ScienceDaily: Technology - March 31, 2025
Top technology research news
The hidden spring in your step
Researchers reveal the way our legs adapt to fast movements. When people hop at high speeds, key muscle fibers in the calf shorten rather than lengthen as forces increase, which they call 'negative stiffness.' This counterintuitive process helps the leg become stiffer, allowing for faster motion. The findings could improve training, rehabilitation, and even the design of prosthetic limbs or robotic exoskeletons.
Physicists use quantum entanglement to crack mystery of strange metals
Scientists have long sought to unravel the mysteries of strange metals -- materials that defy conventional rules of electricity and magnetism. Now, a team of physicists has made a breakthrough in this area using a tool from quantum information science. The study reveals that electrons in strange metals become more entangled at a crucial tipping point, shedding new light on the behavior of these enigmatic materials. The discovery could pave the way for advances in superconductors with the potential to transform energy use in the future.
Artificial neurons organize themselves
Novel artificial neurons learn independently and are more strongly modeled on their biological counterparts. A team of researchers has programmed these infomorphic neurons and constructed artificial neural networks from them. The special feature is that the individual artificial neurons learn in a self-organized way and draw the necessary information from their immediate environment in the network.
Smart textiles and surfaces: How lightweight elastomer films are bringing tech to life
Clothes that can mimic the feeling of being touched, touch displays that provide haptic feedback to users, or even ultralight loudspeakers. These are just some of the devices made possible using thin silicone films that can be precisely controlled so that they vibrate, flex, press or pull exactly as desired. And all done simply by applying an electrical voltage.
AI meets oncology: New model personalizes bladder cancer treatment
Leveraging the power of AI and machine learning technologies, researchers developed a more effective model for predicting how patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer will respond to chemotherapy. The model harnesses whole-slide tumor imaging data and gene expression analyses in a way that outperforms previous models using a single data type.
New approach makes one type of clean fuel production 66% more efficient
Researchers have uncovered a more efficient way to turn carbon dioxide into methanol, a type of alcohol that can serve as a cleaner alternative fuel.
Physics of irregular objects on inclined planes probed
How gravity causes a perfectly spherical ball to roll down an inclined plane is part of elementary school physics canon. But the world is messier than a textbook. Scientists have sought to quantitatively describe the much more complex rolling physics of real-world objects. They have now combined theory, simulations, and experiments to understand what happens when an imperfect, spherical object is placed on an inclined plane.
Revolutionary brain-computer interface decoding system
Researchers have conducted groundbreaking research on memristor-based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). This research presents an innovative approach for implementing energy-efficient adaptive neuromorphic decoders in BCIs that can effectively co-evolve with changing brain signals.
Physicists discover a copper-free high-temperature superconducting oxide
Engineers have designed and synthesized a groundbreaking new material -- a copper-free superconducting oxide -- capable of superconducting at approximately 40 Kelvin, or about minus 233 degrees Celsius, under ambient pressure.
Physics meets art: A new twist on interference patterns
Researchers have discovered brand new interference patterns in twisted two-dimensional tungsten ditelluride lattices. These so-called moir patterns can be tuned to look like periodic spots or even one-dimensional bands by adjusting the twist angle between layers, and they can drastically alter the physical properties of the material.
Microbial cell factories for sustainable chemical production
In silico analysis of five industrial microorganisms identifies optimal strains and metabolic engineering strategies for producing 235 valuable chemicals.
Digital technology and AI can support workers with dementia
People with dementia can enjoy productive and rewarding working lives in the digital era, contrary to the widespread stereotype that dementia is incompatible with the use of modern technology, according to new research.
Researchers find a way to shield quantum information from 'noise'
Researchers have discovered a way to protect quantum information from environmental disruptions, offering hope for more reliable future technologies.
Smartwatches may help control diabetes through exercise
Wearable mobile health technology could help people with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) to stick to exercise regimes that help them to keep the condition under control, a new study reveals. An international team studied the behavior of recently-diagnosed T2D patients in Canada and the UK as they followed a home-based physical activity program, with some participants wearing a smartwatch paired with a health app on their smartphone.
Renting clothes for sustainable fashion -- niche markets work best
Renting clothes can reduce the fashion industry's enormous environmental impact, but so far, the business models have not worked very well. The best chance of success is for a rental company to provide clothing within a niche market, such as specific sportswear, and to work closely with the suppliers and clothing manufacturers.
A lighter, smarter magnetoreceptive electronic skin
Imagine navigating a virtual reality with contact lenses or operating your smartphone under water: This and more could soon be a reality thanks to innovative e-skins. A research team has developed an electronic skin that detects and precisely tracks magnetic fields with a single global sensor. This artificial skin is not only light, transparent and permeable, but also mimics the interactions of real skin and the brain.
AI is as good as pathologists at diagnosing Celiac disease, study finds
A machine learning algorithm was able to correctly identify in 97 cases out of 100 whether or not an individual had Celiac disease based on their biopsy, new research has shown. The AI tool, which has been trained on almost 3,400 scanned biopsies from four hospitals, could speed up diagnosis of the condition and take pressure off stretched healthcare resources, as well as improving diagnosis in developing nations, where shortages of pathologists are severe.
Beyond ambiguous reflections: Bridging optical 3D metrology and computer vision
A new method significantly advances 3D imaging of reflective surfaces. The approach integrates techniques known from high-precision optical 3D metrology and computer vision, and could benefit applications ranging from industrial inspection and medical imaging to virtual reality and cultural heritage preservation.
Is AI the new research scientist? Not so, according to a human-led study
Researchers asked generative AI to write a research paper. While adept at some steps, it wholly failed at others.
Terahertz imaging: Breakthrough in non-invasive cochlear visualization
Researchers have discovered a groundbreaking use of terahertz (THz) imaging to visualize cochlear structures in mice, offering non-invasive, high-resolution diagnostics. By creating 3D reconstructions, this technology opens new possibilities for diagnosing hearing loss and other conditions. THz imaging could lead to miniaturized devices, like THz endoscopes and otoscopes, revolutionizing diagnostics for hearing loss, cancer, and more. With the potential to enhance diagnostic speed, accuracy, and patient outcomes, THz imaging could transform medical practices.
First therapy chatbot trial shows AI can provide 'gold-standard' care
Researchers conducted the first clinical trial of an AI-powered therapy chatbot and found that, on average, people with diagnosed mental disorders experienced clinically significant improvements in their symptoms over eight weeks, according to new results. Users engaged with the software, known as Therabot, through a smartphone app and reported that interactions were comparable to working with a mental-health professional. The researchers conclude that while AI-powered therapy is in critical need of clinician oversight, it has the potential to provide real-time support for the many people who lack regular or immediate access to a professional.
Feeling the future: New wearable tech simulates realistic touch
Most haptic devices only deliver feedback as simple vibrations. New device applies dynamic forces in any direction to simulate a more realistic sense of touch. Small, lightweight device can enhance virtual reality, help individuals with visual impairments, provide tactile feedback for remote health visits and more.
Hypersonic simulation in 3D exposes new disturbances
At hypersonic speeds, complexities occur when the gases interact with the surface of the vehicle such as boundary layers and shock waves. Researchers were able to observe new disturbances in simulations conducted for the first time in 3D.
Mini rolling robot takes virtual biopsies
A tiny magnetic robot which can take 3D scans from deep within the body, that could revolutionize early cancer detection, has been developed by researchers. The team say this is the first time it has been possible to generate high-resolution three-dimensional ultrasound images taken from a probe deep inside the gastrointestinal tract, or gut.
Engineers redefine how heat transfers on advanced surfaces
Scientists have developed a new theory to explain heat transfer on advanced surfaces. The theory is critical to the researchers' work to develop innovative surfaces for applications such as harvesting water from air without electricity.
A cleaner future for tires: Scientists pioneer chemical process to repurpose rubber waste
Every year, millions of tires end up in landfills, creating an environmental crisis with far-reaching consequences. In the United States alone, over 274 million tires were scrapped in 2021, with nearly a fifth of them being discarded into landfills. A study has now pioneered a technique for breaking down this rubber waste and transforming it into valuable precursors for epoxy resins. This technique offers an innovative and sustainable alternative to traditional recycling methods while significantly reducing rubber waste in landfills.
Proof-of-concept work uses unique, safe particles to remove microplastics in a single cycle.
Blue pigment improves foundation makeup shades for dark skin
Drugstores and makeup counters carry foundations in various olive, ivory and fair shades. But for people with darker skin tones, finding the right foundation shade can be a challenge. The darker foundations that exist often fall flat, appearing gray-like once applied on the skin. But now, researchers report a blue cosmetic color additive that gives darker foundations the warmth and depth that current foundations lack.
A safe nuclear battery that could last a lifetime
Lithium-ion batteries, used in consumer devices and electric vehicles, typically last hours or days between charges. However, with repeated use, they degrade and need to be charged more frequently. Now, researchers are considering radiocarbon as a source for safe, small and affordable nuclear batteries that could last decades or longer without charging.
Making sturdy, semi-transparent wood with cheap, natural materials
Can you imagine having a smartphone with a wooden touchscreen? Or a house with wooden windows? Probably not -- unless you've heard of transparent wood. Made by modifying wood's natural structure, this material has been proposed as a sturdy, eco-friendly alternative for plastic. Researchers have created proof-of-concept transparent woods using almost entirely natural materials, and have explored making them electrically conductive, too.
Developing software for easy estimation of 3D gene expression distribution
Researchers have developed 'tomoseqr' -- a new software tool that enables easy estimation of the three-dimensional (3D) spatial distribution of gene expression. Tomoseqr is free to use and has been integrated into Bioconductor -- a widely used international platform for life science software. This innovative tool will potentially help researchers identify key genes involved in organism development, disease mechanisms, and regenerative biology.
Artificial intelligence uses less energy by mimicking the human brain
Electrical and computer engineers have developed a 'Super-Turing AI,' which operates more like the human brain. This new AI integrates certain processes instead of separating them and then migrating huge amounts of data like current systems do.
Unlocking the potential of the heavy atom effect in metal clusters
A novel method to improve the photoluminescent efficiency of metal clusters has been developed -- which could potentially be used in applications such as bioimaging or display technologies.
Entangled in self-discovery: Quantum computers analyze their own entanglement
Quantum computers are able to solve complex calculations that would take traditional computers thousands of years in just a few minutes. What if that analytical power is turned inwards towards the computer itself?
Virtual reality videos increase environmental awareness
Nature documentaries presented as 360 virtual reality videos have a stronger positive effect than other forms of media, including an indirect effect on donation intentions.
Philosophy: Cultural differences in exploitation of artificial agents
A new study shows that people in Japan treat robots and AI agents more respectfully than people in Western societies.
Scientists have for the first time filmed the real-time growth and contraction of Palladium nanoparticles, opening new avenues for utilising and recycling precious metal catalysts.
Cleverly designed carbon nanohoop enables controlled release of iron
Researchers have developed a molecular system for controlled release of iron. They integrated ferrocene, a molecular sandwich that encloses an iron atom, with a carbon 'nanohoop'. As a result, the system allows for the release of Fe2+ ions upon activation with benign green light.
Is your job making you happy? Insights from job satisfaction data
New research has found that employers and policymakers might want to start paying attention to how workers are feeling, because employee happiness contains critical economic information.
Smart insoles that could change the game for sports and health
Scientists have created a smart insoles prototype that can accurately measure the body's interaction with the ground, which has the potential to help athletes avoid injuries, or even assist doctors in monitoring recovery.
People with autism are typically diagnosed by clinical observation and assessment. To deconstruct the clinical decision process, which is often subjective and difficult to describe, researchers used a large language model (LLM) to synthesize the behaviors and observations that are most indicative of an autism diagnosis. Their results show that repetitive behaviors, special interests, and perception-based behaviors are most associated with an autism diagnosis. These findings have potential to improve diagnostic guidelines for autism by decreasing the focus on social factors -- which the established guidelines in the DSM-5 focus on but the model did not classify among the most relevant in diagnosing autism.
A new method to recycle fluoride from long-lived PFAS chemicals
Researchers have developed a method to destroy fluorine-containing PFAS (sometimes labelled 'forever chemicals') while recovering their fluorine content for future use.
A multimodal light manipulator
Interferometers, devices that can modulate aspects of light, play the important role of modulating and switching light signals in fiber-optic communications networks and are frequently used for gas sensing and optical computing. Now, applied physicists have invented a new type of interferometer that allows precise control of light's frequency, intensity and mode in one compact package.
Engineering antibodies with a novel fusion protein
Even with significant expansion in the global market for antibodies used in clinical care and research, scientists recognize that there is still untapped potential for finding new antibodies. Many proteins group together in what are called protein complexes to carry out biological functions. The traditional method of generating antibodies by immunizing animals struggles to make antibodies related to these protein complexes. Scientists have now demonstrated that fusing protein complexes together adds stability during immunization and enables antibody generation.
Study documents impacts of large-scale entry of rooftop solar panels on competition
Fossil-fuel plants are increasingly being forced to stop and start production in response to changes in output from renewables. In a new study, researchers developed a dynamic competitive benchmark that accounts for start-up costs and other unit-level operating constraints. They apply their framework to Western Australia, a setting where rooftop solar capacity more than doubled between 2014 to 2018 to world-leading rooftop solar penetration rates. The study found that the large-scale expansion of rooftop solar capacity can lead to increases in the collective profitability of fossil fuel plants because competition softens at sunset--- plants displaced by solar during the day must incur start-up costs to compete in the evening.
BESSY II: Magnetic 'microflowers' enhance local magnetic fields
A flower-shaped structure only a few micrometres in size made of a nickel-iron alloy can concentrate and locally enhance magnetic fields. The size of the effect can be controlled by varying the geometry and number of 'petals'. This magnetic metamaterial developed by Dr Anna Palau's group at the Institut de Ciencia de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB) in collaboration with her partners of the CHIST-ERA MetaMagIC project, has now been studied at BESSY II in collaboration with Dr Sergio Valencia. Such a device can be used to increase the sensitivity of magnetic sensors, to reduce the energy required for creating local magnetic fields, but also, at the PEEM experimental station, to study samples under much higher magnetic fields than currently possible.
Revolutionizing touch: Researchers explore the future of wearable multi-sensory haptic technology
From virtual reality to rehabilitation and communication, haptic technology has revolutionized the way humans interact with the digital world. While early haptic devices focused on single-sensory cues like vibration-based notifications, modern advancements have paved the way for multisensory haptic devices that integrate various forms of touch-based feedback, including vibration, skin stretch, pressure and temperature. Recently, a team of experts analyzed the current state of wearable multisensory haptic technology, outlining its challenges, advancements and real-world applications.
Researchers presented advances shaping the world of forensics, from research that could improve how forensic scientists estimate a person's age at death, to technology demos of CSIxR -- a virtual reality (VR) application that simulates crime scenes scenarios to train crime scene investigators (CSIs).
Fluorescent caves could explain how life persists in extraterrestrial environments
Deep below the Earth's surface, rock and mineral formations lay hidden with a secret brilliance. Under a black light, the chemicals fossilized within shine in brilliant hues of pink, blue and green. Scientists are using these fluorescent features to understand how the caves formed and the conditions for supporting life in extreme, and even extraterrestrial, environments.
Hydrophilic coating makes for unflappable golf balls
The condition of the grass on a golf course can drastically skew the chances of a winning putt regardless of a player's skill. Now, a coating that soaks up water molecules could slow the roll of a golf ball on a lightning-fast, dry course and speed it up on a sluggish, wet course without interfering with the ball when it's airborne.
E-scooter crashes mainly caused by reckless driving
Crashes on electric scooters are mostly due to the behavior of the riders, with one-handed steering and riding in a group being some of the largest risk factors. The researchers are also concerned about riders who deliberately crash or cause dangerous situations when riding, a phenomenon that seems to be specific to electric scooters.
Geometric design of material provides safer bicycle helmet
By using geometric shapes in the shock-absorbing material, researchers have developed a bicycle helmet that provides better protection against head injuries. The material absorbs shock by contracting bilaterally.
Unveiling Dynamic Shape-Morphing Smartphone sized OLED Panel with Built-In Speaker -- All While Maintaining Ultra-Thin Flexibility.
Effect of sulfur composition on tin sulfide for improving solar cell performance
Researchers investigated different compositions of tin sulfides to find the ideal material for devices that harness solar energy.
Eco-friendly, nylon-like plastic using microorganisms
Using microorganisms, researchers have successfully developed a new bio-based plastic to replace conventional plastic.
New type of quantum computer studies the dance of elementary particles
The study of elementary particles and forces is of central importance to our understanding of the universe. Now a team of physicists shows how an unconventional type of quantum computer opens a new door to the world of elementary particles.
Using cover plants to remove pollutants from arable soil
Nitrate, pesticides, metals, plastic -- agricultural soils often contain pollutants. But are there sustainable and climate-friendly ways to restore and promote soil health in agricultural land? Yes, says a research team. Specific plant species could be used as cover plants for phytoremediation, i.e. to relief agricultural land from adverse pollutant impacts. In their article, the researchers summarize the results of more than 100 scientific studies and present which plants, according to current knowledge, are suitable for removing pollutants from agricultural soils or trapping them in their root systems.
The evolution of low-temperature adapted enzymes
Enzymes originally evolved in high-temperature environments and later adapted to lower temperatures as Earth cooled. Scientists discovered that a key shift in enzyme function occurred over evolutionary time due to amino acid changes distant from the active site. These mutations lowered activation energy, enhancing catalytic efficiency at low temperatures. Their findings highlight how global cooling events influenced enzyme evolution.
Delaying the net zero transition could impose significant economic costs
Delayed and disorderly energy transitions will threaten economic and financial stability whilst also increasing the economic risks from climate change, according to a new study. Conversely, transitions that are started sooner are likely to be more orderly and economically beneficial.
These electronics-free robots can walk right off the 3D-printer
This a robot can walk, without electronics, and only with the addition of a cartridge of compressed gas, right off the 3D-printer. It can also be printed in one go, from one material.