ScienceDaily: Technology - September 18, 2023
Top technology research news
Most artificially intelligent systems are based on neural networks, algorithms inspired by biological neurons found in the brain. These networks can consist of multiple layers, with inputs coming in one side and outputs going out of the other. The outputs can be used to make automatic decisions, for example, in driverless cars. Attacks to mislead a neural network can involve exploiting vulnerabilities in the input layers, but typically only the initial input layer is considered when engineering a defense. For the first time, researchers augmented a neural network's inner layers with a process involving random noise to improve its resilience.
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Brilliant galaxies of early universe
Scientists have used data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) as part of the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) Survey to change the way we think about the universe and its distant galaxies. Astronomers authored a paper confirming very bright galaxies in the early universe, while also disproving the identification of what would have been the most distant galaxy ever found.
Making AI smarter with an artificial, multisensory integrated neuron
The feel of a cat's fur can reveal some information, but seeing the feline provides critical details: is it a housecat or a lion? While the sound of fire crackling may be ambiguous, its scent confirms the burning wood. Our senses synergize to give a comprehensive understanding, particularly when individual signals are subtle. The collective sum of biological inputs can be greater than their individual contributions. Robots tend to follow more straightforward addition, but researchers have now harnessed the biological concept for application in artificial intelligence (AI) to develop the first artificial, multisensory integrated neuron.
Groundbreaking soft valve technology enabling sensing and control integration in soft robots
A research team has developed groundbreaking 'soft valve' technology -- an all-in-one solution that integrates sensors and control valves while maintaining complete softness.
Are US teenagers more likely than others to exaggerate their math abilities?
A major new study has revealed that American teenagers are more likely than any other nationality to brag about their math ability.
New device rapidly controls postpartum hemorrhage
A study led by obstetricians has shown that a new device can rapidly control postpartum hemorrhage, a major cause of severe maternal morbidity and death, in a wide range of patients.
Snaps supersonic outflow of young star
Herbig-Haro (HH) objects are luminous regions surrounding newborn stars, formed when stellar winds or jets of gas spewing from these newborn stars form shock waves colliding with nearby gas and dust at high speeds. This image of HH 211 from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope reveals an outflow from a Class 0 protostar, an infantile analog of our Sun when it was no more than a few tens of thousands of years old and with a mass only 8% of the present-day Sun (it will eventually grow into a star like the Sun).
AI-driven tool makes it easy to personalize 3D-printable models
With Style2Fab, makers can rapidly customize models of 3D-printable objects, such as assistive devices, without hampering their functionality.
Revolutionizing brain monitoring and stimulation with thin-film neural electrodes
Flexible thin-film electrodes placed directly on brain tissue show promise for the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy. Thanks to an innovative yet straightforward design, these durable electrodes accurately match the mechanical properties of brain tissue, leading to better performance during electrocorticography recordings and targeted neural stimulation.
Carbon atoms coming together in space
Lab-based studies reveal how carbon atoms diffuse on the surface of interstellar ice grains to form complex organic compounds, crucial to reveal the chemical complexity in the universe.
Verbal nonsense reveals limitations of AI chatbots
The era of artificial-intelligence chatbots that seem to understand and use language the way we humans do has begun. Under the hood, these chatbots use large language models, a particular kind of neural network. But a new study shows that large language models remain vulnerable to mistaking nonsense for natural language. To a team of researchers, it's a flaw that might point toward ways to improve chatbot performance and help reveal how humans process language.
Electrons from Earth may be forming water on the Moon
Planetary scientists have discovered that high energy electrons in Earth's plasma sheet are contributing to weathering processes on the Moon's surface and, importantly, the electrons may have aided the formation of water on the lunar surface.
Making hydrogen from waste plastic could pay for itself
Researchers have found a way to harvest hydrogen from plastic waste using a low-emissions method that generates graphene as a by-product, which could help offset production costs.
New camera offers ultrafast imaging at a fraction of the normal cost
In a new paper, researchers report a camera that could offer a much less expensive way to achieve ultrafast imaging for a wide range of applications such as real-time monitoring of drug delivery or high-speed lidar systems for autonomous driving. Researchers show that their new diffraction-gated real-time ultrahigh-speed mapping (DRUM) camera can capture a dynamic event in a single exposure at 4.8 million frames per second.
Tiny nanocarriers could prove the magic bullet for acne sufferers
It's a skin disorder that makes life miserable for around 800 million teenagers and adults worldwide, but cientists may have found an effective treatment for acne, delivered via tiny nanoparticles.
Evolution wired human brains to act like supercomputers
Scientists have confirmed that human brains are naturally wired to perform advanced calculations, much like a high-powered computer, to make sense of the world through a process known as Bayesian inference.
Take the money now or later? Financial scarcity doesn't lead to poor decision making
When people feel that their resources are scarce -- that they don't have enough money or time to meet their needs -- they often make decisions that favor short-term gains over long-term benefits. Because of that, researchers have argued that scarcity pushes people to make myopic, impulsive decisions. But a study provides support for a different, less widely held view: People experiencing scarcity make reasonable decisions based on their circumstances, and only prioritize short-term benefits over long-term gains when scarcity threatens their more immediate needs.
Researchers make strides in harnessing low-grade heat for efficient energy conversion
A research team has achieved significant breakthroughs in harnessing low-grade heat sources (<100 °C) for efficient energy conversion.
Battery-free robots use origami to change shape in mid-air
Researchers have developed small robotic devices that can change how they move through the air by 'snapping' into a folded position during their descent. Each device has an onboard battery-free actuator, a solar power-harvesting circuit and controller to trigger these shape changes in mid-air.
Electrifying vehicles in Chicago would save lives, reduce pollution inequities
If the Chicago region replaced 30% of all on-road combustion-engine vehicles -- including motorcycles, passenger cars and trucks, buses, refuse trucks and short- and long-haul trucks -- with electric versions, it would annually save more than 1,000 lives and over $10 billion, according to a new study.
AI foundation model for eye care to supercharge global efforts to prevent blindness
Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system that has the potential to not only identify sight-threatening eye diseases but also predict general health, including heart attacks, stroke, and Parkinson's disease.
Scientists invent a bright way to upcycle plastics into liquids that can store hydrogen energy
Scientists have created a process that can upcycle most plastics into chemicals useful for energy storage, using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a commercially available catalyst, all at room temperature. The new process is very energy-efficient and can be easily powered by renewable energy in the future, unlike other heat-driven recycling processes like pyrolysis. Currently, only nine per cent of plastics globally are recycled and the rest are typically discarded in landfills or incinerated.
Some spiders can transfer mercury contamination to land animals
Sitting calmly in their webs, many spiders wait for prey to come to them. Arachnids along lakes and rivers eat aquatic insects, such as dragonflies. But, when these insects live in mercury-contaminated waterways, they can pass the metal along to the spiders that feed on them. Now, researchers have demonstrated how some shoreline spiders can move mercury contamination from riverbeds up the food chain to land animals.
Matter comprises of 31% of the total amount of matter and energy in the universe
One of the most interesting and important questions in cosmology is, 'How much matter exists in the universe?' An international team has now succeeded in measuring the total amount of matter for the second time. The team determined that matter makes up 31% of the total amount of matter and energy in the universe, with the remainder consisting of dark energy.
Majority rule in complex mixtures
The very first life on earth is thought to have developed from 'protocells' -- liquid mixtures of many different types of molecules. Researchers have now shown that in such mixtures, small imbalances in the number of molecules of different types can have an unexpected effect. A surprising interplay with the complex pattern of interactions strongly amplifies such imbalances -- meaning that a type of molecule that is only slightly in the majority can almost entirely separate out from the others. These fundamental findings point towards a new mechanism that will apply in many complex mixtures. For instance, this would be a way for cells to control the formation of structures by fine-tuning the concentration of different molecules.
Pixel-by-pixel analysis yields insights into lithium-ion batteries
By mining X-ray images, researchers have made significant new discoveries about the reactivity of lithium iron phosphate, a material used in batteries for electric cars and in other rechargeable batteries.
Chemists uses nature as inspiration for a sustainable, affordable adhesive system
A chemist drew inspiration from the natural world, from his experiences scuba diving to studying shellfish in his lab. He has developed a sustainable adhesive system -- an alternative to toxic, permanent, traditional adhesives.
These new detections suggest polar ring galaxies might be more common than previously believed.
Charging ahead: New electrolyte goes extra mile for faster EV charging
Researchers are taking fast charging for electric vehicles, or EVs, to new extremes.
New research provides hope for Parkinson's disease symptom control
Finding the right medication regimen to treat Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex healthcare challenge. Wearable health trackers provide physicians with a detailed window into patients' symptoms, but translating this complex data into useful treatment insights can be difficult. New research accomplishes just that. Researchers found that combining wearable health tracker data with state-of-the-art algorithms results in promising treatment strategies that could improve PD patients' outcomes.
Ultrathin nanotech promises to help tackle antibiotic resistance
Researchers have invented a nano-thin superbug-slaying material that could one day be integrated into wound dressings and implants to prevent or heal bacterial infections. The innovation -- which has undergone advanced pre-clinical trials -- is effective against a broad range of drug-resistant bacterial cells, including 'golden staph', which are commonly referred to as superbugs.
Researchers detail how disorder alters quantum spin liquids, forming a new phase of matter
Physicists begin to shed light on one of the most important questions regarding quantum spin liquids, and they do so by introducing a new phase of matter.
The sweet physics of saltwater taffy
Saltwater taffy, a product that contains no actual saltwater, is neither fully solid nor fully liquid. Researchers put the sticky, sweet confection to the test to understand the physics behind this unique candy. The researchers break down the ingredients and processes that determine saltwater taffy's material properties.
New super-fast flood model has potentially life-saving benefits
Researchers have developed a new simulation model, which can predict flooding during an ongoing disaster more quickly and accurately than currently possible.
Dark matter halos measured around ancient quasars
At the center of every galaxy is a supermassive black hole. Beyond a certain size, these become active, emitting huge amounts of radiation, and are then called quasars. It is thought these are activated by the presence of massive dark matter halos (DMH) surrounding the galaxy, directing matter towards the center, feeding the black hole. A team has now surveyed hundreds of ancient quasars and found this behavior is very consistent throughout history. This is surprising, as many large-scale processes show variation throughout the life of the universe, so the mechanism of quasar activation could have implications for the evolution of the entire universe.
Gotcha! New technology speeds up bacterial testing in food
Researchers have developed a measurement technique that rapidly measures the number of viable bacteria in food products. They have succeeded in drastically reducing the inspection time from 2 days to about 1 hour. With this technology, it will be possible to confirm food safety before shipment from factories and prevent food poisoning.
A linear path to efficient quantum technologies
Researchers have demonstrated that a key ingredient for many quantum computation and communication schemes can be performed with an efficiency that exceeds the commonly assumed upper theoretical limit -- thereby opening up new perspectives for a wide range of photonic quantum technologies.
In the age of ChatGPT, what's it like to be accused of cheating?
A new study looks at how college students react to being accused of using ChatGPT to cheat on assignments.
CT test simulates blood flow to assess risk in patients with angina
An advanced CT test can identify individuals with stable angina at a reduced risk of three-year adverse outcomes despite their having a high coronary artery calcium score, according to a new study.
Ecology and artificial intelligence: Stronger together
Many of today's artificial intelligence systems loosely mimic the human brain. In a new paper, researchers suggest that another branch of biology -- ecology -- could inspire a whole new generation of AI to be more powerful, resilient, and socially responsible. The paper argues for a synergy between AI and ecology that could both strengthen AI and help to solve complex global challenges, such as disease outbreaks, loss of biodiversity, and climate change impacts.
Hot summer air turns into drinking water with new gel device
Researchers have focused on the moisture present in the air as a potential source of drinking water for drought-stressed populations. They reached a significant breakthrough in their efforts to create drinkable water out of thin air: a molecularly engineered hydrogel that can create clean water using just the energy from sunlight.
3D printing with coffee: Turning used grounds into caffeinated creations
Coffee could be the key to reducing 3D printing waste, according to a new study. Researchers have developed a method for 3D printing using a paste made out of old coffee grounds.
Urban parks built on former waste incineration sites could be lead hotspots
A new study finds that surface soil in parks and playgrounds built on former waste incineration and ash disposal sites may contain levels of lead exceeding EPA safety standards for areas where children play. The contamination, which can persist long after an incinerator is closed, stems from burning paint, pipes and other products that contained lead. Sites in hundreds of U.S. and Canadian cities could be contaminated. Increased monitoring is needed to pinpoint hotspots.
You can leave your gloves on: New material burns viruses, safe for skin
A new material that packs deadly heat for viruses on its outer surface while staying cool on the reverse side could be used to make sustainable, multiuse personal protective equipment.
Not too big: Machine learning tames huge data sets
A machine-learning algorithm demonstrated the capability to process data that exceeds a computer's available memory by identifying a massive data set's key features and dividing them into manageable batches that don't choke computer hardware. The algorithm set a world record for factorizing huge data sets during a test run on the world's fifth-fastest supercomputer. Equally efficient on laptops and supercomputers, the highly scalable algorithm solves hardware bottlenecks that prevent processing information from data-rich applications in cancer research, satellite imagery, social media networks, national security science and earthquake research, to name just a few.
Researchers discover iron-targeting approaches to halt proliferation of cancer cells
Researchers discovered a new class of iron-targeting compounds that hamper the proliferation of cultured malignant cells in a laboratory setting.
Important connectivity of metal oxides with hydrogen
A recent article proposes a new way to understand how materials interact with hydrogen.
New methodology reveals health, climate impacts of reducing buildings' energy use
Increasing energy efficiency in buildings can save money -- and it can also decrease the carbon emissions and air pollution that lead to climate change and health harms. But the climate and health benefits of reducing buildings' energy consumption are rarely quantified. Now, researchers have developed a new method for calculating the health and climate impacts of these energy savings.
New ionic materials boost hydrogen fuel cell efficiency!
A research team has made a groundbreaking advancement in improving the efficiency of hydrogen fuel cells, which are gaining significant attention as eco-friendly next-generation energy sources.
