ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

Mysterious 'blue blobs' reveal a new kind of star system

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 04:47 PM PDT

Astronomers identify a new class of stellar system. They're not quite galaxies and only exist in isolation.

E-Scooters in Tucson, AZ: Modeling placement, charging, and rebalancing

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 04:47 PM PDT

Are e-scooters just the first sign of a shared-mobility revolution? If they are, then researchers at the University of Arizona intend to make sure that the emerging transportation system has functional models on par with other modes of transportation.

Solving the puzzle of 2D disorder

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 04:47 PM PDT

An interdisciplinary team developed a new method to characterize disorder in 2D materials, which is crucial to understanding and improving their performance.

Experiment results confirm anomaly suggesting new physics possibility

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 12:25 PM PDT

New scientific results confirm an anomaly seen in previous experiments, which may point to an as-yet-unconfirmed new elementary particle, the sterile neutrino, or indicate the need for a new interpretation of an aspect of standard model physics, such as the neutrino cross section, first measured 60 years ago.

Researchers change the game when it comes to activity tracking

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 12:25 PM PDT

The creation of high-resolution extrusion printing -- think 3D printing but with ink that conducts electricity -- has enabled researchers to explore the potential of wearable human motion devices. Wearable technology -- smartwatches, heart monitors, sleep aid devices, even step counters -- have become part of everyday life. And researchers have now created even smaller, lighter and highly-accurate sensors that can be integrated into clothing and equipment.

Soy sauce's salt-enhancing peptides

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 12:24 PM PDT

Soy sauce deepens the flavor of soup stocks, gives stir-fried rice its sweet-salty glaze and makes a plate of dumplings absolutely enjoyable. But what exactly makes this complex, salty, umami sauce so tasty? Now, researchers have discovered the proteins and other compounds that give soy sauce its distinctive flavors and they say that proteins and peptides help make it salty.

Watching the death of a rare giant star

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 11:43 AM PDT

Extreme supergiant stars known as hypergiants are very rare, with only a few known to exist in the Milky Way. By tracing molecular emissions in the outflows around the red hypergiant star VY Canis Majoris, astronomers obtained the first detailed map of the star's envelope, which sheds light on the mechanisms involved in the final stages of extreme supergiant star.

Quantum simulator delivers new insight

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 11:27 AM PDT

A quantum simulator is giving physicists a clear look at spin-charge separation, a bizarre phenomenon in which two parts of indivisible particles called electrons travel at different speeds in extremely cold 1D wires. The research has implications for quantum computing and electronics with atom-scale wires.

Humans responsible for over 90% of world's oil slicks

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 11:27 AM PDT

Scientists mapping oil pollution across the Earth's oceans have found that more than 90% of chronic oil slicks come from human sources, a much higher proportion than previously estimated.

Once seen as fleeting, a new solar tech proves its lasting power

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 11:27 AM PDT

Researchers have developed the first perovskite solar cell with a commercially viable lifetime, marking a major milestone for an emerging class of renewable energy technology. The team projects their device can perform above industry standards for around 30 years, far more than the 20 years used as a threshold for viability for solar cells.

Martian meteorite upsets planet formation theory

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 11:15 AM PDT

A new study of an old meteorite contradicts current thinking about how rocky planets like the Earth and Mars acquire volatile elements such as hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and noble gases as they form.

Diamonds are for quantum sensing

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 09:16 AM PDT

Researchers measured tiny magnetic fields with unprecedented speed. By monitoring spins at nitrogen-vacancy centers along using ultrafast spectroscopy, this work may lead to extremely accurate future quantum computers.

Shedding light on linguistic diversity and its evolution

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 09:16 AM PDT

Scholars have created a new global repository of linguistic data. The project is designed to facilitate new insights into the evolution of words and sounds of the languages spoken across the world today. The Lexibank database contains standardized lexical data for more than 2000 languages. It is the most extensive publicly available collection compiled so far.

Let machines do the work: Automating semiconductor research with machine learning

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 09:16 AM PDT

The development of new thin semiconductor materials requires a quantitative analysis of a large amount of reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) data, which is time consuming and requires expertise. To tackle this issue, scientists identify machine learning techniques that can help automate RHEED data analysis. Their findings could greatly accelerate semiconductor research and pave the way for faster, energy efficient electronic devices.

Research extends the lifetime of molecules in organic flow batteries to practical values

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 09:16 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a new method to dramatically extend the lifetime of organic aqueous flow batteries, improving the commercial viability of a technology that has the potential to safely and inexpensively store energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar.

New solution for stem cell manufacturing

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 07:19 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a unique 3D printed system for harvesting stem cells from bioreactors.

Inadequate charging networks could thwart EV adoption goals

Posted: 15 Jun 2022 07:28 AM PDT

Encouraging the large-scale adoption of EVs is seen by many governments as a key pillar of efforts to build a carbon-neutral economy. But failing to properly plan a resilient network of charging stations could be an Achilles' heel that undermines efforts to encourage car owners to switch to electric vehicles.