ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

Exploring the shallow underground world with a burrowing soft robot

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 12:42 PM PDT

We've seen robots take to the air, dive beneath the waves and perform all sorts of maneuvers on land. Now, researchers are exploring a new frontier: the ground beneath our feet. Taking their cues from plants and animals that have evolved to navigate subterranean spaces, they've developed a fast, controllable soft robot that can burrow through sand.

How a supermassive black hole originates

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:32 AM PDT

How do supermassive black holes in the early universe originate? A team led by a theoretical physicist has come up with an explanation: a massive seed black hole that the collapse of a dark matter halo could produce.

Researchers uncover unique properties of a promising new superconductor

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:32 AM PDT

A study led by physics researchers has discovered that a unique superconducting metal is more resilient when used as a very thin layer.

The give and take of mega-flares from stars

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:32 AM PDT

The long relationships between stars and the planets around them - including the Sun and the Earth - may be even more complex than previously thought. This is one conclusion of a new study involving thousands of stars using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory.

Genetically engineered nanoparticle delivers dexamethasone directly to inflamed lungs

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:32 AM PDT

Nanoengineers have developed immune cell-mimicking nanoparticles that target inflammation in the lungs and deliver drugs directly where they're needed. As a proof of concept, the researchers filled the nanoparticles with the drug dexamethasone and administered them to mice with inflamed lung tissue. Inflammation was completely treated in mice given the nanoparticles, at a drug concentration where standard delivery methods did not have any efficacy.

Pioneering chemistry approach could lead to more robust soft electronics

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:32 AM PDT

A new approach to studying conjugated polymers made it possible for researchers to measure the individual molecules' mechanical and kinetic properties during polymerization reaction. The insights gained could lead to more flexible and robust soft electronic materials, such as health monitors and soft robotics.

Computers predict people's tastes in art

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:32 AM PDT

A new study showing that computers can predict what paintings people will like offers insight into how our brains make aesthetic judgments.

Inducing and tuning spin interactions in layered material

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:32 AM PDT

Magnetic-spin interactions that allow spin-manipulation by electrical control allow potential applications in energy-efficient spintronic devices. Researchers now describe the induction of such interactions in a layered material tantalum-sulfide by addition of iron atoms, and tuning by insertion of protons.

Pursuing safer, cheaper pharmaceuticals via electromagnetic control at the atomic level

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:32 AM PDT

Commonplace pharmaceuticals can carry with them an inherent flaw in their atomic structure, which pairs the active, beneficial ingredient with a potentially ineffective -- or even toxic -- counterpart. New research could hold the key to more easily isolating the good while removing the unwanted.

New super-resolution microscopy method approaches the atomic scale

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:32 AM PDT

Scientists have developed a computational technique that greatly increases the resolution of atomic force microscopy, a specialized type of microscope that 'feels' the atoms at a surface. The method reveals atomic-level details on proteins and other biological structures under normal physiological conditions, opening a new window on cell biology, virology and other microscopic processes.

Machine learning can now reduce worry about nanoparticles in food

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:31 AM PDT

While crop yield has achieved a substantial boost from nanotechnology in recent years, the alarms over the health risks posed by nanoparticles within fresh produce and grains have also increased. In particular, nanoparticles entering the soil through irrigation, fertilizers and other sources have raised concerns about whether plants absorb these minute particles enough to cause toxicity.

'Wonder material' can be used to detect COVID-19 quickly, accurately

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:31 AM PDT

Researchers have successfully used graphene -- one of the strongest, thinnest known materials -- to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus in laboratory experiments.

Graphene 'camera' captures real-time electrical activity of beating heart

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:31 AM PDT

Scientists today track electrical signals and voltage changes in neurons and muscle cells by labeling individual cells or probing with electrodes. Scientists have now developed a new type of sensor that employs a sheet of graphene to get a continuous measure of electric field in these tissues. Electric fields change graphene's reflectance. The physicists found a way to amplify and measure the changes caused by action potentials in a beating embryonic chicken heart.

Electrohydraulic arachno-bot a fascinating lightweight

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 09:16 AM PDT

Goodbye, bulky components and connectors: A team of scientists has now found a new way to exploit the principles of spiders' joints to create lightweight robots.

Bruisable artificial skin could help prosthetics, robots sense injuries

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 09:16 AM PDT

When someone bumps their elbow against a wall, they not only feel pain but also might experience bruising. Robots and prosthetic limbs don't have these warning signs, which could lead to further injury. Now, researchers have developed an artificial skin that senses force through ionic signals and also changes color from yellow to a bruise-like purple, providing a visual cue that damage has occurred.

Mystery solved: Dust cloud led to Betelgeuse's 'Great Dimming'

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT

When Betelgeuse, a bright orange star in the constellation of Orion, lost more than two-thirds of its brightness in late 2019 and early 2020, astronomers were puzzled.

When testing Einstein's theory of general relativity, small modeling errors add up fast

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT

Small modeling errors may accumulate faster than previously expected when physicists combine multiple gravitational wave events (such as colliding black holes) to test Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity, suggest researchers.

Correlated errors in quantum computers emphasize need for design changes

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT

Quantum computers could outperform classical computers at many tasks, but only if the errors that are an inevitable part of computational tasks are isolated rather than widespread events. Now, researchers have found evidence that errors are correlated across an entire superconducting quantum computing chip -- highlighting a problem that must be acknowledged and addressed in the quest for fault-tolerant quantum computers.

Particles with 'eyes' allow a closer look at rotational dynamics

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT

An international team has developed spherical colloidal particles for the visualization of rotational dynamics. The two-color fluorescent particles have an off-center core that allows tracking of dense suspensions using microscopy. The researchers observed coupling between the rotation of charged particles, correlation between local crystallinity and rotational diffusivity, and 'slip-stick' friction between particles. The findings will enhance the understanding of biological systems and industrial processes.

Quantum-nonlocality at all speeds

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:37 AM PDT

Researchers report that nonlocality is a universal property of the world, regardless of how and at what speed quantum particles move.

New research finds ways to improve accuracy of Lateral Flow Tests

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:37 AM PDT

Research has provided new understanding of how false-negative results in Lateral Flow Tests occur and provides opportunity for simple improvements to be made.

The electron merry-go-round

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:41 AM PDT

Researchers find new mechanism for classical behavior of many-particle quantum systems.

Infrared imaging by ultrathin nanocrystal layers

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:41 AM PDT

Researchers demonstrate the conversion of infrared images to the visible, using ultrathin and transparent semiconductor nanocrystals.

Investigating carbonate mineral chemical variations to improve oil recovery

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:41 AM PDT

A researcher has firsthand experience with the frustrations of oil production. He spent nine years as a hydraulic fracturing engineer with operating and service companies. A few years ago, he started delving into a recurring recovery problem in carbonate reservoirs: why don't they produce oil as predicted?

Balanced rocks set design ground motion values for New Zealand dam

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:41 AM PDT

Researchers have used precariously-balanced rocks to set the formal design earthquake motions for a major existing engineered structure -- the Clyde Dam, the largest concrete dam in New Zealand.

Inkjet printing show promise as new strategy for making e-textiles, study finds

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:41 AM PDT

Researchers demonstrated they could print layers of electrically conductive ink on polyester fabric to make an e-textile that could be used in the design of future wearable devices.

ALMA discovers earliest gigantic black hole storm

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:40 AM PDT

Astronomers have discovered a titanic galactic wind driven by a supermassive black hole 13.1 billion years ago. This is the earliest-yet-observed example of such a wind to date and is a telltale sign that huge black holes have a profound effect on the growth of galaxies from the very early history of the Universe.

Space scientists solve a decades-long gamma-ray burst puzzle

Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:40 AM PDT

Astrophysicists find the magnetic field in gamma-ray bursts is scrambled after the ejected material crashes into, and shocks, the surrounding medium.

Researchers 3D print rotating microfilter for lab-on-a-chip applications

Posted: 15 Jun 2021 11:56 AM PDT

Researchers have fabricated a magnetically driven rotary microfilter that can be used to filter particles inside a microfluidic device. They made the tiny turning filter by creating a magnetic material that could be used with a very precise 3D printing technique known as two-photon polymerization.

Bending light for safer driving; invisibility cloaks to come?

Posted: 15 Jun 2021 10:22 AM PDT

Optical cloaking allows objects to be hidden in plain sight by guiding light around anything placed inside the cloak. While cloaking has been popularized in fiction, researchers in recent years have started realizing cloaks that shield objects from view by controlling the flow of electromagnetic radiation around them. Researchers examined recent progress of developing invisibility cloaks that function in natural incoherent light and can be realized using standard optical components.

Brain cell membranes' lipids may play big role in Alzheimer's progression

Posted: 15 Jun 2021 10:22 AM PDT

Links between lipid imbalance and disease have been established, in which lipid changes increase the formation of amyloid plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. This imbalance inspired researchers to explore the role of lipids comprising the cellular membranes of brain cells. In Biointerphases, the researchers report on the significant role lipids may play in regulating C99, a protein within the amyloid pathway, and disease progression.

Let there be light! New tech to revolutionize night vision

Posted: 15 Jun 2021 10:21 AM PDT

Researchers have developed new technology that allows people to see clearly in the dark, revolutionizing night-vision.

New discovery of a rare superconductor may be vital for the future of quantum computing

Posted: 15 Jun 2021 10:21 AM PDT

Research has resulted in the discovery of a new rare topological superconductor, LaPt3P. This discovery may be of huge importance to the future operations of quantum computers.