Science News

On the south side of Chicago, students learn to work on Rivian electric pickup trucks and SUVs through a new technician program at Olive-Harvey College.

Perovskite solar cells, which use materials with the same crystal structure as perovskite, are lightweight, flexible, easy to manufacture, and inexpensive. They can be attached to many different surfaces and are a promising technology. However, current perovskite solar cells are not durable, and they tend to be inefficient.

A team of researchers at Delft University of Technology has developed a drone that flies autonomously using neuromorphic image processing and control based on the workings of animal brains. Animal brains use less data and energy compared to current deep neural networks running on graphics processing units (GPUs).

New modeling reveals that low-carbon concrete developed at RMIT University can recycle double the amount of coal ash compared to current standards, halve the amount of cement required and perform exceptionally well over time.

Caltech neuroscientists are making promising progress toward showing that a device known as a brain–machine interface (BMI), which they developed to implant into the brains of patients who have lost the ability to speak, could one day help all such patients communicate by simply thinking and not speaking or miming.

Current building design methods are primarily based on improving the connectivity between components of the structure. In the event of component failure, this connectivity allows the loads that were carried by failed components to be redistributed to the rest of the structural system.

Optimization algorithms are pivotal in machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) in general. For a long time, it has been widely believed that the design/configuration of optimization algorithms is a task that heavily relies on human intelligence and requires customized design for specific problems.

Brain-machine interfaces are devices that enable direct communication between a brain's electrical activity and an external device such as a computer or a robotic limb that allows people to control machines using their thoughts.

Researchers from Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Lithuania, who contributed to the development of record-breaking solar cells a few years ago have expanded their invention. The self-assembled monolayers can now be applied not only in inverted but also in regular structure perovskite solar cells.

Instead of burning fossil fuels to smelt steel and cook cement, researchers in Switzerland want to use heat from the sun. The proof-of-concept study, published May 15 in the journal Device, uses synthetic quartz to trap solar energy at temperatures over 1,000°C (1,832°F), demonstrating the method's potential role in providing clean energy for carbon-intensive industries.

Semiconductors are the foundation of all modern electronics. Now, researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, have developed a new method where organic semiconductors can become more conductive with the help of air as a dopant. The study, published in the journal Nature, is a significant step towards future cheap and sustainable organic semiconductors.

A study explores the role of platinum in shaping the future of green hydrogen development in China. Hydrogen fuel is one of China's key strategies to achieve national energy security and carbon neutrality. Hydrogen is expected to provide more than 10% of China's total energy supply by 2050, and the country has announced more than 50 large-scale hydrogen projects.

Research at Uppsala University and Karolinska Institutet could pave the way for a prosthetic hand and robot to be able to feel touch like a human hand. Their study has been published in the journal Science. The technology could also be used to help restore lost functionality to patients after a stroke.

By studying how bubbles form in a drop of biodiesel, researchers at the University of Gothenburg can help future engines get the most energy out of the fuel.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is both an essential resource for life on Earth and a greenhouse gas contributing to global warming. Today, scientists are investigating CO2 as a promising resource that can be utilized to create renewable low-carbon fuels and high-value chemical products.

Washi: the traditional Japanese paper, known for its beauty and strength, has been used in bookbinding, art, furniture, and architecture for hundreds of years. But, more recently, washi's usage is on the decline, as people opt for more western style housing designs.

Lithium-ion batteries presently are the ubiquitous source of electrical energy in mobile devices, and the key technology for e-mobility and energy storage. Massive interdisciplinary research efforts are underway both to develop practical alternatives that are more sustainable and environmentally friendly, and to develop batteries that are safer, more performing, and longer-lasting—particularly for applications demanding high capacity and very dense energy storage.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools are used to create text, images and videos, impacting the way society consumes and produces online content. As that technology continues to evolve, it is becoming increasingly difficult to tell the difference between AI-generated and human-generated content.

Aurora's speed and artificial intelligence capabilities will transform scientific research and enable breakthroughs in some of the world's most pressing challenges, from climate and materials science to energy storage and fusion energy.

Metal coins may be just about the oldest medium of exchange still in use today, but ensuring their worth requires some of the most state-of-the-art technology available. Counterfeit coins remain a threat to global currencies, with malicious actors flooding markets with fakes. European police broke up a Spain-based criminal ring in late April, demonstrating the issue's ongoing urgency.