Science
The latest in science news, from the depths of space to the quantum realm.
New charging approach could extend battery life by at least 20%
November 07, 2022
The many cells that make up a lithium battery pack are not all equal; some will degrade and die faster than others. New research out of Stanford has found that the whole battery can live much longer if each cell gets an individual charging treatment.
Energy
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Revolutionary photocatalyst is huge news for green hydrogen and ammonia
November 28, 2022A fundamental chemistry breakthrough promises to unlock ammonia as a clean fuel, and decarbonize the chemical industry in the process. Rice University researchers have created a small, LED-powered device that converts ammonia to hydrogen on the fly. -
Simpler, cheaper electrical generator can be made with store-bought tape
November 21, 2022Scientists working on cheap and easy-to-make electrical generators have landed upon a design that makes use of store-bought double-sided tape, and which they say can perform on par with more complex systems when it comes to producing electricity. -
MIT advance paves way for high-density batteries that handle stress
November 21, 2022Branch-like growths called dendrites continue to plague next-gen battery designs of many types, but new MIT-led research claims to have uncovered the root of the problem, and shown how it can be negated through the use of mechanical stress.
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Medical
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Newly identified polymer greatly boosts the healing of diabetic wounds
November 29, 2022Chronic diabetic skin wounds are notoriously slow to heal, sometimes becoming so infected that amputations are required. A newly identified polymer could help keep that from happening, by radically boosting the healing process. -
Promising prostate cancer drug hints at improved immunotherapy
November 28, 2022Immunotherapy is a promising cancer treatment, but getting it to work against solid tumors is difficult. A new study has not only identified a drug that’s effective against solid tumors, but may have uncovered a reason that immunotherapy often fails. -
10-minute bursts of exercise may boost therapy for PTSD
November 27, 2022Studies continue to illuminate the wide-ranging benefits of physical activity when it comes to brain health, and new research has shown how that might include treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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Space
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Artemis 1 mission breaks record for farthest human-rated spacecraft
November 28, 2022NASA's Artemis 1 mission notched up a new record today, when the uncrewed Orion spacecraft reached the farthest distance from Earth achieved by a human-rated spacecraft, breaking the previous record set by Apollo 13 on April 15, 1970. -
Artemis 1 now in record-breaking lunar orbit
November 25, 2022NASA has confirmed that the uncrewed Artemis 1 mission has achieved lunar orbit. After an orbital maneuvering engine burn lasting 88 seconds, the Orion spacecraft will travel at an altitude of around 40,000 miles (64,374 km) above the lunar surface. -
NASA restores contact after Orion mysteriously goes dark for 47 minutes
November 23, 2022After a lift-off from the Kennedy Space Center last Wednesday and a close fly-by of the Moon earlier this week, it had been pretty smooth sailing for NASA’s Artemis I mission so far. Mission control has now experienced a small hiccup, however.
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Materials
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Novel alloy boasts unparalleled elasticity at room temperature
November 28, 2022Scientists experimenting with the makeup of next-gen metals have developed a novel, copper-based alloy they say would be simple to produce at scale, and boasts unparalleled elasticity at room temperature. -
Embroidered patches allow existing fabrics to generate electricity
November 24, 2022Although many groups are developing power-generating "smart fabrics," the technology is often too complex to be scaled up to commercial use. Now, however, scientists have devised a method of embroidering electrical generators onto regular fabric. -
Novel rule-breaking material behaves like "conductive Play-Doh"
October 26, 2022Scientists experimenting with novel materials have made a breakthrough that could shape a new generation of electronic devices, combining two characteristics in a way they say defies a theoretical explanation.
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Biology
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Remote controlled worms can follow stop and go lights
November 28, 2022Scientists in Japan have demonstrated a technique that allows them to remotely control the movements of worms. By implanting light-sensitive proteins into the organisms, the team was able to make them move under green light and stop under UV. -
New CRISPR gene-editing system can "drag-and-drop" DNA in bulk
November 24, 2022A new technique has been added to the CRISPR gene-editing toolbox. Known as PASTE, the system uses virus enzymes to “drag-and-drop” large sections of DNA into a genome, which could help treat a range of genetic diseases. -
Oldest meal on record dates back half a billion years
November 23, 2022The remains of the oldest meal on record have been identified. In half-billion-year-old fossils of a strange slug-like creature called Kimberella, scientists found preserved food molecules in the gut, revealing what and how these ancient animals ate.
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Environment
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"Nanopillared" material removes microplastics from water via magnetism
November 29, 2022While the purification of wastewater once just involved the removal of traditional pollutants, it now also entails the removal of microplastics. A new powder reportedly does the job much quicker and more thoroughly than has previously been possible. -
Denmark reverses the direction of an oil rig for bulk carbon storage
November 29, 2022Denmark is moving forward with Project Greensands, an initiative that will take huge quantities of captured carbon out to an oil rig in the North Sea, and pump it down to sequester it in the sandstone formations that once held oil and gas. -
Device generates electrical fields to keep sharks away from fish hooks
November 21, 2022It's a sad fact that threatened species of sharks are routinely caught on fishing lines intended for other types of fish. A new device could help change that, by harmlessly scaring sharks away from baited hooks via pulses of electricity.
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Physics
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Dark matter "meteors" could be streaking through Earth's atmosphere
October 18, 2022Despite making up 85% of the total mass in the universe, dark matter eludes detection. A new study proposes a unique way to look for it using the Earth’s atmosphere as a giant detector for dark matter particles streaming through the air like meteors. -
"Attoclock" measures electrons moving at quintillionths of a second
October 12, 2022Movements at the particle scale happen extremely quickly, which makes it hard to see what’s going on in there. Now engineers have developed an “attoclock” that can take snapshots of electrons in increments as small as quintillionths of a second. -
Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to quantum entanglement experimentalists
October 04, 2022The 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to three scientists, Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser and Anton Zeilinger, who all conducted some of the first experiments with entangled photons, enabling a future for commercial quantum computers.
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Electronics
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Pixel keyboard can be customized with Lego bricks
November 23, 2022You can build just about anything out of Lego, and now that even includes your keyboard. Pixel is a new mechanical keyboard from MelGeek that can be customized with Lego bricks around the rim, on the back or even on the keys themselves. -
New technique allows circuits to be printed right onto curved surfaces
November 21, 2022While the field of printable electronics holds much promise, the printing of circuits onto curved surfaces is still very challenging. A new technique simplifies the process of doing so, potentially allowing for new types of electronic devices. -
LG Display shows off stretchable, high-definition display
November 08, 2022Foldable, rollable and bendable displays are beginning to appear in electronics, but now we’ve had a glimpse at a new take on the idea. LG Display has unveiled the first high-definition display that can be stretched, twisted and folded during use.
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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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