ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

Using nanodiamonds as sensors just got easier

Posted: 26 Jan 2022 11:42 AM PST

Researchers adapt excited state lifetime thermometry to extract temperatures of nanoscale materials from light emitted by nitrogen vacancy centers in individual nanodiamonds. The approach is less complicated, more accurate and safer for sensitive materials or biological tissues than OMDR.

Ancient ice reveals mysterious solar storm

Posted: 26 Jan 2022 11:42 AM PST

Through analysis of ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica, a research team has found evidence of an extreme solar storm that occurred about 9,200 years ago. What puzzles the researchers is that the storm took place during one of the sun's more quiet phases -- during which it is generally believed our planet is less exposed to such events.

Bristol team chase down advantage in quantum race

Posted: 26 Jan 2022 11:39 AM PST

Quantum researchers have dramatically reduced the time to simulate an optical quantum computer, with a speedup of around one billion over previous approaches.

Robot performs first laparoscopic surgery without human help

Posted: 26 Jan 2022 11:39 AM PST

A robot has performed laparoscopic surgery on the soft tissue of a pig without the guiding hand of a human -- a significant step in robotics toward fully automated surgery on humans.

Screening study IDs inhibitor of key COVID virus enzyme

Posted: 26 Jan 2022 10:31 AM PST

A study reports the discovery of a molecule with significant potential to disable the COVID-19 virus. The molecule was identified using high-throughput virtual screening -- a search through a library of 6.5 million in-stock compounds that could quickly be scaled up for drug production using some of the nation's most powerful supercomputers and other research tools.

Illuminating a biological light switch

Posted: 26 Jan 2022 09:25 AM PST

Using an innovative new imaging technique, researchers have revealed the inner workings of a family of light-sensing molecules in unprecedented detail and speed. The work could inform new strategies in the burgeoning field of optogenetics, which uses light pulses to alter the activity of individual neurons and other cells.

Technique improves AI ability to understand 3D space using 2D images

Posted: 26 Jan 2022 09:25 AM PST

Researchers have developed a new technique, called MonoCon, that improves the ability of artificial intelligence (AI) programs to identify three-dimensional (3D) objects, and how those objects relate to each other in space, using two-dimensional (2D) images. For example, the work would help the AI used in autonomous vehicles navigate in relation to other vehicles using the 2D images it receives from an onboard camera.

A leap forward for terahertz lasers

Posted: 26 Jan 2022 09:24 AM PST

Researchers have taken a major step towards bringing terahertz frequencies out of their hard-to-reach region of the electromagnetic spectrum and into everyday applications. Researchers demonstrate a first-of-its-kind terahertz laser that is compact, operates at room temperature and can produce 120 individual frequencies spanning the 0.25 - 1.3 THz, far more range than previous terahertz sources.

Mysterious object unlike anything astronomers have seen before

Posted: 26 Jan 2022 09:24 AM PST

A team mapping radio waves in the Universe has discovered something unusual that releases a giant burst of energy three times an hour, and it's unlike anything astronomers have seen before. Spinning around in space, the strange object sends out a beam of radiation that crosses our line of sight, and for a minute in every twenty, is one of the brightest radio sources in the sky.

Fourth signature of the superconducting transition in cuprates

Posted: 26 Jan 2022 09:24 AM PST

Superconductors have four classic traits, including conducting electric current without loss and levitating magnets. Now the discovery of the fourth and final trait caps 15 years of detective work.

Quantum computing: Vibrating atoms make robust qubits, physicists find

Posted: 26 Jan 2022 09:24 AM PST

Physicists have discovered a new quantum bit, or 'qubit,' in the form of vibrating pairs of atoms known as fermions. The new qubit appears to be extremely robust, able to maintain superposition between two vibrational states, even in the midst of environmental noise, for up to 10 seconds, offering a possible foundation for future quantum computers.

'Smart saddle' could help equestrians hit their stride

Posted: 26 Jan 2022 06:05 AM PST

Researchers have developed a prototype 'smart saddle' that could help equestrians improve their biomechanics. Moreover, the self-powered saddle can alert others when a rider takes a fall.

A bioelectronic tongue 'tastes' sweetness

Posted: 26 Jan 2022 06:05 AM PST

Researchers have developed an ultrasensitive bioelectronic tongue that measures sweetness by mimicking human taste buds.

Kirigami robotic grippers are delicate enough to lift egg yolks

Posted: 26 Jan 2022 06:05 AM PST

Engineering researchers have demonstrated a new type of flexible, robotic grippers that are able to lift delicate egg yolks without breaking them, and that are precise enough to lift a human hair. The work has applications for both soft robotics and biomedical technologies.

Cleaning your car may not protect you from this carcinogen, study finds

Posted: 26 Jan 2022 06:05 AM PST

It is unlikely that a cancer-causing chemical inside your car, TDCIPP, can be dusted or wiped way, according to new research.

A virtual reality 'Shopping Task' could help test for cognitive decline in adults

Posted: 26 Jan 2022 06:05 AM PST

New research suggests that a virtual reality test in which participants 'go to the shops' could offer a potentially promising way of effectively assessing functional cognition, the thinking and processing skills needed to accomplish complex everyday activities.

New hair dyes avoid allergic reactions

Posted: 26 Jan 2022 06:04 AM PST

Researchers have developed a range of permanent hair dyes that avoid the allergenic properties of traditional formulations.

How a smart electric grid will power our future

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 12:10 PM PST

A novel plan that offers partnership in keeping the United States electric grid stable and reliable could be a win-win for consumers and utility operators.

Silicon fluorescence shines through microcracks in cement, revealing early signs of damage

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 12:10 PM PST

Scientists and engineers discover fluorescence from silicon nanoparticles in cement and show how it can be used to reveal early signs of damage in concrete structures.

Atomic Armor for accelerators enables discoveries

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 12:10 PM PST

Protective coatings are common for many things in daily life that see a lot of use: we coat wood floors with finish; apply Teflon to the paint on cars; even use diamond coatings on medical devices. Protective coatings are also essential in many demanding research and industrial applications.

Liquid water beneath Martian south polar cap?

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 09:40 AM PST

Scientists measured the properties of ice-brine mixtures as cold as -145 degrees Fahrenheit to help confirm that salty water likely exists between grains of ice or sediment under the ice cap at Mars' south pole. Laboratory measurements support oddly bright reflections detected by the MARSIS subsurface sounding radar aboard ESA's Mars Express orbiter.

Asymmetry is key to creating more stable blue perovskite LEDs

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 09:40 AM PST

For the first time, researchers have created blue LEDs using layers of metal halide perovskite linked with asymmetrical bridges, solving a critical instability problem.

Physicist solves century old problem of radiation reaction

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 09:40 AM PST

A physicist has proposed a radical solution to the question of how a charged particle, such as an electron, responded to its own electromagnetic field. This question has challenged physicists for over 100 years but a mathematical physicist has suggested an alternative approach, with controversial implications.

Engineers build a molecular framework to bridge experimental and computer sciences for peptide-based materials engineering

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:26 AM PST

Researchers have developed a framework that solves the challenge of bridging experimental and computer sciences to better predict peptide structures.

Simulations shed significant light on janus particles

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:25 AM PST

Researchers use dissipative particle dynamics simulations to examine the translational diffusion of Janus nanoparticles at the interface between two immiscible fluids. The simulations shed light on the dynamic behavior of the nanoparticles at a water-oil interface, and the work reveals a strong influence of their shape on their orientation at the interface as well as on their mobility. In theory, these findings imply the geometrical characteristics of Janus particles can be modified without their surface chemistries becoming altered to produce either stable or unstable emulsions.

How big does your quantum computer need to be?

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:25 AM PST

Researchers decided to explore two very different quantum problems: breaking the encryption of Bitcoin and simulating the molecule responsible for biological nitrogen fixation. They describe a tool they created to determine how big a quantum computer needs to be to solve problems like these and how long it will take.

Using the eye as a window into heart disease

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:25 AM PST

Scientists have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system that can analyze eye scans taken during a routine visit to an optician or eye clinic and identify patients at a high risk of a heart attack. Doctors have recognized that changes to the tiny blood vessels in the retina are indicators of broader vascular disease, including problems with the heart. In the research, deep learning techniques were used to train an AI system to automatically read retinal scans and identify those people who, over the following year, were likely to have a heart attack.

Sediments a likely culprit in spread of deadly disease on Florida coral reefs, study finds

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:25 AM PST

A new study found that seafloor sediments have the potential to transmit a deadly pathogen to local corals and hypothesizes that sediments have played a role in the persistence of a devastating coral disease outbreak throughout Florida and the Caribbean.

Southern Ocean storms cause outgassing of carbon dioxide

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:25 AM PST

Storms over the waters around Antarctica drive an outgassing of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, according to a new international study. The research group used advanced ocean robots for the study, which provides a better understanding of climate change and can lead to better global climate models.

Ultrasound technique predicts hip dysplasia in infants

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:25 AM PST

A technique that uses ultrasound images to determine the depth and shape of the hip socket can accurately predict which infants with hip dysplasia will develop normal hip structure and which remain dysplastic, according to a new study. Researchers said statistical shape modeling improves on existing techniques and could spare many infants from unnecessary treatment.

Scientists observe record high hydride ion conductivity using modified lanthanum trihydride

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:25 AM PST

Lanthanum trihydride, a compound of lanthanum and hydrogen, when lightly doped with oxygen shows potential as an efficient hydrogen carrier, according to a new study. Hydride ion (H--) conductors are expected to be used in chemical reactors and energy storage systems. However, the low H-- conductivity at room temperature introduces certain technical limitations. These limitations may now be overcome with this latest innovation by the researchers.

Can reactor fuel debris be safely removed from Fukushima Daiichi?

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 06:30 AM PST

Decommissioning and clean-up are ongoing at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP); however, many difficult problems remain unaddressed. Chief amongst these problems is the retrieval and management of fuel debris.

Getting hydrogen out of banana peels

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 06:30 AM PST

Scientists have developed a way to maximize hydrogen yields from biowaste, within few milliseconds. The method uses rapid photo-pyrolysis to produce hydrogen gas and solid conductive carbon from banana peels.

Novel research identifies fresh 'mixers' in river pollution 'cocktail'

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 06:29 AM PST

Water quality in rivers is affected by underpinning 'natural' hydrogeological and biogeochemical processes, as well as interactions between people and their environment that are accelerating stress on water resources at unprecedented rates. Pollutants can move at different speeds and accumulate in varying quantities along rivers where the mix of the complex 'cocktail' of chemicals that is making its way towards the ocean is constantly changing, a new study reveals.