ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

Extending LIGO's reach into the cosmos

Posted: 29 Sep 2021 12:57 PM PDT

New mirror coatings will increase the volume of space LIGO can probe in its next run.

Correlated electrons ‘tango’ in a perovskite oxide at the extreme quantum limit

Posted: 29 Sep 2021 12:41 PM PDT

Scientists have found a rare quantum material in which electrons move in coordinated ways, essentially 'dancing.' Straining the material creates an electronic band structure that sets the stage for exotic, more tightly correlated behavior -- akin to tangoing -- among Dirac electrons, which are especially mobile electric charge carriers that may someday enable faster transistors.

Clover growth in Mars-like soils boosted by bacterial symbiosis

Posted: 29 Sep 2021 11:28 AM PDT

Clover plants grown in Mars-like soils experience significantly more growth when inoculated with symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria than when left uninoculated, researchers report.

Exoskeleton research demonstrates the importance of training

Posted: 29 Sep 2021 11:27 AM PDT

New research shows that the benefits people could reap from exoskeletons rely heavily on having time to train with the device.

How mercury gets into the sea

Posted: 29 Sep 2021 09:43 AM PDT

Mercury released into the atmosphere by industry enters the sea and from there makes its way into the food chain. Now, an analysis by the University of Basel has revealed how the harmful substance enters seawater in the first place. This is not primarily via rainfall, as previously assumed, but rather also involves gas exchange. Measures to reduce mercury emissions could therefore take effect faster than previously thought.

Mars’ surface shaped by fast and furious floods from overflowing craters

Posted: 29 Sep 2021 08:28 AM PDT

On Earth, river erosion is usually a slow-going process. But on Mars, massive floods from overflowing crater lakes had an outsized role in shaping the Martian surface, carving deep chasms and moving vast amounts of sediment, according to a new study.

Human behavior sabotages CO2-reducing strategies

Posted: 29 Sep 2021 08:28 AM PDT

To slow down climate change, societies tend to focus on two solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions: improving energy efficiency and developing and using renewable energy sources. A new study compared every U.S. state's CO2 emissions with their investment in the two solutions from 2009 to 2016. The authors found no statistically significant difference between energy efficiency improvement and renewable energy development -- both resulted in some reductions in CO2 emissions when considering all societal sectors, although renewable energy investment was slightly more impactful.

Quantum dots enable infrared lasing at room temperature in silicon photonics

Posted: 29 Sep 2021 08:28 AM PDT

Researchers report on having achieved a solution-processed infrared laser at room temperature compatible with CMOS technology and tunable to emit in the telecommunications window.

Researchers identify and clear efficiency hurdle for organic solar cells

Posted: 29 Sep 2021 08:28 AM PDT

Researchers have identified a key mechanism responsible for the lower efficiencies of organic solar cells and shown a way that this hurdle might be overcome.

Photonic chip is key to 'nurturing' quantum computers

Posted: 29 Sep 2021 07:18 AM PDT

Quantum computers are gaining pace. They promise to provide exponentially more computing power for certain very tricky problems. They do this by exploiting the peculiar behaviour of quantum particles, such as photons of light. A team has now shown how to protect qubits from errors using photons in a silicon chip.

From recycling to upcycling: A smarter way of dealing with plastic

Posted: 29 Sep 2021 06:42 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a clean and cost-effective way to upcycle used plastic, transforming it into valuable nanomaterials and high-quality fuel.

An algorithm to predict psychotic illnesses

Posted: 29 Sep 2021 06:26 AM PDT

Researchers have used the method of longitudinal network analysis applied to children, in order to detect the symptoms that herald the development of psychotic illness in the future.

Investigating the potential for life around the galaxy’s smallest stars

Posted: 29 Sep 2021 06:26 AM PDT

When the world's most powerful telescope launches into space this year, scientists will learn whether Earth-sized planets in our 'solar neighborhood' have a key prerequisite for life -- an atmosphere.

AI-driven dynamic face mask adapts to exercise, pollution levels

Posted: 29 Sep 2021 05:02 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a dynamic respirator that modulates its pore size in response to changing conditions, such as exercise or air pollution levels, allowing the wearer to breathe easier when the highest levels of filtration are not required.

Great apes' consonant and vowel-like sounds travel over distance without losing meaning

Posted: 28 Sep 2021 04:38 PM PDT

Scientists have shown that orangutan call signals believed to be closest to the precursors to human language, travel through forest over long distances without losing their meaning. This throws into question the accepted mathematical model on the evolution of human speech.

Soft pressure sensor breakthrough solves field's most challenging bottleneck

Posted: 28 Sep 2021 02:19 PM PDT

Researchers solved one of the biggest problems with existing wearable pressure sensors: even the slightest amount of pressure, something as light as a tight long sleeve shirt over a sensor, can throw them off track -- and they did it by innovating a first-ever hybrid sensing approach that allows the device to possess properties of the two predominant types of sensors in use today.

Tracking muscle activity with clothes on your back

Posted: 28 Sep 2021 08:02 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a bioelectrical sensor that is convenient and low-cost. The sensor measures electromyography signals that are generated in muscles when they contract and are useful for studying muscle fatigue and recovery, and they have the potential to inform diagnosis and treatment of neuromuscular diseases. The biosensor, made of silver paste with a layer of gold nanoparticles on top, is directly integrated onto a piece of clothing. The result was a detector that was both conductive and nonirritating to the skin.

Whole-heart computational modeling provides insights for individualized treatment

Posted: 28 Sep 2021 08:02 AM PDT

To pursue a better mechanistic understanding of ventricular arrhythmias, researchers are turning to whole-heart computational models, which are currently witnessing an evolution of a variety of computational approaches, especially within the realm of personalized technologies. They describe the progress using various computational approaches to address the mechanisms of cardiac dysfunction and issues related to the clinical application of computation-driven diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for cardiac disease and arrhythmias.

Scientists demonstrated high-performance photodetectors (PDs) grown on SOI for silicon photonics

Posted: 27 Sep 2021 10:20 AM PDT

A research team has recently developed a novel semiconductor deposition scheme and demonstrated high-performance photodetectors (PDs) grown on silicon-on-insulators (SOI) for silicon photonics. These III-V photodetectors are qualified candidates for high-speed data communications in silicon photonics. These results point to a practical solution for the monolithic integration of III-V active devices and Si-based passive devices on the SOI platform in the future.