Chemistry: Biochemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Record 19.31% efficiency with organic solar cells      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have achieved a breakthrough power-conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.31% with organic solar cells (OSCs), also known as polymer solar cells. This remarkable binary OSC efficiency will help enhance applications of these advanced solar energy devices.

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

New method improves efficiency of 'vision transformer' AI systems      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Vision transformers (ViTs) are powerful artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that can identify or categorize objects in images -- however, there are significant challenges related to both computing power requirements and decision-making transparency. Researchers have now developed a new methodology that addresses both challenges, while also improving the ViT's ability to identify, classify and segment objects in images.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: General Computer Science: Quantum Computers Engineering: Nanotechnology Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General Physics: General Physics: Optics Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

The 'breath' between atoms -- a new building block for quantum technology      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have discovered they can detect atomic 'breathing,' or the mechanical vibration between two layers of atoms, by observing the type of light those atoms emitted when stimulated by a laser. The sound of this atomic 'breath' could help researchers encode and transmit quantum information.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: General Engineering: Robotics Research
Published

Newborn baby inspires sensor design that simulates human touch      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

As we move into a world where human-machine interactions are becoming more prominent, pressure sensors that are able to analyze and simulate human touch are likely to grow in demand.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General Environmental: Water
Published

New catalyst lowers cost for producing environmentally sustainable hydrogen from water      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team has developed a new catalyst composed of elements abundant in the Earth. It could make possible the low-cost and energy-efficient production of hydrogen for use in transportation and industrial applications.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: General
Published

Self-driving cars lack social intelligence in traffic      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Self-driving cars fall short when it comes to understanding the social codes in traffic that let human drivers decide whether to give way or drive on, according to new research.

Computer Science: General
Published

New tool may help spot 'invisible' brain damage in college athletes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An artificial intelligence computer program that processes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can accurately identify changes in brain structure that result from repeated head injury, a new study in student athletes shows. These variations have not been captured by other traditional medical images such as computerized tomography (CT) scans. The new technology, researchers say, may help design new diagnostic tools to better understand subtle brain injuries that accumulate over time.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

The next generation of solar energy collectors could be rocks      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The next generation of sustainable energy technology might be built from some low-tech materials: rocks and the sun. Using a new approach known as concentrated solar power, heat from the sun is stored then used to dry foods or create electricity. A team has found that certain soapstone and granite samples from Tanzania are well suited for storing this solar heat, featuring high energy densities and stability even at high temperatures.

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

Robot centipedes go for a walk      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers show how their multilegged walking robot can be steered by inducing a dynamic instability. By making the couplings between segments more flexible, the robot changes from walking straight to moving in a curved path. This work can lead to more energy-efficient and reliable robotic navigation of terrain.

Computer Science: General
Published

Super low-cost smartphone attachment brings blood pressure monitoring to your fingertips      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Engineers have developed a simple 3D-printed attachment that clips over a smartphone's camera and flash to measure blood pressure at the user's fingertip. The clip works with a custom smartphone app and currently costs about 80 cents to make. Researchers say it could help make regular blood pressure monitoring easy, affordable and accessible to people in resource-poor communities.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Fossil Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General
Published

Hydrogen battery: Storing hydrogen in coal may help power clean energy economy      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The quest to develop hydrogen as a clean energy source that could curb our dependence on fossil fuels may lead to an unexpected place -- coal. Scientists have found that coal may represent a potential way to store hydrogen gas, much like batteries store energy for future use, addressing a major hurdle in developing a clean energy supply chain.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Computer Science: General Engineering: Nanotechnology Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Making the structure of 'fire ice' with nanoparticles      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Cage structures made with nanoparticles could be a route toward making organized nanostructures with mixed materials, and researchers have shown how to achieve this through computer simulations.

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

Quantum scientists accurately measure power levels one trillion times lower than usual      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have developed a nanodevice that can measure the absolute power of microwave radiation down to the femtowatt level at ultra-low temperatures -- a scale trillion times lower than routinely used in verifiable power measurements. The device has the potential to significantly advance microwave measurements in quantum technology.

Computer Science: General Energy: Technology Physics: Optics
Published

Breakthrough in computer chip energy efficiency could cut data center electricity use      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have made a breakthrough toward reducing the energy consumption of the photonic chips used in data centers and supercomputers.

Computer Science: General Energy: Technology
Published

Effects of crypto mining on Texas power grid      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists are working to understand how cryptocurrency mining impacts the power grid and how to use this information for further research, education and policymaking.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

New supply chain model to empower seabound hydrogen economy      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team of researchers has created a new supply chain model which could empower the international hydrogen renewable energy industry.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Fossil Fuels Energy: Nuclear Energy: Technology Physics: General
Published

Demystifying vortex rings in nuclear fusion, supernovae      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Better understanding the formation of swirling, ring-shaped disturbances -- known as vortex rings -- could help nuclear fusion researchers compress fuel more efficiently, bringing it closer to becoming a viable energy source. A mathematical model linking these vortices with more pedestrian types, like smoke rings, could help engineers control their behavior in power generation and more.

Computer Science: General
Published

Artificial intelligence catalyzes gene activation research and uncovers rare DNA sequences      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Biologists have used machine learning, a type of AI, to identify 'synthetic extreme' DNA sequences with specifically designed functions in gene activation. They tested 50 million DNA sequences and found synthetic DNA sequences with activities that could be useful in biotechnology and medicine.

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

Wiring up quantum circuits with light      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The number of qubits in superconducting quantum computers has risen rapidly during the last years, but further growth is limited by the need for ultra-cold operating temperatures. Connecting several smaller processors could create larger, more computationally powerful quantum computers -- however doing so poses new challenges. Researchers have now demonstrated quantum entanglement between optical and microwave photons that could lay the foundation for such a future quantum network.

Computer Science: General Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

New wireless system for greater 5G access      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new paper on wireless connectivity introduces a new technique for increasing access to the 5G-and-beyond millimeter wave (mmWave) network.