ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

Unraveling a perplexing explosive process that occurs throughout the universe

Posted: 20 May 2022 03:12 PM PDT

Novel simulation brings extraordinary fast radio bursts into the laboratory in a way once thought impossible.

Researchers unveil a secret of stronger metals

Posted: 20 May 2022 03:12 PM PDT

Researchers determined exactly what happens as crystal grains in metals form during an extreme deformation process, at the tiniest scales, down to a few nanometers across. The findings could lead to better, more consistent properties in metals, such as hardness and toughness.

Deciphering the biosynthetic gene cluster for potent freshwater toxin

Posted: 20 May 2022 11:47 AM PDT

Scientists discover the enzymes responsible for the production of one of the most toxic and fast-acting neurotoxins associated with freshwater harmful algal blooms in lakes and ponds. The discovery revealed that guanitoxin-producing cyanobacteria are more prevalent than originally known in the United States, opening the possibility for new molecular diagnostic testing to better inform and protect the public from this natural freshwater toxin.

PFAS chemicals do not last forever

Posted: 20 May 2022 11:47 AM PDT

Once dubbed 'forever chemicals,' per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, might be in the market for a new nickname. Adding iodide to a water treatment reactor that uses ultraviolet (UV) light and sulfite destroys up to 90% of carbon-fluorine atoms in PFAS forever chemicals in just a few hours, reports a new study led by environmental engineers. The addition of iodide accelerates the speed of the reaction up to four times, saving energy and chemicals.

Mixing laser- and x-ray-beams

Posted: 20 May 2022 11:46 AM PDT

Unlike fictional laser swords, real laser beams do not interact with each other when they cross -- unless the beams meet within a suitable material allowing for nonlinear light-matter interaction. In such a case, wave mixing can give rise to beams with changed colors and directions.

Neuromorphic memory device simulates neurons and synapses

Posted: 20 May 2022 10:29 AM PDT

Researchers have reported a nano-sized neuromorphic memory device that emulates neurons and synapses simultaneously in a unit cell, another step toward completing the goal of neuromorphic computing designed to rigorously mimic the human brain with semiconductor devices.

Superconductivity and charge density waves caught intertwining at the nanoscale

Posted: 20 May 2022 10:28 AM PDT

Scientists discover superconductivity and charge density waves are intrinsically interconnected at the nanoscopic level, a new understanding that could help lead to the next generation of electronics and computers.

Earth's core: Unexpected flow behavior in liquid metals

Posted: 20 May 2022 07:13 AM PDT

Some metals are in liquid form, the prime example being mercury. But there are also enormous quantities of liquid metal in the Earth's core, where temperatures are so high that part of the iron is molten and undergoes complex flows. A team has now simulated a similar process in the laboratory and made a surprising discovery: Under certain circumstances, the flow of liquid metal is far more turbulent than expected -- and this has a significant impact on heat transport.

Satellites and drones can help save pollinators

Posted: 20 May 2022 04:31 AM PDT

Satellites and drones can provide key information to protect pollinators. A new study examines new ways of using these technologies to track the availability of flowers, and says this could be combined with behavioral studies to see the world through the eyes of insects.

New breathable gas sensors may improve monitoring of health, environment

Posted: 19 May 2022 01:19 PM PDT

Newly developed flexible, porous and highly sensitive nitrogen dioxide sensors that can be applied to skin and clothing have potential applications in health care, environmental health monitoring and military use, according to researchers.

Using everyday WiFi to help robots see and navigate better indoors

Posted: 19 May 2022 12:01 PM PDT

Engineers have developed a low cost, low power technology to help robots accurately map their way indoors, even in poor lighting and without recognizable landmarks or features. The technology uses WiFi signals, instead of light, to help the robot 'see' where it's going.

Scientists devise method to prevent deadly hospital infections without antibiotics

Posted: 19 May 2022 12:01 PM PDT

Some 1.7 million Americans each year acquire hospital infections, resulting in nearly 100,000 deaths from infection-related complications. The biggest culprits: medical devices like catheters, stents and heart valves, whose surfaces often become covered with harmful bacterial films. A novel surface treatment developed by a UCLA-led team of scientists stops microbes from adhering to medical devices. The new findings are published May 19 in the journal Advanced Materials.

Discovery of 'ghost' fossils reveals plankton resilience to past global warming events

Posted: 19 May 2022 11:10 AM PDT

The 'ghost' fossils are imprints of single-celled plankton called coccolithophores and their discovery is changing our understanding of how plankton in the oceans are affected by climate change.

Is it topological? A new materials database has the answer

Posted: 19 May 2022 11:09 AM PDT

A new materials database reveals more than 90,000 known 'topological' materials with persistent electronic properties.

Human behavior is key to building a better long-term COVID forecast

Posted: 19 May 2022 11:09 AM PDT

From extreme weather to another wave of COVID-19, forecasts give decision-makers valuable time to prepare. When it comes to COVID, though, long-term forecasting is a challenge, because it involves human behavior.

Ghostly 'mirror world' might be cause of cosmic controversy

Posted: 19 May 2022 10:27 AM PDT

New research suggests an unseen 'mirror world' of particles that interacts with our world only via gravity that might be the key to solving a major puzzle in cosmology today -- the Hubble constant problem. The Hubble constant is the rate of expansion of the universe today. Predictions for this rate are significantly slower than the rate found by our most precise local measurements. This discrepancy is one that many cosmologists have been trying to solve by changing our current cosmological model.

How a cognitive bias is blocking the rise of electric cars

Posted: 19 May 2022 09:56 AM PDT

What are the barriers to the adoption of electric cars? Although the main financial and technological obstacles have been removed, their market share still needs to increase. In a recent study, a team investigated the cognitive factors that still dissuade many people from switching to electric cars. They found that car owners systematically underestimate the capacity of electric driving ranges to meet their daily needs.

CRISPR-based strategy edits multiple genes and could treat polygenic diseases

Posted: 19 May 2022 08:53 AM PDT

Engineers introduce DAP, a streamlined CRISPR-based technology that can perform many genome edits at once to address polygenic diseases caused by more than one glitch.

New process revolutionizes microfluidic fabrication

Posted: 19 May 2022 08:53 AM PDT

Microfluidic devices use tiny spaces to manipulate very small quantities of liquids and gasses by taking advantage of the properties they exhibit at the microscale. They have demonstrated usefulness in applications from inkjet printing to chemical analysis and have great potential in personal medicine, where they can miniaturize many tests that now require a full lab, lending them the name lab-on-a-chip.

Low-cost battery-like device absorbs CO2 emissions while it charges

Posted: 19 May 2022 08:53 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a low-cost device that can selectively capture carbon dioxide gas while it charges. Then, when it discharges, the CO2 can be released in a controlled way and collected to be reused or disposed of responsibly.

New thermal management technology for electronic devices reduces bulk while improving cooling

Posted: 19 May 2022 08:53 AM PDT

Electronic devices generate heat, and that heat must be dissipated. The high temperatures can compromise device function or even damage the devices and surroundings if it isn't. Now, a team has detailed a new cooling method that offers a host of benefits, not the least of which is space efficiency which offers a substantial increase over conventional approaches in devices' power per unit volume.

Spin keeps electrons in line in iron-based superconductor

Posted: 19 May 2022 08:53 AM PDT

Electronic nematicity, believed to be an important ingredient in high-temperature superconductivity, is primarily spin-driven in the iron-based superconductor FeSe, reveals a new study.

Möbius band constructed solely by carbon atoms

Posted: 19 May 2022 08:53 AM PDT

A team has synthesized a belt-shaped molecular nanocarbon with a twisted Möbius band topology, i.e., a Möbius carbon nanobelt.

Broadening the scope of epoxide ring opening reactions with zirconocene

Posted: 19 May 2022 07:38 AM PDT

Epoxide, a cyclic ether, can be used to obtain important alcohols, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and functional polymers. This transformation is facilitated by the reductive ring opening of epoxide. Traditionally, the reaction has been catalyzed using titanocene. However, in this case, the products are predominantly obtained via more stable radicals. Now, chemists turn the tables and broaden the scope of this reaction using zirconocene as a novel catalyst under visible light irradiation.

Ions and Rydberg-atoms: A bond between David and Goliath

Posted: 19 May 2022 07:38 AM PDT

Researchers have verified a novel binding mechanism forming a molecule between a tiny charged particle and in atomic measures gigantic Rydberg atom. The scientists could observe spatially resolved the molecule with the help of a self-build ion microscope.

Satellite monitoring of biodiversity moves within reach

Posted: 19 May 2022 05:11 AM PDT

Global biodiversity assessments require the collection of data on changes in plant biodiversity on an ongoing basis. Researchers have now shown that plant communities can be reliably monitored using imaging spectroscopy, which in the future will be possible via satellite. This paves the way for near real-time global biodiversity monitoring.

Sparking sustainable new chemical catalysts

Posted: 18 May 2022 01:06 PM PDT

New research could lead to the creation of new, sustainable catalysts based on tungsten oxide and similar compounds. The project used computational simulations to understand how tungsten oxide interacts with hydrogen at the molecular level and the findings were verified through lab experimentation.

Researchers magnify hidden biological structures with MAGNIFIERS

Posted: 18 May 2022 01:06 PM PDT

A research team has combined two emerging imaging technologies to better view a wide range of biomolecules, including proteins, lipids and DNA, at the nanoscale. Their technique brings together expansion microscopy and stimulated Raman scattering microscopy.

Accelerating the pace of machine learning

Posted: 18 May 2022 01:06 PM PDT

Machine learning happens a lot like erosion. Data is hurled at a mathematical model like grains of sand skittering across a rocky landscape. Some of those grains simply sail along with little or no impact. But some of them make their mark: testing, hardening, and ultimately reshaping the landscape according to inherent patterns and fluctuations that emerge over time. Effective? Yes. Efficient? Not so much. Researchers are now seeking to bring efficiency to distributed learning techniques emerging as crucial to modern artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). In essence, the goal is to hurl far fewer grains of data without degrading the overall impact.

Keeping buildings cooler with a wood-based foam

Posted: 18 May 2022 11:07 AM PDT

Summertime is almost here, a time when many people try to beat the heat. But running air conditioners constantly can be expensive and wasteful. Now, researchers have designed a lightweight foam made from wood-based cellulose nanocrystals that reflects sunlight, emits absorbed heat and is thermally insulating. They suggest that the material could reduce buildings' cooling energy needs by more than a third.

Component for brain-inspired computing

Posted: 18 May 2022 10:07 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a new material for an electronic component that can be used in a wider range of applications than its predecessors. Such components will help create electronic circuits that emulate the human brain and that are more efficient at performing machine-learning tasks.

Technique protects privacy when making online recommendations

Posted: 18 May 2022 08:38 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a novel privacy-preserving protocol that could enable an algorithm that provides recommendations to guarantee a user's personal information remains secure while ensuring recommendation results are accurate. Their technique is so efficient it can run on a smartphone over a very slow network.

On the road to cleaner, greener, and faster driving

Posted: 18 May 2022 08:38 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a technique to control a fleet of autonomous vehicles as they approach and pass through a signalized intersection in a way that reduces fuel consumption and greenhouse emissions from idling and stop-and-go traffic, while improving travel speeds.

Teaching physics to AI makes the student a master

Posted: 18 May 2022 08:38 AM PDT

Researchers have demonstrated that incorporating known physics into machine learning algorithms can help the inscrutable black boxes attain new levels of transparency and insight into material properties.

Physicists explain how type of aurora on Mars is formed

Posted: 18 May 2022 08:38 AM PDT

Researchers have learned how a type of aurora on Mars is formed. The physicists report discrete aurora form through the interaction of the solar wind and the crust at Mars' southern hemisphere.

Synthesis of two-dimensional holey graphyne

Posted: 18 May 2022 08:38 AM PDT

A new type of carbon allotrope, holey graphyne, has semiconductor properties and is applicable in various fields such as photoelectronics, sensors, and water purification.

Researchers create photonic materials for powerful, efficient light-based computing

Posted: 18 May 2022 08:38 AM PDT

Researchers are developing new photonic materials that could one day help enable low power, ultra-fast, light-based computing. The unique materials, known as topological insulators, are like wires that have been turned inside out, where the current runs along the outside and the interior is insulated. In their latest work the researchers demonstrated a new approach to create the materials that uses a novel, chained, honeycomb lattice design.

Researchers use galaxy as a 'cosmic telescope' to study heart of the young universe

Posted: 18 May 2022 08:33 AM PDT

A unique new instrument, coupled with a powerful telescope and a little help from nature, has given researchers the ability to peer into galactic nurseries at the heart of the young universe.

At-risk sea life in the Atlantic needs better protection from an increase in shipping

Posted: 18 May 2022 07:18 AM PDT

New research has shown a dramatic increase in shipping in the North East Atlantic.  Scientists now warn that more monitoring in the area is required to help protect sea life on the at-risk register.

Nuclear physics and extreme environments of cosmic explosions

Posted: 18 May 2022 07:18 AM PDT

Researchers have helped peer inside a nova -- a type of astrophysical nuclear explosion -- without leaving Earth. These stellar events help forge the universe's chemical elements, and astronomers have explored their nature with an intense isotope beam and a custom experimental device with record-setting sensitivity.

Key to reducing defects in multimaterials

Posted: 18 May 2022 07:18 AM PDT

Functionally graded materials (FGMs) are high-performance materials with expected applications in aerospace, automobiles, defense, and medicine. These materials are usually employed in conditions of extreme temperature and pressure, therefore making it important for them to be as defect-free as possible. Now, researchers have found a way to minimize defects in FGMs by manipulating the gradient of the elemental composition.

New model could improve matches between students and schools

Posted: 18 May 2022 07:17 AM PDT

Simultaneous and uncoordinated school admissions in situations where students have multiple options can lead to unfilled seats and a lot of stress for families and administrators. To create a fairer, more efficient system, market design researchers created a matchmaking model that draws from game theory, computer science and industrial engineering.

Reliable diagnostics at the tip of your finger

Posted: 18 May 2022 05:06 AM PDT

Biomarkers are components that may be present in biological samples and are related to specific diseases. Therefore, doctors can analyze biological samples from a patient to check their health condition or to monitor the progress of a specific therapy. Typically, these samples need to be purified and diluted before the analysis, and current medical diagnostic techniques rely on healthcare facilities and laboratories for these routine analyses. This is a lengthy process that requires trained personnel and expensive instrumentation to extract, transport, store, process, and analyze the samples in centralized locations. Moreover, during a period of global crisis like the ongoing pandemic, the pressure of thousands of analysis requests can saturate and collapse the healthcare system.

Energy-efficient AI hardware technology via a brain-inspired stashing system?

Posted: 17 May 2022 06:04 PM PDT

Researchers have proposed a novel system inspired by the neuromodulation of the brain, referred to as a 'stashing system,' that requires less energy consumption. Computer scientists have now developed a technology that can efficiently handle mathematical operations for artificial intelligence by imitating the continuous changes in the topology of the neural network according to the situation.

Astronauts may one day drink water from ancient moon volcanoes

Posted: 17 May 2022 06:04 PM PDT

If any humans had been alive 2 to 4 billion years ago, they may have looked up and seen a sliver of frost on the moon's surface. Some of that ice may still be hiding in craters on the lunar surface today.

Magnetic resonance makes the invisible visible

Posted: 17 May 2022 06:48 AM PDT

Researchers have developed an advanced NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) method to monitor fast and complicated biomolecular events such as protein folding.