Light

In many fields of technology, smaller is better, and machinery is now getting so tiny it’s measured in mere atoms. Researchers at the University of Erlangen–Nuremberg in Germany have now developed the world’s smallest working gear wheels.

It may seem like electronics will always get faster, but at some point the laws of physics intervene. Scientists have now calculated the absolute speed limit – the point at which quantum mechanics prevents microchips from getting any faster.

Researchers have found sleeping in a moderately lit room can potentially harm a person’s cardiometabolic health. The study saw one night of sleep in a room with moderate light increased nighttime heart rates and spiked insulin resistance in the morning.

Researchers have built an artificial retina out of perovskite materials that can detect light in a similar fashion to the human eye. In tests, the device was even able to recognize handwritten numbers with a high degree of accuracy.

Radio waves don't travel well through water, which is why devices such as ROVS have to be linked to their operator via a communications cable. According to a new study, however, solar panels may soon allow for practical light-based communications.

Having your blood pressure measured via an arm cuff can be stressful, potentially causing that pressure to be higher than normal when the reading is taken. A new finger clip, however, is promised to make the process quicker and easier for patients.

Because nanoscale objects are so incredibly small, they don't reflect enough light for even the best microscopes to discern details such as their color. A new lighting system, however, addresses that problem by acting as a tiny spotlight.

As we age, our eyesight naturally declines, but a new study has found just three minutes of exposure to 670-nanometer red light in the morning can help deteriorating vision, improving color contrast vision by nearly 20 percent.

Blind corners have long troubled drivers, but researchers have now developed a holographic camera technology that can peer around corners by reconstructing scattered light waves, quickly enough to spot fast-moving objects like cars or pedestrians.

Ordinarily, if you want to check if two plants of the same species come from genetically different populations, you have to analyze their DNA. A new study, however, has found that an analysis of their leaves is a much quicker and easier alternative.

Wireless power transmission has potential, but range is a major hurdle. In a new proof-of-concept, Ericsson and PowerLight Technologies demonstrated a technique called optical beaming, using a laser to transmit power to a portable 5G base station.

Although solar-powered devices are now fairly common, Swedish scientists have created something a little different. They've built tiny "metavehicles" that are mechanically propelled and guided via waves of light.