Science

A team at MIT has been working on more affordable solutions for renewable energy storage, and has developed a novel electrode material likened to soft-serve that can be integrated into a "semi-solid" battery that shapes as a promising candidate.

Scientists at Australia's Monash University claim to have made a critical breakthrough in green ammonia production that could displace the extremely dirty Haber-Bosch process, with the potential to eliminate nearly 2% of global greenhouse emissions.

A popular design in the pursuit of fusion power is the tokamak and an exciting example of these donut-shaped reactors can be found at the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, where a new record for maintaining super-hot plasma has reportedly been set.

There may be new hope for people with certain types of blindness, as an experimental sight-restoring device has been deemed safe for implantation. It still has to be tested on humans, though, and it will likely provide a rudimentary form of vision.

Scientists have revealed a new mechanism through which an ingredient in common plastics drives up cholesterol and risk of cardiovascular disease in mice, potentially filling in some important blanks as to why similar effects have been observed in humans.

Ordinarily when someone requires a prosthetic eye, a mold has to be made of their eye socket, after which the prosthesis is built by hand. A new 3D printing system, however, is claimed to be much quicker, and to produce a more realistic-looking eye.

As part of a month-long series of real-world and virtual events showcasing upcoming technology, Nissan has revealed a lunar rover prototype it's currently working on with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Accounting for where all of the Earth's water came from is a longstanding puzzle, but an international team of scientists led by the University of Glasgow has proposed that the Sun may be a major source of our planet's H₂O.

Astronomers have discovered the closest known pair of supermassive black holes – and that record has two meanings. Not only are they the closest pair to Earth, but they’re the closest to each other as well, heading for an eventual monster merger.

Scientists have developed a new type of hydrogel described as "super jelly," with a unique internal structure likened to molecular handcuffs enabling the soft material to be run over by a car without being crushed.

Researchers at Carnegie Science have developed an ultrahard diamond glass. Made entirely of crushed “soccerballs” of carbon, the new material also has high thermal conductivity and could find use in electronics.

Not only are most thermoset resins made from non-renewable sources, but they're also hard to recycle. Scientists have set about addressing those problems, by developing a new lignin-based, thermoset-like material that can be reused several times.

A team of scientists at the University of California, Riverside is studying a species of "vulture bee" that has swapped a vegetarian diet for carrion meat by developing an extra tooth and gut bacteria similar to that found in vultures and hyenas.

An animal welfare bill in the UK will now include crabs, octopus, and lobsters after a review concluded they should be considered sentient beings. The review found strong evidence these invertebrates are capable of feelings such as pain and distress.

Sleep is a crucial biological phase, but exactly why almost every organism needs it remains mysterious. Now a study has uncovered a new piece of the puzzle, finding that a protein involved in DNA repair signals the brain when it’s time to sleep.

An indestructible "black box" for the Earth is set to be built in Australia, and will be tasked with documenting our civilization's descent into climate chaos. Or better yet, inspire urgent action to turn the slow-motion train wreck around.

Although a great number of wild animals were killed by Australia's recent bushfires, many more now have nowhere to hide from predators. New biodegradable "habitat pods," however, could give smaller creatures such hiding places.

A research team has begun an €11-million (US$12.9-million) project with the hopes of collecting the oldest continuous ice core in Antarctica, providing a record of the climate spanning some 1.5 million years.

An exotic state of matter originally hypothesized almost 50 years ago has been observed for the first time. Created by Harvard researchers, this material called quantum spin liquid could eventually help improve quantum computers.

CERN physicists have measured the life of the Higgs boson with greater accuracy than ever before. Since the legendary particle only lives for a tiny fraction a second, the scientists came up with a creative workaround to calculate the new figure.

A huge range of dark matter suspects are being investigated. In a new study, astronomers have searched for clouds of hypothetical ultralight particles that could congregate around black holes, and reveal themselves by sending out gravitational waves.

An interesting new research project out of Sweden's Linköping University has demonstrated how plant roots can be used as energy storage devices, by watering them with a special solution to make their roots electrically conductive.

By deploying cutting-edge lasers, scientists at the University of Southampton have achieved a 5D optical data storage breakthrough that offers both incredible density and long-term archiving capabilities.

A team of engineers has given microchips a new ability – the power of flight. Inspired by wind-dispersed seeds, these “microfliers” are shaped like tiny propellers to catch the wind, and may be the smallest flying structures ever made by humans.

IBM 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.

An 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.

A quantum internet could one day allow quantum computers to team up and tackle some gigantic problems. Researchers at Toshiba are a step closer, demonstrating quantum communications sent over a record-breaking 600 km (373 miles) of optic fiber.