Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Hydrogels can play Pong by 'remembering' previous patterns of electrical simulation      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Non-living hydrogels can play the video game Pong and improve their gameplay with more experience, researchers report. The researchers hooked hydrogels up to a virtual game environment and then applied a feedback loop between the hydrogel's paddle -- encoded by the distribution of charged particles within the hydrogel -- and the ball's position -- encoded by electrical stimulation. With practice, the hydrogel's accuracy improved by up to 10%, resulting in longer rallies. The researchers say that this demonstrates the ability of non-living materials to use 'memory' to update their understanding of the environment, though more research is needed before it could be said that hydrogels can 'learn.'

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Computer Science: General Energy: Nuclear Physics: General
Published

Quenching the intense heat of a fusion plasma may require a well-placed liquid metal evaporator      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New fusion simulations of the inside of a tokamak reveal the ideal spot for a 'cave' with flowing liquid lithium is near the bottom by the center stack, as the evaporating metal particles should land in just the right spot to dissipate excess heat from the plasma.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Energy: Nuclear Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Physics: General Physics: Quantum Physics Space: Astrophysics Space: Cosmology Space: General Space: Structures and Features
Published

New heaviest exotic antimatter nucleus      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists studying the tracks of particles streaming from six billion collisions of atomic nuclei at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) -- an 'atom smasher' that recreates the conditions of the early universe -- have discovered a new kind of antimatter nucleus, the heaviest ever detected. Composed of four antimatter particles -- an antiproton, two antineutrons, and one antihyperon -- these exotic antinuclei are known as antihyperhydrogen-4.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General Physics: Optics
Published

New technology uses light to engrave erasable 3D images      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers invented a technique that uses a specialized light projector and a photosensitive chemical additive to imprint two- and three-dimensional images inside any polymer. The light-based engraving remains in the polymer until heat or light are applied, which erases the image and makes it ready to use again. The technology is intended for any situation where having detailed, precise visual data in a compact and easily customizable format could be critical, such as planning surgeries and developing architectural designs.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Energy: Nuclear Energy: Technology Physics: General
Published

World's highest-performance superconducting wire segment      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers report that they have fabricated the world's highest-performing high-temperature superconducting wire segment while making the price-performance metric significantly more favorable.

Energy: Nuclear Physics: General
Published

Researchers dig deeper into stability challenges of nuclear fusion -- with mayonnaise      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers are using mayonnaise to study and address the stability challenges of nuclear fusion by examining the phases of Rayleigh-Taylor instability. Their innovative approach aims to inform the design of more stable fusion capsules, contributing to the global effort to harness clean fusion energy. Their most recent paper explores the critical transitions between elastic and plastic phases in these conditions.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

A tool for visualizing single-cell data      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Modern cutting-edge research generates enormous amounts of data, presenting scientists with the challenge of visualizing and analyzing it. Researchers have developed a tool for visualizing large data sets. The sCIRCLE tool allows users to explore single-cell analysis data in an interactive and user-friendly way.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Computer Science: General Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Energy: Technology Physics: General
Published

AI method radically speeds predictions of materials' thermal properties      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers developed a machine-learning framework that can predict a key property of heat dispersion in materials that is up to 1,000 times faster than other AI methods, and could enable scientists to improve the efficiency of power generation systems and microelectronics.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Nuclear Energy: Technology Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

Fresh light on the path to net zero      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have used magnetic fields to reveal the mystery of how light particles split. Scientists are closer to giving the next generation of solar cells a powerful boost by integrating a process that could make the technology more efficient by breaking particles of light photons into small chunks.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Energy: Nuclear Offbeat: General Physics: General
Published

A new way to make element 116 opens the door to heavier atoms      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have successfully made super-heavy element 116 using a beam of titanium-50. That milestone sets the team up to attempt making the heaviest element yet: 120.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

Virtual reality training for physicians aims to heal disparities in Black maternal health care      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A virtual reality training series being developed for medical students and physicians teaches them about implicit bias in their communications with their patients who are people of color and how that affects race-based health care disparities.

Energy: Nuclear Physics: General
Published

Come closer: Titanium-48's nuclear structure changes when observed at varying distances      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have found that titanium-48 changes from a shell model structure to an alpha-cluster structure depending on the distance from the center of the nucleus. The results upend the conventional understanding of nuclear structure and are expected to provide clues to the Gamow theory on the alpha-decay process that occurs in heavy nuclei, which has not been solved for nearly 100 years.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Energy: Nuclear Physics: General
Published

Quadrupolar nuclei measured by zero-field NMR      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have achieved a breakthrough in zero-field nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, paving the way towards benchmarking quantum chemistry calculations.

Energy: Fossil Fuels Energy: Nuclear Energy: Technology Environmental: General
Published

Pinpointing coal plants to convert to nuclear energy, considering both practicality and community support      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An assessment ranks the feasibility of converting 245 operational coal power plants in the U.S. into advanced nuclear reactors, providing valuable insights for policymakers and utilities to meet decarbonization goals, according to a new study.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Energy: Technology
Published

Key electronic device developed for the massive arrival of 6G networks      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers were involved in the development of a switch, an essential device in telecommunications, capable of operating at very high frequency with lower power consumption than conventional technologies. The technology has applications in the new 6G mass communication systems and is more sustainable in terms of energy consumption than current devices.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Energy: Nuclear Energy: Technology
Published

What was behind the 2021-2022 energy crisis within Europe?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team of researchers had already been working with electricity price data for years before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, exploring statistics and developing forecasting methods. Now they zero in on how prices in different countries relate and how countries were affected by the energy crisis and address the interdependencies of different markets. Their approach combines statistical physics and network science, identifying communities and the fundamental spatiotemporal patterns within the electricity price/time data from all countries. The researchers hope their work will strengthen the European perspective in the political debate about electricity markets and prices, because problems like this are best tackled via international cooperation.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Energy: Nuclear Environmental: General Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

Nuclear spectroscopy breakthrough could rewrite the fundamental constants of nature      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Raising the energy state of an atom's nucleus using a laser, or exciting it, would enable development of the most accurate atomic clocks ever to exist. This has been hard to do because electrons, which surround the nucleus, react easily with light, increasing the amount of light needed to reach the nucleus. By causing the electrons to bond with fluorine in a transparent crystal, UCLA physicists have finally succeeded in exciting the neutrons in a thorium atom's nucleus using a moderate amount of laser light. This accomplishment means that measurements of time, gravity and other fields that are currently performed using atomic electrons can be made with orders of magnitude higher accuracy.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: General Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Engineering: Robotics Research Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

New and improved camera inspired by the human eye      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Computer scientists have invented a camera mechanism that improves how robots see and react to the world around them. Inspired by how the human eye works, their innovative camera system mimics the tiny involuntary movements used by the eye to maintain clear and stable vision over time.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Energy: Technology Engineering: Nanotechnology Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Soft, stretchy electrode simulates touch sensations using electrical signals      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team of researchers has developed a soft, stretchy electronic device capable of simulating the feeling of pressure or vibration when worn on the skin. This device represents a step towards creating haptic technologies that can reproduce a more varied and realistic range of touch sensations for applications such as virtual reality, medical prosthetics and wearable technology.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Mathematics: Modeling Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Prying open the AI black box      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Meet SQUID, a new computational tool. Compared with other genomic AI models, SQUID is more consistent, reduces background noise, and can yield better predictions regarding critical mutations. The new system aims to bring scientists closer to their findings' true medical implications.