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Categories: Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry, Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Published Even as temperatures rise, this hydrogel material keeps absorbing moisture
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Engineers find the hydrogel polyethylene glycol (PEG) doubles its water absorption as temperatures climb from 25 to 50 C, and could be useful for passive cooling or water harvesting in warm climates.
Published Chemists propose ultrathin material for doubling solar cell efficiency
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers are studying radical new ways to improve solar power and provide more options for the industry to explore. Chemists are proposing to make solar cells using not silicon, but an abundantly available natural material called molybdenum disulfide. Using a creative combination of photoelectrochemical and spectroscopic techniques, the researchers conducted a series of experiments showing that extremely thin films of molybdenum disulfide display unprecedented charge carrier properties that could someday drastically improve solar technologies.
Published Physicists discover transformable nano-scale electronic devices
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The nano-scale electronic parts in devices like smartphones are solid, static objects that once designed and built cannot transform into anything else. But physicists have reported the discovery of nano-scale devices that can transform into many different shapes and sizes even though they exist in solid states.
Published Team designs four-legged robotic system that can walk a balance beam
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have designed a system that makes an off-the-shelf quadruped robot nimble enough to walk a narrow balance beam -- a feat that is likely the first of its kind.
Published A neuromorphic visual sensor can recognize moving objects and predict their path
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The new smart sensor uses embedded information to detect motion in a single video frame.
Published Researchers successfully establish a strong mechanical bond of immiscible iron and magnesium
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Transport relies heavily on steel. But steel is heavy, and scientists are turning to alternatives to lessen the transportation industry's carbon emissions. Magnesium alloys are one such alternative. But developing bonding technology that bonds magnesium alloys with structural steels has been severely limited because magnesium and iron are immiscible. Now, a research group has established a dealloying bonding technology that obtains a strong mechanical bond between iron and magnesium.
Published Multi-compartment membranes for multicellular robots: Everybody needs some body
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source We typically think of robots as metal objects, filled with motors and circuits. But the field of molecular robotics is starting to change that. Like the formation of complex living organisms, molecular robots derive their form and functionality from assembled molecules stored in a single unit, i.e., a body. Yet manufacturing this body at the microscopic level is an engineering nightmare. Now, a team has created a simple workaround.
Published Processing data at the speed of light
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have developed an extremely small and fast nano-excitonic transistor.
Published Gentle method allows for eco-friendly recycling of solar cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source By using a new method, precious metals can be efficiently recovered from thin-film solar cells. The method is also more environmentally friendly than previous methods of recycling and paves the way for more flexible and highly efficient solar cells.
Published Chemists redesign biological PHAs, 'dream' biodegradable plastics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source They've been called 'dream' plastics: polyhydroxyalkanoates, or PHAs. Already the basis of a fledgling industry, they're a class of polymers naturally created by living microorganisms, or synthetically produced from biorenewable feedstocks. They're biodegradable in the ambient environment, including oceans and soil.
Published Research in Japan shows the way toward tactile and proximity sensing in large soft robots
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source To make human-robot interactions safer and more fruitful, robots should be capable of sensing their environment. In a recent study, researchers developed a novel robotic link with tactile and proximity sensing capabilities. Additionally, they created a simulation and learning framework that can be employed to train the robotic link to sense its environment. Their findings will pave the way to a future where humans and robots can operate harmoniously in close proximity.
Published Luminous molecules
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Twisted molecules play an important role in the development of organic light-emitting diodes. A team of chemists has managed to create these compounds with exactly the three-dimensional structure that they wanted. In so doing, they are smoothing the path for new and better light sources.
Published Your fork could someday be made of sugar, wood powders and degrade on-demand
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Single-use hard plastics are all around us: utensils, party decorations and food containers, to name a few examples. These items pile up in landfills, and many biodegradable versions stick around for months, requiring industrial composting systems to fully degrade. Now, researchers have created a sturdy, lightweight material that disintegrates on-demand -- and they made it from sugar and wood-derived powders.
Published It's all in the wrist: Energy-efficient robot hand learns how not to drop the ball
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have designed a low-cost, energy-efficient robotic hand that can grasp a range of objects -- and not drop them -- using just the movement of its wrist and the feeling in its 'skin'.
Published Pollution monitoring through precise detection of gold nanoparticles in woodlice
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers introduce a novel imaging method to detect gold nanoparticles in woodlice. Their method, known as four-wave mixing microscopy, flashes light that the gold nanoparticles absorb. The light flashes again and the subsequent scattering reveals the nanoparticles' locations. With information about the quantity, location, and impact of gold nanoparticles within the organism, scientists can better understand the potential harm other metals may have on nature.
Published Table tennis brain teaser: Playing against robots makes our brains work harder
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Brain scans taken during table tennis reveal differences in how we respond to human versus machine opponents.
Published Kids judge Alexa smarter than Roomba, but say both deserve kindness
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Most kids know it's wrong to yell or hit someone, but what if that someone is a robot named Alexa? A new study asked kids how smart and sensitive they thought the virtual assistant was compared to a robotic vacuum. Four- to eleven-year-olds rated Alexa as more intelligent than the Roomba but felt neither deserve to be yelled at or otherwise harmed.
Published Scientists use peroxide to peer into metal oxide reactions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers to get a better look at how peroxides on the surface of copper oxide promote the oxidation of hydrogen but inhibit the oxidation of carbon monoxide, allowing them to steer oxidation reactions.
Published Toward tunable molecular switches from organic compounds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Newly synthesized organic molecules can be tuned to emit different colors depending on their molecular structures in crystal form.
Published New atomic-scale understanding of catalysis could unlock massive energy savings
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In an advance they consider a breakthrough in computational chemistry research, chemical engineers have developed a model of how catalytic reactions work at the atomic scale. This understanding could allow engineers and chemists to develop more efficient catalysts and tune industrial processes -- potentially with enormous energy savings, given that 90% of the products we encounter in our lives are produced, at least partially, via catalysis.