ScienceDaily: Technology - January 06, 2025
Top technology research news
The carbon in our bodies probably left the galaxy and came back on cosmic 'conveyer belt'
Scientists recently discovered that the giant 'conveyer belt' currents that push star-forged material out of our galaxy and pull it back in can also transport carbon atoms. That means that a good deal of the carbon here on Earth, including the carbon in our bodies, likely left the galaxy at some point!
Image: Jenny Rykie/Shutterstock.com
New nanocrystal material a key step toward faster, more energy-efficient computing
Chemistry researchers have taken a key step toward next-generation optical computing and memory with the discovery of luminescent nanocrystals that can be quickly toggled from light to dark and back again.
Breakthrough for 'smart cell' design
Bioengineers have developed a new construction kit for building custom sense-and-respond circuits in human cells. The research could revolutionize therapies for complex conditions like autoimmune disease and cancer.
AI can improve ovarian cancer diagnoses
A new international study shows that AI-based models can outperform human experts at identifying ovarian cancer in ultrasound images.
How good are AI doctors at medical conversations?
Researchers design a new way to more reliably evaluate AI models' ability to make clinical decisions in realistic scenarios that closely mimic real-life interactions. The analysis finds that large-language models excel at making diagnoses from exam-style questions but struggle to do so from conversational notes. The researchers propose set of guidelines to optimize AI tools' performance and align them with real-world practice before integrating them into the clinic.
How does a hula hoop master gravity? Mathematicians prove that shape matters
Hula hooping is so commonplace that we may overlook some interesting questions it raises: 'What keeps a hula hoop up against gravity?' and 'Are some body types better for hula hooping than others?' A team of mathematicians explored and answered these questions with findings that also point to new ways to better harness energy and improve robotic positioners.
Water treatment: catching steroid hormones with nanotubes
Steroid hormones are among the most widespread aquatic micropollutants. They are harmful to human health, and they cause ecological imbalances in aquatic environments. Researchers investigated how steroid hormones are degraded in an electrochemical membrane reactor with carbon nanotube membranes. They found that adsorption of steroid hormones on the carbon nanotubes did not limit the hormones' subsequent degradation.
Artificial intelligence: Algorithms improve medical image analysis
Artificial intelligence has the potential to improve the analysis of medical image data. For example, algorithms based on deep learning can determine the location and size of tumors. This is the result of AutoPET, an international competition in medical image analysis. The seven best autoPET teams report on how algorithms can detect tumor lesions in positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT).
Big leap forward for environmentally friendly 'e-textiles' technology
A research team has shown wearable electronic textiles (e-textiles) can be both sustainable and biodegradable.
Chemists create eco-friendly method to make chlorine-based materials for drugs and chemicals
Chlorine plays an essential part in daily life, from keeping pools clean to preserving food. Now, a team of chemists developed a more environmentally friendly way to integrate chlorine into chemical building blocks for medications, plastics, pesticides and other essential products while reducing costs.
Building better infrared sensors
Researchers developed a type of infrared photodiode that is 35% more responsive at 1.55 m, the key wavelength for telecommunications, compared to other germanium-based components.
New method turns e-waste to gold
A research team has developed a method for extracting gold from electronics waste, then using the recovered precious metal as a catalyst for converting carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, to organic materials.
Detecting disease with only a single molecule
Scientists have developed a nanopore-based tool that could help diagnose illnesses much faster and with greater precision than current tests allow, by capturing signals from individual molecules.
Revolutionizing heat management with high-performance cerium oxide thermal switches
Groundbreaking cerium oxide-based thermal switches achieve remarkable performance, transforming heat flow control with sustainable and efficient technology.
A tour de force: Engineers discover new 'all-optical' nanoscale sensors of force
Researchers report that they have invented new nanoscale sensors of force. They are luminescent nanocrystals that can change intensity and/or color when you push or pull on them. These 'all-optical' nanosensors are probed with light only and therefore allow for fully remote read-outs -- no wires or connections are needed.
Scientists pin down the origins of a fast radio burst
Astronomers pinned down the origins of at least one fast radio burst, a brief and brilliant explosion of radio waves emitted by an extremely compact object. The team's novel technique might also reveal the sources of other FRBs.
Achieving bone regeneration and adhesion with harmless visible light
A team develops an innovative injectable hydrogel for bone regeneration, addressing the limitations of traditional bone grafts and adhesion methods.
Enhanced Raman microscopy of cryofixed specimens: Clearer and sharper chemical imaging
A team has reported a Raman microscopy technique that produced images up to eight times brighter than those achieved with conventional Raman techniques. Imaging of frozen biological samples reduced the noise introduced by the motion of material over long acquisition times. The technique is expected to broaden understanding in many areas of the biological sciences by allowing high-quality images and chemical information to be captured without the need for staining.
Engineering researchers develop deep-UV microLED display chips for maskless photolithography
In a breakthrough set to revolutionize the semiconductor industry, engineers have developed the world's first-of-its-kind deep-ultraviolet (UVC) microLED display array for lithography machines. This enhanced efficiency UVC microLED has showcased the viability of a lowered cost maskless photolithography through the provision of adequate light output power density, enabling exposure of photoresist films in a shorter time.
New technology doubles resolution without radar replacement using novel algorithms
Engineers have developed a new signal analysis technology that enhances radar range resolution and is applicable to various radar systems.
Solar-powered charging: Self-charging supercapacitors developed
A research team achieves 63% energy storage efficiency and 5.17% overall efficiency by combining a supercapacitor with a solar cell.
Triple-layer battery resistant to fire and explosion created
A team has developed a stable, efficient polymer-based solid electrolyte -- Applicable to smartphones, EVs, and energy storage.
seems like world is moving forward more technologically as science is being reinvented or enhanced, 👌