applications in optical systems and advanced computing.
Magnetic switch traps quantum information carriers in one dimension
A quantum 'miracle material' could support magnetic switching, a team of researchers has shown.
Using light to activate treatments in the right place
Acting in the right place at the right time is the key to effective medical treatment with minimal side effects. However, this feat remains difficult to achieve. Biologists and chemists have now succeeded in developing a tool that controls the location at which a molecule is activated by a simple pulse of light lasting only a few seconds. Tested on a protein essential for cell division, this system could be applied to other molecules. The potential applications are vast, both in basic research and in improving existing medical treatments, such as those for skin cancer.
A breakthrough in hydrogen catalysis: Electronic fine-tuning unlocks superior performance
In a breakthrough for hydrogen technology, researchers have introduced an innovative electronic fine-tuning approach that enhances the interaction between zinc and ruthenium.
Study suggests drunk witnesses are less likely to remember a suspect's face
Researchers have tested whether intoxicated people can be reliable witnesses when it comes to identifying a suspect's face after a crime is committed.
Breakthrough in wireless charging technology
The efficiency of wireless charging systems is limited by power loss occurring due to frequency changes in the resonant circuits that enable power transfer. These necessary modulations reduce electromagnetic interference caused by resonant frequencies on other devices. However, conventional strategies for adapting to changing frequencies are inefficient, cost-prohibitive, and impractical. Now, scientists have designed a resonant tuning rectifier that provides a low-cost, efficient solution to stabilize power delivery in wireless power systems.
Novel carbon-based materials to remove hazardous 'forever chemicals' in water
New research has emerged on the development of a novel membrane distillation system and an adsorbent (a substance that can trap chemicals on its surface) for the removal of hazardous perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Scientists utilized carbon-based materials to successfully remove PFAS from water. This innovative approach could contribute to sustainable purification technologies in the future.
Ai in retail: How to spark creativity and improve job satisfaction
AI is reshaping workplaces, particularly in retail. Researchers explored how AI service quality impacts retail employees' innovation, job fit, and satisfaction. Findings show when employees perceive AI as reliable and empathetic, they are more likely to engage in innovative behavior. AI's adaptability also plays a crucial role in enhancing service quality. While reliability strongly supports innovation, transparency and responsiveness had less influence than expected. Empathy in AI systems was found to have a significant positive effect on employee innovation, creating a more engaging work environment. The study underscores AI's potential to drive service innovation in retail.
A robust and adaptive controller for ballbots
Ballbots are versatile robotic systems with the ability to move around in all directions. This makes it tricky to control their movement. In a recent study, a team has proposed a novel proportional integral derivative controller that, in combination with radial basis function neural network, robustly controls ballbot motion. This technology is expected to find applications in service robots, assistive robots, and delivery robots.
Using a data-driven approach to synthesize single-atom catalysts that can purify water
Researchers tested a strategy for developing single-atom catalysts that may help us develop more efficient methods for water purification.
Researchers record ultrafast chorus dance of electrons on super-small particle
New nanoscale technique unlocks quantum material secrets
Using a novel surface-sensitive spectroscopy method, scientists explored atomic vibrations in crystalline material surfaces near interfaces. The findings illuminate quantum behaviors that play important roles computing and sensing technologies.
Are we trusting AI too much? New study demands accountability in Artificial Intelligence
Are we putting our faith in technology that we don't fully understand? A new study comes at a time when AI systems are making decisions impacting our daily lives -- from banking and healthcare to crime detection. The study calls for an immediate shift in how AI models are designed and evaluated, emphasizing the need for transparency and trustworthiness in these powerful algorithms.
Light-powered breakthrough enables precision tuning of quantum dots
Researchers have demonstrated a new technique that uses light to tune the optical properties of quantum dots -- making the process faster, more energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable -- without compromising material quality.
Researchers developed a new system for turning used coffee grounds into a paste, which they use to 3D print objects, such as packing materials and a vase. They inoculate the paste with Reishi mushroom spores, which turn the coffee grounds into a resilient, fully compostable alternative to plastics.
Harnessing failure as an asset: How researchers are innovating smarter wearable tech
In the world of soft robotics and wearable technology, sheet-based fluidic devices are revolutionizing how lightweight, flexible and multifunctional systems are designed. But with innovation comes challenges, particularly in understanding and controlling failure in these devices. A new study by mechanical engineers explores how programmed failure in heat-sealable, sheet-based systems can be used to protect devices, enable complex sequencing of actions and even streamline control mechanisms.
New microactuator driving system could give microdrones a jump-start
An innovative circuit design could enable miniature devices, such as microdrones and other microrobotics, to be powered for longer periods of time while staying lightweight and compact. Using miniaturized solid-state batteries, the circuit combines high energy density with an ultra lightweight design.
Study reveals extent of ecological damage from Niger Delta oil spills
An international research team has used earth observation radar data to map oil pipeline networks covering a 9000 km2 region in the Niger Delta and pinpoint where crude oil spills have caused the most acute damage to the delicate mangrove ecosystem.