Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Physics: Optics
Published

Chromium replaces rare and expensive noble metals      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Expensive noble metals often play a vital role in illuminating screens or converting solar energy into fuels. Now, chemists have succeeded in replacing these rare elements with a significantly cheaper metal. In terms of their properties, the new materials are very similar to those used in the past.

Computer Science: General Mathematics: Statistics
Published

AI transformation of medicine: Why doctors are not prepared      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The success of artificial intelligence technologies depends largely on how physicians interpret and act upon a tool's risk predictions -- and that requires a unique set of skills that many are currently lacking, according to a new perspective article.

Mathematics: Modeling Mathematics: Statistics
Published

How good is that AI-penned radiology report?      (via sciencedaily.com) 

New study identifies concerning gaps between how human radiologists score the accuracy of AI-generated radiology reports and how automated systems score them. Researchers designed two novel scoring systems that outperform current automated systems that evaluate the accuracy of AI narrative reports. Reliable scoring systems that accurately gauge the performance of AI models are critical for ensuring that AI continues to improve and that clinicians can trust them.

Computer Science: General Mathematics: Statistics
Published

Breakthrough in Monte Carlo computer simulations      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have developed a highly efficient method to investigate systems with long-range interactions that were previously puzzling to experts. These systems can be gases or even solid materials such as magnets whose atoms interact not only with their neighbors but also far beyond.

Mathematics: Statistics
Published

Efficient discovery of improved energy materials by a new AI-guided workflow      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists have recently proposed a workflow that can dramatically accelerate the search for novel materials with improved properties. They demonstrated the power of the approach by identifying more than 50 strongly thermally insulating materials. These can help alleviate the ongoing energy crisis, by allowing for more efficient thermoelectric elements, i.e., devices able to convert otherwise wasted heat into useful electrical voltage.

Mathematics: Statistics Offbeat: Computers and Math
Published

Participating in genetic studies is in your genes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Why do some people take part in genetic studies while others do not? The answer may lie within our genetic makeup. According to a groundbreaking study, people who participate in genetic studies are genetically more likely to do so, leaving detectable 'footprints' in genetics data. This breakthrough equips researchers with the ability to identify and address participation bias, a significant challenge in genetic research.

Mathematics: General Mathematics: Statistics Offbeat: Computers and Math
Published

Number cruncher calculates whether whales are acting weirdly      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

We humans can be a scary acquaintance for whales in the wild. This includes marine biologists tagging them with measuring devices to understand them better. These experiences can make whales behave erratically for a while. Such behaviour can affect research quality and highlights an animal ethics dilemma. Now, researchers have figured out how to solve the problems with math.

Geoscience: Earthquakes Geoscience: Landslides Mathematics: Statistics
Published

Geologists are using artificial intelligence to predict landslides      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Many factors influence where a landslide will occur, including the shape of the terrain, its slope and drainage areas, the material properties of soil and bedrock, and environmental conditions like climate, rainfall, hydrology and ground motion resulting from earthquakes. Geologists have developed a new technique that uses artificial intelligence to better predict where and why landslides may occur could bolster efforts to protect lives and property in some of the world's most disaster-prone areas. The new method improves the accuracy and interpretability of AI-based machine-learning techniques, requires far less computing power and is more broadly applicable than traditional predictive models.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Energy: Technology Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Physics: General
Published

Don't wait, desalinate: A new approach to water purification      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A water purification system separates out salt and other unnecessary particles with an electrified version of dialysis. Successfully applied to wastewater with planned expansion into rivers and seas, the method saves money and saps 90% less energy than its counterparts.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Space: Astrophysics Space: Exploration Space: General Space: Structures and Features
Published

First detection of crucial carbon molecule      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists detect a new carbon compound in space for the first time. Known as methyl cation (pronounced cat-eye-on) (CH3+), the molecule is important because it aids the formation of more complex carbon-based molecules. Methyl cation was detected in a young star system, with a protoplanetary disk, known as d203-506, which is located about 1,350 light-years away in the Orion Nebula.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Energy: Batteries Energy: Technology
Published

Towards efficient lithium--air batteries with solution plasma-based synthesis of perovskite hydroxide catalysts      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

CoSn(OH)6 (CSO) is an effective oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst, necessary for developing next-generation lithium -- air batteries. However, current methods of synthesizing CSO are complicated and slow. Recently, an international research team synthesized CSO in a single step within 20 minutes using solution plasma to generate CSO nanocrystals with excellent OER catalytic properties. Their findings could boost the manufacturing of high energy density batteries.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry
Published

Surprise! Weaker bonds can make polymers stronger      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Chemists discovered a new way to make polymers stronger: introduce a few weaker bonds into the material. Working with polyacrylate elastomers, they could increase the materials' resistance to tearing up to tenfold by using a weaker type of crosslinker to join some of the polymer building blocks.

Computer Science: General Mathematics: Modeling Mathematics: Statistics
Published

Generative AI models are encoding biases and negative stereotypes in their users      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

In the space of a few months generative AI models, such as ChatGPT, Google's Bard and Midjourney, have been adopted by more and more people in a variety of professional and personal ways. But growing research is underlining that they are encoding biases and negative stereotypes in their users, as well as mass generating and spreading seemingly accurate but nonsensical information. Worryingly, marginalized groups are disproportionately affected by the fabrication of this nonsensical information.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Robotics Research Offbeat: General
Published

Stronger tape engineered through the art of cutting      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

What if you could make adhesives both strong and easily removable? This seemingly paradoxical combination of properties could dramatically change applications in robotic grasping, wearables for health monitoring, and manufacturing for assembly and recycling. A team has adapted kirigami, the ancient Japanese art of cutting paper, into a method for increasing the adhesive bond of ordinary tape by 60 times. Developing such adhesives may not by that far off through the latest research conducted by the team of Michael Bartlett, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech, and published in Nature Materials on June 22.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry
Published

Making the most of minuscule metal mandalas      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

To unveil the previously elusive behavior and stability of complex metal compounds found in aqueous solutions called 'POMs', researchers have created a speciation atlas. This achievement has the potential to drive new discoveries and advancements in fields like catalysis, medicine, and beyond.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Physicists discover a new switch for superconductivity      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A study sheds surprising light on how certain superconductors undergo a 'nematic transition' -- unlocking new, superconducting behavior. The results could help identify unconventional superconducting materials.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Engineers 'strike gold' with innovation that recovers heavy metals from biosolids      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Engineers have developed a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to remove heavy metals, including copper and zinc, from biosolids. The team's work advances other methods for heavy-metal removal by recycling the acidic liquid waste that is produced during the recovery phase, instead of throwing it away.

Mathematics: Modeling Mathematics: Statistics
Published

Bridging traditional economics and econophysics      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

How do asset markets work? Which stocks behave similarly? Economists, physicists, and mathematicians work intensively to draw a picture but need to learn what is happening outside their discipline. A new paper now builds a bridge.

Biology: Cell Biology Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Fossil Fuels Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Clean, sustainable fuels made 'from thin air' and plastic waste      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have demonstrated how carbon dioxide can be captured from industrial processes -- or even directly from the air -- and transformed into clean, sustainable fuels using just the energy from the Sun.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Energy: Technology Offbeat: General
Published

Engineers develop a soft, printable, metal-free electrode      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Engineers developed a metal-free, Jelly-like material that is as soft and tough as biological tissue and can conduct electricity similarly to conventional metals. The new material, which is a type of high-performance conducting polymer hydrogel, may one day replace metals in the electrodes of medical devices.