ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

Candy-like models used to make STEM accessible to visually impaired students

Posted: 28 May 2021 02:17 PM PDT

A breakthrough study aims to make science more accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired through small, candy-like models.

New tool activates deep brain neurons by combining ultrasound, genetics

Posted: 28 May 2021 12:05 PM PDT

A team has developed a new brain stimulation technique using focused ultrasound that is able to turn specific types of neurons in the brain on and off and precisely control motor activity without surgical device implantation.

Exoskeleton-assisted walking may improve bowel function in people with spinal cord injury

Posted: 28 May 2021 11:48 AM PDT

A team of researchers has shown that physical intervention plans that included exoskeleton-assisted walking helped people with spinal cord injury evacuate more efficiently and improved the consistency of their stool.

New CRISPR tools help contain mosquito disease transmission

Posted: 28 May 2021 11:48 AM PDT

Scientists have developed a genetics toolkit that helps pave the way to a gene drive designed to stop Culex mosquitoes from spreading disease. Much less studied than other genera, Culex mosquitoes spread devastating afflictions stemming from West Nile virus, Japanese encephalitis virus and the pathogen causing avian malaria.

Exoskeleton therapy improves mobility, cognition and brain connectivity in people with MS

Posted: 28 May 2021 10:34 AM PDT

A team of multiple sclerosis (MS) experts led a pilot randomized controlled trial of robotic-exoskeleton assisted exercise rehabilitation (REAER) effects on mobility, cognition, and brain connectivity in people with substantial MS-related disability. Their results showed that REAER is likely an effective intervention, and is a promising therapy for improving the lives of those with MS.

Natural gas pipeline density higher overall in more vulnerable US counties

Posted: 28 May 2021 08:41 AM PDT

An analysis found counties with more socially vulnerable populations had a higher density of natural gas pipelines overall.

Scientists develop transparent electrode that boosts solar cell efficiency

Posted: 28 May 2021 08:41 AM PDT

Developing new ultrathin metal electrodes has allowed researchers to create semitransparent perovskite solar cells that are highly efficient and can be coupled with traditional silicon cells to greatly boost the performance of both devices, said an international team of scientists. The research represents a step toward developing completely transparent solar cells.

A helping hand for working robots

Posted: 28 May 2021 08:40 AM PDT

Researchers have developed and tested a new type of human-like mechanical hand that combines the benefits of existing robot hands while eliminating their weaknesses.

Electrons waiting for their turn: New model explains 3D quantum material

Posted: 28 May 2021 08:40 AM PDT

Scientists have developed a new understanding of how electrons behave in strong magnetic fields. Their results explain measurements of electric currents in three-dimensional materials that signal a quantum Hall effect - a phenomenon thus far only associated with two-dimensional metals.

Detecting skin disorders based on tissue stiffness with a soft sensing device

Posted: 28 May 2021 08:40 AM PDT

A research team has designed a simple electromechanical device that can be used for deep tissue pathology diagnosis, such as psoriasis, in an automated and non-invasive fashion. The findings will lay a foundation for future applications in the clinical evaluation of skin cancers and other dermatology diseases.

When to release free and paid apps for maximal revenue

Posted: 28 May 2021 05:53 AM PDT

App developers can improve the profitability of free apps by strategically deploying or eliminating their paid version counterparts over an app's lifetime.

Helping doctors manage COVID-19

Posted: 28 May 2021 05:53 AM PDT

New artificial intelligence (AI) technology is capable of assessing the severity of COVID-19 cases with a promising degree of accuracy, researchers report.

Next-gen electric vehicle batteries: These are the questions we still need to answer

Posted: 28 May 2021 05:53 AM PDT

The next generation of electric vehicle batteries, with greater range and improved safety, could be emerging in the form of lithium metal, solid-state technology.

Mass gatherings during Malaysian election directly and indirectly boosted COVID-19 spread, study suggests

Posted: 27 May 2021 11:53 AM PDT

New estimates suggest that mass gatherings during an election in the Malaysian state of Sabah directly caused 70 percent of COVID-19 cases detected in Sabah after the election, and indirectly caused 64.4 percent of cases elsewhere in Malaysia.

Scientists overhear two atoms chatting

Posted: 27 May 2021 11:52 AM PDT

How materials behave depends on the interactions between countless atoms. You could see this as a giant group chat in which atoms are continuously exchanging quantum information. Researchers have now been able to intercept a chat between two atoms.

Quark-gluon plasma flows like water

Posted: 27 May 2021 08:24 AM PDT

What does quark-gluon plasma -- the hot soup of elementary particles formed a few microseconds after the Big Bang -- have in common with tap water? Scientists say it's the way it flows.

Ultrafast, on-chip PCR could speed diagnosis during current and future pandemics

Posted: 26 May 2021 10:21 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a plasmofluidic chip that can perform PCR in only about 8 minutes, which could speed diagnosis during current and future pandemics.

Hacking and loss of driving skills are major consumer concerns for self-driving cars

Posted: 26 May 2021 06:30 AM PDT

A new study has revealed the three primary risks and benefits perceived by consumers towards autonomous vehicles (self-driving cars).