Science
The latest in science news, from the depths of space to the quantum realm.
Fastest-ever logic gates could make computers a million times faster
May 11, 2022
Researchers have now developed the fastest logic gates ever created, by zapping graphene and gold with laser pulses. The new logic gates are a million times faster than those in existing computers, demonstrating the viability of “lightwave electronics.”
Energy
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Quantum well solar cell clocks world record efficiency of almost 40%
May 19, 2022Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have broken the world record for solar cell efficiency. Reaching almost 40 percent, the new device boasts the highest efficiency recorded for any type of solar cell in real-world conditions. -
Bizarre night-time solar cell generates power in a backwards process
May 18, 2022In a world first, a team at the University of New South Wales has demonstrated measurable power generation from "the inverse of a conventional solar cell." It could eventually produce around one tenth as much power as a solar panel – but at night. -
Algae energy harvester powers electronics for a year on its own
May 12, 2022As the number of electronic devices grows, we have to get creative with our energy sources. Cambridge researchers have now demonstrated how an algae energy harvester can use sunlight to power a microprocessor for over a year without any intervention.
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Medical
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Existing drug aids stroke recovery by rewiring undamaged neurons
May 23, 2022Most treatments for strokes aim to help reduce or repair damage to affected neurons. But a new study in mice has shown that a drug already in use could help stroke patients regain motor function by getting undamaged neurons to pick up the slack. -
Promising peptide slows the spread and growth of melanoma in mice
May 23, 2022Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer thanks to its ability to rapidly spread to other organs. Brazilian researchers have now developed a peptide that seems to slow the growth and spread of melanoma, improving the survival rates of test mice. -
Pre-made stem cells may be pulled off the shelf to treat aggressive cancer
May 19, 2022Scientists adapting stem cell therapies for difficult-to-treat tumors have developed a highly efficient off-the-shelf approach that showed "profound efficacy" in mouse models of aggressive brain cancer, laying the groundwork for clinical trials.
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Space
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Boeing's Starliner successfully docks with the ISS
May 21, 2022Boeing is back in the business of human spaceflight after its uncrewed CST-100 Starliner passenger spacecraft successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) at 8:28 pm EDT, fulfilling the key objective of Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2). -
Voyager 1 puzzles NASA engineers with false telemetry data
May 20, 2022The 45-year-old Voyager 1 deep space probe is showing its age as NASA engineers try to determine why it is sending back invalid telemetry data from its attitude control system as it hurtles through interstellar space, never to return. -
Hubble's "magnum opus": most precise measurement of universe's expansion
May 20, 2022NASA has released a huge new report that astronomers are calling Hubble’s magnum opus. Analyzing 30 years of data from the famous space telescope, the new study makes the most precise measurement yet of how fast the universe is expanding.
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Materials
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Diamond mirror withstands lasers powerful enough to burn through steel
May 23, 2022A team of Harvard engineers working to advance laser technology have turned to one of the strongest known materials in diamonds, which they've used to form a new mirror that can endure beams strong enough to burn through steel. -
Wood-based foam passively cools buildings to cut energy bills
May 19, 2022A huge chunk of energy usage goes towards heating and cooling homes and buildings, so it’s important to find new ways to regulate temperature passively. A new wood-based foam could drastically cool buildings to a degree that can be easily tuned. -
Teflon-like desalination membrane purifies water fast and friction-free
May 16, 2022A new type of desalination membrane uses a series of nanoscale tubes lined with a Teflon-inspired material that repels salts while allowing water to flow through with little friction. The team says it's fast, and requires little pressure and energy.
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Biology
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CRISPR-edited hamsters exhibit unexpected social behavior changes
May 22, 2022The biology behind social behavior may be more complex than we thought. Researchers have used CRISPR to block a certain neurochemical signaling pathway in hamsters, and found that the animals’ social behaviors changed in unexpected ways. -
Previously unobserved pumping action of kidney cells discovered
May 18, 2022How exactly kidney cells transport blood through the organ's tubes has remained a mystery. Now researchers at Johns Hopkins University have investigated the mechanical forces at work and found a previously unobserved pumping action by kidney cells. -
Spider uses film of air to hide underwater for over half an hour
May 10, 2022Last year, we heard how anole lizards are able to breathe underwater from an air bubble on their nose. One of the scientists involved in that study has now documented a spider doing something similar – although the bubble covers its whole body.
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Environment
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Rising temperatures due to climate change shaving hours off our sleep
May 23, 2022Scientists are beginning to explore the relationship between climate change and sleep quality, based on the premise that rising ambient temperatures are impacting our rest. And a new study indicates it may already be costing us many hours per year. -
New treatment breaks down toxic PFAS "forever chemicals" in hours
May 22, 2022Scientists are ramping up their efforts to better break down dangerous PFAS "forever chemicals" before they can cause harm, and a new breakthrough demonstrates how this might be done in a matter of hours using UV light. -
US pours $3.5 billion into direct air capture hubs for carbon removal
May 20, 2022The US Department of Energy's efforts to combat climate change are set to receive a massive cash injection, with the Biden administration announcing US$3.5 billion in funding for regional direct air carbon capture hubs to help reach net-zero by 2050.
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Physics
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Large Hadron Collider restarts after three-year refit
April 24, 2022The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the largest and most powerful particle accelerator ever built, is ready to renter service after a three-year overhaul and refit. On April 22, two proton beams were sent around the the 27-kilometer-long ring. -
Startling discovery threatens to upend Standard Model of particle physics
April 07, 2022A collaboration of physicists has made the most precise measurement of the mass of the W boson. The new measurement of this key particle differs drastically from the Standard Model's predictions– and it may unravel physics as we know it. -
Firing lasers at the Moon to detect early-universe gravitational waves
March 17, 2022A team of European researchers has suggested that the Moon’s orbit could be used as a gigantic detector for gravitational waves. These waves, much smaller than those that existing detectors can pick up, could originate from the early universe.
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Electronics
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New heat spreading tech delivers 740% increase in circuit power density
May 22, 2022A team from the University of Illinois and UC Berkeley has demonstrated a new cooling method that sucks heat out of electronics so efficiently that it allows designers to run 7.4 times more power through a given volume than conventional heat sinks. -
Isotope-pure silicon nanowires could make computer chips much cooler
May 17, 2022Heat is a major hurdle for electronic devices. Scientists have now found that nanowires made of a certain isotope of silicon can conduct heat 150 percent better than regular silicon, potentially leading to drastically cooler computer chips. -
One-way superconducting diode has massive implications for electronics
April 28, 2022A TU Delft team has demonstrated a one-way superconductor that gives zero resistance in one direction, but blocks current completely in the other. The discovery, long thought impossible, heralds a 400x leap in computing speed and huge energy savings.
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Quantum Computing
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Silicon quantum computing surpasses 99% accuracy in three studies
January 19, 2022Three teams of scientists have achieved a major milestone in quantum computing. All three groups demonstrated better than 99 percent accuracy in silicon-based quantum devices, paving the way for practical, scalable, error-free quantum computers. -
IBM unleashes the Eagle, the world's most powerful quantum processor
November 16, 2021IBM has unveiled the Eagle, the world’s most powerful quantum processor. Boasting 127 quantum bits (qubits), the Eagle is a major step towards commercial quantum computers outperforming traditional machines. -
Quantum computing hits the desktop, no cryo-cooling required
September 27, 2021An Australian/German company is developing powerful quantum accelerators the size of graphics cards. They work at room temperature, undercutting and outperforming today's huge, cryo-cooled quantum supercomputers, promising industry-wide disruption.
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