ScienceDaily: Matter & Energy News

Drones and artificial intelligence can monitor large colonies of seabirds as well as traditional on-the-ground methods, while reducing costs, labor and the risk of human error, a new study finds. Scientists used an AI deep-learning algorithm to analyze more than 10,000 drone images of mixed colonies of seabirds in the Falkland Islands/Malvinas. The algorithm's automated counts closely matched human counts 90% of the time.

A simple chemical process creates light and highly absorbent aerogels for environmental remediation or as membranes for batteries and other applications.

Last year a physicist proposed an experiment that could conclusively prove whether gravity is a quantum phenomenon. In a new article, he describes how two types of noise could be reduced and suggests that quantum interference could be applied in the production of a sensitive instrument that could detect movements of objects ranging from butterflies to burglars and black holes.

Researchers have developed a novel multi-well, continuous-flow microfluidic device that may help scientists and pharmaceutical companies more effectively study drug compounds and their crystalline shapes and structures, which are key components for drug stability.

Decisions made now will determine whether economies win or lose money as the coal industry changes over the next couple of decades.

The detailed structure of glass has always been a mystery in science. A research team has now discovered that the amorphous and crystalline metallic glass have the same structural building blocks. And it is the connectivity between these blocks that distinguishes the crystalline and amorphous states of the material.

Scientists have compiled the most complete library yet of lanthanide heavy metals and their potential toxicity -- by exposing baker's yeast to lanthanides. Their findings could help researchers uncover hidden pathways between lanthanide metals and disease.

The future quantum computers should be capable of super-fast and reliable computation. Today, this is still a major challenge. Now, computer scientists conduct an early exploration for reliable quantum machine learning.

A new 3D bioprinter developed by nanoengineers operates at record speed -- it can print a 96-well array of living human tissue samples within 30 minutes. The technology could help accelerate high-throughput preclinical drug screening and make it less costly.