Science
The latest in science news, from the depths of space to the quantum realm.
Camera captures the world as animals see it, with up to 99% accuracy
January 25, 2024
It’s easy to forget that most animals don’t see the world the way humans do. In fact, many perceive colors that are invisible to us. But now, for the first time, scientists have found a way to capture footage as seen by animals, and it's mesmerizing.
Energy
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Green hydrogen breakthrough swaps in water for iridium
June 21, 2024Hydrogen shows a lot of promise as a powerful, clean fuel source – as long as the process that creates it is also green. A new report shows how tough it might be to get to truly green hydrogen, while a new study removes a barrier to its creation. -
Energy-positive laser fusion approach heads toward commercialization
June 19, 2024With the promise of unlimited energy, Xcimer has raised over US$100 million from investors and the US Department of Energy to develop a high-energy laser system that's intended for use in a practical fusion power plant. -
AI-controlled batteries unlock 10% more capacity and 25% longer life
June 18, 2024With AI technology proliferating through every facet of our lives these days, Eatron Technologies and Syntiant have leveraged their collective expertise to create an AI-powered battery management system (BMS) to boost battery life.
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Medical
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CBD use during pregnancy produces strange behavior in offspring
June 25, 2024While CBD or cannabidiol is now widely available, widely used and generally considered safe, new research has found its use during pregnancy may produce some strange behavior in offspring and changes to the way their brains process sensory information. -
Slow-release ketamine tablet cuts depression levels by half
June 24, 2024A slow-release, twice-a-week ketamine tablet significantly reduced depression symptoms, according to the results of a clinical trial. The tablet can be taken at home without medical supervision, making it more convenient than current ketamine treatments. -
5:2 diet proves better than meds for new diabetics
June 24, 2024Compared to some antidiabetic medications, a 5:2 intermittent diet provides better blood sugar control and weight loss in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics, a new study found. It may be a viable alternative to medications in the early stages of the condition.
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Space
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China's reusable rocket successfully reaches altitude of 7.5 miles
June 25, 2024Playing catch-up with the likes of SpaceX, China has announced the successful test flight and landing of a reusable rocket. On June 23, 2024, the liquid-fueled launcher rose to a height of 7.5 miles (12 km) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. -
EOS-X Space announces upcoming balloon flights to the edge of outer space
June 20, 2024Paying passengers could be flying to the edge of space as soon as next year, but not with the company you might think. Spain's EOS-X Space has announced that it's nearing finalization of a capsule that will be hoisted heavenward by a giant balloon. -
Kidneys in space: Why a trip to Mars could end in dialysis
June 13, 2024A lengthy trip to Mars, which exposes astronauts to a combination of cosmic radiation and weightlessness, could result in permanent kidney damage, according to a new study. It's the largest analysis to date on how spaceflight affects kidney health.
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Materials
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'Weightless' battery stores energy directly in carbon fiber structures
June 18, 2024Deep-tech startup Sinonus is working to commercialize a groundbreaking new breed of multifunctional carbon fiber. In its vision, the wonder-composite will serve as a structural battery for everything from electric aircraft to windmills. -
Tough new pineapple leather is 60X stronger than other materials
June 17, 2024Your boots may soon have a tropical touch, with a breakthrough in using pineapple leaves to make a strong, 100% natural, sustainable leather. It comprehensively outperformed mushroom leather, and has serious potential for scalable, commercial use. -
Shell-inspired cement 19x more flexible thanks to ‘engineered defects’
June 12, 2024Inspired by the shiny lining of mollusk shells, researchers created a cement composite 19 times more flexible and 17 times more crack-resistant than regular cement. Its properties could be applied to brittle ceramic materials like porcelain and concrete.
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Biology
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New intelligence model could upend biology, genetics, medicine and AI
June 25, 2024This may be about as wildly entertaining, disruptive and philosophically profound as legitimate scientific research gets. Michael Levin's work in cellular intelligence, bioelectrical communication and embodied minds "is going to overturn everything." -
Anti-aging molecule successfully restores multiple markers of youth
June 24, 2024In pre-clinical trials, a small molecule effectively regrew neurons, reduced inflammation, and improved memory, speed, coordination, grip strength, and more. The finding could have a profound impact on aging and the diseases that accompany it. -
Never-before-seen dinosaur’s unique headgear earns it a godly name
June 21, 2024A never-before-seen species of horned, herbivorous dinosaur, a predecessor of the Triceratops, has been unveiled at the Natural History Museum of Utah. And its showy, distinctive headgear has earned it a name reminiscent of a god.
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Environment
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Canon sorting tech brings black plastics into the recycling mix
June 19, 2024Black plastics pose an ID problem for sorting machines at recycling facilities, as the sensors can't see them. Canon has developed a system that users lasers and tracking tech to identify and sort plastic trash on the conveyor belt, no matter its color. -
Coldplay's new album is made of river plastic
June 17, 2024Marine plastic waste is a huge problem, but the Ocean Cleanup has been taking a bite out of floating trash in oceans and rivers for the last few years. Now Coldplay is about to use some of that waste for a limited edition of its forthcoming album. -
'Forgotten' greenhouse gas levels surge 40% since 1980
June 12, 2024The fertilizer used on around half of the food we consume is now one of the biggest drivers of human-made greenhouse gas emissions, with China, India, the US, Brazil and Russia the biggest polluters, according to a new global nitrous oxide report.
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Physics
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Plasma fireballs from black holes are now being made here on Earth
June 14, 2024Supermassive black holes have been known to belch gigantic beams of plasma into space – and now scientists have managed to recreate these fireballs in a lab at CERN. -
Spacetime defects uncouple gravity from mass in dark matter alternative
June 12, 2024Despite a century of searching, dark matter remains a no-show. A new paper proposes an alternative hypothesis, showing how gravity could exist without mass and produce many of the same effects we ascribe to dark matter. -
Satellites spot strange sky glow that only comes out after midnight
June 09, 2024If you’re planning to see the aurora soon, keep an eye out for a brand new type of sky glow that’s just been discovered. This short-lived phenomenon only appears after midnight and seems to be the inverse of something just spotted a few years ago.
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Electronics
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All-in-one polychromatic LEDs replace RGB for radically sharper screens
June 18, 2024While the Apple Vision Pro VR headset has a much-hyped resolution of 3,386 PPI (pixels per inch), a new technology more than doubles that figure. It was created by Los Angeles-based startup Q-Pixel, and it could revolutionize the world of video displays. -
AI synthesizer bridges technology and creativity in music composition
February 15, 2024SPIN challenges conventional notions of music creation by inviting users to collaborate with an AI language model called MusicGen. With its distinctive blend of a turntable and a drum machine, SPIN offers users a creative music composition tool. -
Eye-tracking window tech tells sightseers about what they're looking at
January 05, 2024If you're on a sightseeing tour in a bus, you really don't want to be looking away from the passing attractions to Google them on your smartphone. The AR Interactive Vehicle Display is intended to help, by showing relevant information on the vehicle's window glass.
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Quantum Computing
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Diamond-stretching technique makes qubits more stable and controllable
November 30, 2023Researchers are claiming a breakthrough in quantum communications, thanks to a new diamond-stretching technique they say greatly increases the temperatures at which qubits remain entangled, while also making them microwave-controllable. -
Perovskite LED unlocks next-level quantum random number generation
September 05, 2023Random numbers are critical to encryption algorithms, but they're nigh-on impossible for computers to generate. Now, Swedish researchers say they've created a new, super-secure quantum random number generator using cheap perovskite LEDs. -
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.
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