Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Stronger, stretchier, self-healing plastic      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An innovative plastic, stronger and stretchier than the current standard type and which can be healed with heat, remembers its shape and partially biodegradable, has been developed. They created it by adding the molecule polyrotaxane to an epoxy resin vitrimer, a type of plastic. Named VPR, the material can hold its form and has strong internal chemical bonds at low temperatures.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Underground car parks heat up groundwater      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The heat given off by car engines warms up underground car parks in such a way that the heat passes through the ground into the groundwater. In Berlin alone, enough energy is transferred to the groundwater to supply 14,660 households with heat. According to the researchers, this warming could have long-term effects on groundwater quality. In their study, they also propose a solution. Using geothermal energy and heat pumps, the heat could be extracted from the ground and utilized.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

What a '2D' quantum superfluid feels like to the touch      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have discovered how superfluid helium 3He would feel if you could put your hand into it. The interface between the exotic world of quantum physics and classical physics of the human experience is one of the major open problems in modern physics. Nobody has been able to answer this question during the 100-year history of quantum physics.

Computer Science: General Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Learning to forget -- a weapon in the arsenal against harmful AI      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

With the AI summit well underway, researchers are keen to raise the very real problem associated with the technology -- teaching it how to forget.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: General
Published

AI should be better understood and managed -- new research warns      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and algorithms can and are being used to radicalize, polarize, and spread racism and political instability, says an academic. An expert argues that AI and algorithms are not just tools deployed by national security agencies to prevent malicious activity online, but can be contributors to polarization, radicalism and political violence -- posing a threat to national security.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Alternative Fuels Offbeat: General Physics: Optics
Published

In a surprising finding, light can make water evaporate without heat      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

At the interface of water and air, light can, in certain conditions, bring about evaporation without the need for heat, according to a new study.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics Computer Science: General Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: Optics
Published

New twist on optical tweezers      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Optical tweezers use laser light to manipulate small particles. A new method has been advanced using Stampede2 supercomputer simulations that makes optical tweezers safer to use for potential biological applications, such as cancer therapy. 

Computer Science: General
Published

New techniques efficiently accelerate sparse tensors for massive AI models      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New computational techniques, 'HighLight' and 'Tailors and Swiftiles,' could dramatically boost the speed and performance of high-performance computing applications like graph analytics or generative AI. The work, from MIT and NIVIDIA, aims to accelerate sparse tensors for AI models by introducing more efficient and flexible ways to take advantage of sparsity.

Computer Science: General Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Late not great -- imperfect timekeeping places significant limit on quantum computers      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Quantum physicists show that imperfect timekeeping places a fundamental limit to quantum computers and their applications. The team claims that even tiny timing errors add up to place a significant impact on any large-scale algorithm, posing another problem that must eventually be solved if quantum computers are to fulfill the lofty aspirations that society has for them.

Computer Science: Encryption Computer Science: General
Published

Accelerating AI tasks while preserving data security      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

SecureLoop is a new search engine that can identify an optimal design for a deep neural network accelerator that preserves data security while improving energy efficiency and boosting performance. This could enable device manufacturers to increase the speed of demanding AI applications, while ensuring sensitive data remain safe from attackers.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

A sustainable alternative to air conditioning      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

As the planet gets hotter, the need for cool living environments is becoming more urgent. But air conditioning is a major contributor to global warming since units use potent greenhouse gases and lots of energy. Now, researchers have found in a new study an inexpensive, sustainable alternative to mechanical cooling with refrigerants in hot and arid climates, and a way to mitigate dangerous heat waves during electricity blackouts.

Computer Science: General
Published

Novel device promotes efficient, real-time and secure wireless access      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have created new technology for more accessible, real-time wireless connectivity.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Fossil Fuels Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

3D printed reactor core makes solar fuel production more efficient      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Using a new 3D printing technique, researchers have developed special ceramic structures for a solar reactor. Initial experimental testing show that these structures can boost the production yield of solar fuels.

Computer Science: General Mathematics: Puzzles
Published

Certain online games use dark designs to collect player data      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The privacy policies and practices of online games contain dark design patterns which could be deceptive, misleading, or coercive to users, according to a new study.

Computer Science: General Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Controlling waves in magnets with superconductors for the first time      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Quantum physicists have shown that it's possible to control and manipulate spin waves on a chip using superconductors for the first time. These tiny waves in magnets may offer an alternative to electronics in the future, interesting for energy-efficient information technology or connecting pieces in a quantum computer, for example. The breakthrough primarily gives physicists new insight into the interaction between magnets and superconductors.

Computer Science: General Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Major milestone achieved in new quantum computing architecture      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers report a significant advance in quantum computing. They have prolonged the coherence time of their single-electron qubit to an impressive 0.1 milliseconds, nearly a thousand-fold improvement.

Computer Science: General Engineering: Robotics Research
Published

Energy-saving AI chip      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A computer scientist has developed an AI-ready architecture that is twice as powerful as comparable in-memory computing approaches. The researcher applies a new computational paradigm using special circuits known as ferroelectric field effect transistors (FeFETs). Within a few years, this could prove useful for generative AI, deep learning algorithms and robotic applications.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: General Engineering: Robotics Research Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Engineers develop breakthrough 'robot skin'      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Smart, stretchable and highly sensitive, a new soft sensor opens the door to a wide range of applications in robotics and prosthetics. When applied to the surface of a prosthetic arm or a robotic limb, the sensor skin provides touch sensitivity and dexterity, enabling tasks that can be difficult for machines such as picking up a piece of soft fruit. The sensor is also soft to the touch, like human skin, which helps make human interactions safer and more lifelike. 

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: General
Published

Vision via sound for the blind      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Smart glasses that use a technique similar to a bat's echolocation could help blind and low-vision people navigate their surroundings, according to researchers. 

Computer Science: General Physics: Optics
Published

Smartphone attachment could increase racial fairness in neurological screening      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new smartphone attachment could enable people to screen for a variety of neurological conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease and traumatic brain injury, at low cost -- and do so accurately regardless of their skin tone. The attachment fits over a smartphone's camera to capture clear video of pupil size changes, which can offer clues about an individual's neurological functions. The device helps the camera see the pupil easily in dark eye colors.