Technology
press releases.

Technology14 Dec 2023

Quantum batteries break causality

Batteries that exploit quantum phenomena to gain, distribute and store power promise to surpass the abilities and usefulness of conventional chemical batteries in certain low-power applications. For the first time, researchers including those from the University of Tokyo take advantage of an unintuitive quantum process that disregards the conventional notion of causality to improve the performance of so-called quantum batteries, bringing this future technology a little closer to reality. When you hear the word “quantum,” the physics governing the subatomic world, developments in ...

Read the release

Technology14 Dec 2023

Study explores accuracy of computerized ADHD test

A new study cautions against using the QbTest as a standalone diagnostic or screening tool for ADHD. Rather, the study authors highlight the intended use of the QbTest as a component of a full clinical assessment, since it could help clinicians reach faster diagnostic decisions and reduce waiting lists. Researchers from the Universities of Southampton, Nottingham, Cardiff, and King’s College London explored the accuracy and clinical utility of a widely used computerised test for Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), called the QbTest. They found that, when used on its own, QbTest is not good enough ...

Read the release

Technology14 Dec 2023

Making probiotics more widely applicable through ‘CRISPR’ engineering

Humans can benefit significantly from symbiotic relationships with probiotics—live bacteria and microorganisms that influence the gut microbiota. When consumed in appropriate amounts, probiotics can promote gut health, support the immune system, and enhance metabolism. Probiotics, widely regarded as a treasure in the field of microbiology, are currently finding new applications in medicine, animal care, and the food industry. However, it is often challenging to use probiotics in their existing form, owing to varying effects ...

Read the release

Technology13 Dec 2023

The A+ team tackles AI and quantum computing hardware

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Superconducting technologies are the lifeblood of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in its ongoing mission to probe the quarks and gluons inhabiting the quantum universe. Superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) technology, a core competency of Jefferson Lab, is used to accelerate the fundamental electron particles in the lab’s Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility, enabling researchers from around the world to conduct cutting-edge experiments to study the fundamental building blocks of matter. With the investment from DOE’s Office ...

Read the release

Technology13 Dec 2023

Copy and paste: New AI tool helps computers interpret the world

Copy and paste. It’s a simple concept. You define some text or image on your computer, copy it, and paste it where you want it. Now, think of that new leather sofa you crave. Popular augmented reality (AR) apps allow you to cut and paste an image of the sofa into a photo of your living room to see if you like it before buying. A team of researchers at USC Viterbi’s Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science has now developed a similar technique to copy virtual 3D objects and paste them into real indoor scenes. This creates an overall ...

Read the release

Technology13 Dec 2023

Cognitive strategies for augmenting the body with a wearable, robotic arm

Neuroengineer Silvestro Micera develops advanced technological solutions to help people regain sensory and motor functions that have been lost due to traumatic events or neurological disorders. Until now, he had never before worked on enhancing the human body and cognition with the help of technology. Now in a study published in Science Robotics, Micera and his team report on how diaphragm movement can be monitored for successful control of an extra arm, essentially augmenting a healthy individual with a third – robotic – arm. “This study opens up new and exciting opportunities, ...

Read the release

Technology13 Dec 2023

Deep neural networks show promise as models of human hearing

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Computational models that mimic the structure and function of the human auditory system could help researchers design better hearing aids, cochlear implants, and brain-machine interfaces. A new study from MIT has found that modern computational models derived from machine learning are moving closer to this goal. In the largest study yet of deep neural networks that have been trained to perform auditory tasks, the MIT team showed that most of these models generate internal representations ...

Read the release

Technology13 Dec 2023

Charles Lee inducted as a fellow of The Korean Academy of Science and Technology

The Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), the highest institution of its kind in South Korea, announced Charles Lee, Ph.D., FACMG, as a newly inducted fellow of the Academy. This recognition is given to scientists and engineers who have been active in their field for more than 20 years and made significant contributions during that time. Lee is the scientific director and professor at The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, and is the Robert Alvine Family Endowed Chair. He was awarded the KAST honor in recognition of his extensive global contributions to human genomics research. Dr. Lee is one of 33 newly appointed fellows to the academy ...

Read the release

Technology13 Dec 2023

Women may pay a "MOM PENALTY" when AI is used in hiring, new research from NYU Tandon School of Engineering suggests

Maternity-related employment gaps may cause job candidates to be unfairly screened out of positions for which they are otherwise qualified, according to new research from NYU Tandon School of Engineering. A research team led by Siddharth Garg, Institute Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, examined bias in Large Language Models (LLMs) – advanced AI systems trained to understand and generate human language – when used in hiring processes. The team will present its findings in a paper presented at NeurIPS ...

Read the release

Technology13 Dec 2023

Machine learning sees into the future to prevent sight loss in humans

Researchers from Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) develop models based on machine learning that predict long-term visual acuity in patients with high myopia, one of the top three causes of irreversible blindness in many regions of the world Tokyo, Japan – Machine learning has been found to predict well the outcomes of many health conditions. Now, researchers from Japan have found a way to predict whether people with severe shortsightedness will have good or bad vision in the future. In a study recently published in ...

Read the release

Technology13 Dec 2023

Study: digital leisure reading does little to improve reading comprehension for students

Washington, December 13, 2023—For years, research showed that print reading, whether for leisure or school, improved developing readers’ ability to comprehend text. However, the explosive use of digital reading devices, constant access to these devices, and new types of reading materials have introduced new reading habits. Now, a new comprehensive review of research on digital leisure reading habits finds a virtually nonexistent relationship between digital reading and improvement in reading comprehension among students. The study was published in Review of Educational Research, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Educational ...

Read the release

Technology13 Dec 2023

Saving endangered species: New AI method counts manatee clusters in real time

Manatees are endangered species volatile to the environment. Because of their voracious appetites, they often spend up to eight hours a day grazing for food within shallow waters, making them vulnerable to environmental changes and other risks. Accurately counting manatee aggregations within a region is not only biologically meaningful in observing their habit, but also crucial for designing safety rules for boaters and divers as well as scheduling nursing, intervention, and other plans. Nevertheless, counting manatees ...

Read the release

Technology13 Dec 2023

Can AI be too good to use?

uch of the discussion around implementing artificial intelligence systems focuses on whether an AI application is “trustworthy”: Does it produce useful, reliable results, free of bias, while ensuring data privacy? But a new paper published Dec. 7 in Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence poses a different question: What if an AI is just too good? Carrie Alexander, a postdoctoral researcher at the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems, or AIFS, at the University of California, Davis, interviewed a wide range of food industry stakeholders, including business leaders and academic and legal experts, on the attitudes of the food industry ...

Read the release

Technology13 Dec 2023

National policy aimed at reducing U.S. greenhouse gases also would improve water quality

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A climate policy that raises the price of carbon-intensive products across the entire U.S. economy would yield a side benefit of reducing nitrate groundwater contamination throughout the Mississippi River Basin. The Gulf of Mexico, an important U.S. fishery, also would see modest benefits from the nitrate reductions. These were among the conclusions of a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The study, led by four early career researchers, three of them from ...

Read the release

Technology12 Dec 2023

MIT researchers observe a hallmark quantum behavior in bouncing droplets

In our everyday classical world, what you see is what you get. A ball is just a ball, and when lobbed through the air, its trajectory is straightforward and clear. But if that ball were shrunk to the size of an atom or smaller, its behavior would shift into a quantum, fuzzy reality. The ball would exist as not just a physical particle but also a wave of possible particle states. And this wave-particle duality can give rise to some weird and sneaky phenomena. One of the stranger prospects comes from a thought experiment known as the “quantum bomb tester.” The experiment proposes that a quantum particle, such ...

Read the release

Technology12 Dec 2023

Artificial intelligence systems excel at imitation, but not innovation

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are often depicted as sentient agents poised to overshadow the human mind. But AI lacks the crucial human ability of innovation, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have found. While children and adults alike can solve problems by finding novel uses for everyday objects, AI systems often lack the ability to view tools in a new way, according to findings published according to findings published in Perspectives on Psychological Science, a journal of ...

Read the release

Technology12 Dec 2023

Study paves way for development of advanced quantum networks

The ability to transmit information coherently in the band of the electromagnetic spectrum from microwave to infrared is vitally important to the development of the advanced quantum networks used in computing and communications. A study conducted by researchers at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil, in collaboration with colleagues at ETH Zurich in Switzerland and TU Delft in the Netherlands, focused on the use of nanometric optomechanical cavities for this purpose. These nanoscale resonators promote interaction between high-frequency ...

Read the release

Technology12 Dec 2023

UTSA establishes new hub to improve management of digital assets

UTSA has received a two-year, $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish the National DigiFoundry (NDF), a consortium that has the potential to redefine the management of digital assets such as cryptocurrencies. To develop the NDF, UTSA will create a new Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO), a national organization that promotes engagement and collaboration between the public and private sectors. At a time when digital assets, including cryptocurrencies, have surpassed a trillion dollars in market value, this collaboration is paramount, according to John Huggins, interim executive director of UTSA’s National ...

Read the release

Technology11 Dec 2023

Applications open for School of Advanced Science on Quantum Materials

Registrations are open to apply for the São Paulo School of Advanced Science on Quantum Materials, to be held on July 6-16, 2024, at the University of São Paulo’s Physics Institute in São Paulo City, Brazil. The School expects to select and fully support 100 graduate students and young researchers (50 from Brazil and 50 from abroad) to take part in short courses and talks focusing on fundamental, theoretical, and experimental aspects of quantum materials – a fertile ...

Read the release

Technology11 Dec 2023

Portable, non-invasive, mind-reading AI turns thoughts into text

In a world-first, researchers from the GrapheneX-UTS Human-centric Artificial Intelligence Centre at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have developed a portable, non-invasive system that can decode silent thoughts and turn them into text. The technology could aid communication for people who are unable to speak due to illness or injury, including stroke or paralysis. It could also enable seamless communication between humans and machines, such as the operation of a bionic arm or robot. The ...

Read the release

Technology11 Dec 2023

New project will take a step towards answering whether gravity is quantum

Scientists are developing an experiment to test whether gravity is quantum In quantum mechanics, which describes the behaviour of atoms and molecules –objects behave differently to everything we know: they can be in a quantum superposition of being in two places at the same time Now, scientists are investigating a way to determine whether gravity operates in this way, by levitating micro diamonds in a vacuum If gravity is quantum, it will ‘entangle’ the diamonds – an intriguing phenomenon which strongly links two objects in ways impossible in everyday life This research will help ...

Read the release

Technology11 Dec 2023

Technology not growing fast enough to decarbonize steel and cement industries by 2050

Steel and cement are two materials that no society can do without. Their production comes with a significant carbon footprint, however. To meet zero-emission targets under the Paris Agreement, countries, cities, and industries are depending on new large-scale infrastructure for CO2 transport and storage, renewable electricity and green hydrogen. A new study by researchers at the National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan, and the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, shows that the current rate of deployment of this infrastructure is insufficient. The study ...

Read the release

Technology8 Dec 2023

Digital multi-sided platforms transform traditional value chains in business-to-business service sales

Various digital platforms are becoming increasingly common in business-to-business (B2B) activities. They enable building competitiveness and boosting selling and buying. The platforms also offer different ways of building long-term customer relationships in B2B service sales. A recent study found that digital platforms are transforming traditional value chains based on linear value creation towards a platform-based, multi-sided, digital value network. “The network is administered and orchestrated by the platform owner, who must attract a sufficient number ...

Read the release

Technology8 Dec 2023

Virtual reality simulations can help autistic people complete real-world tasks, MU study finds

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Many people associate virtual reality headsets with interactive video games, but a researcher at the University of Missouri is using them for something far more important — helping autistic people navigate public transportation on college campuses. MU researcher Noah Glaser — in collaboration with Matthew Schmidt, an associate professor at the University of Georgia, and others — partnered with a program at the University of Cincinnati on a pair of studies geared toward providing autistic people virtual training opportunities to practice ...

Read the release

Technology7 Dec 2023

Automated system teaches users when to collaborate with an AI assistant

Artificial intelligence models that pick out patterns in images can often do so better than human eyes — but not always. If a radiologist is using an AI model to help her determine whether a patient’s X-rays show signs of pneumonia, when should she trust the model’s advice and when should she ignore it? A customized onboarding process could help this radiologist answer that question, according to researchers at MIT and the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab. They designed a system that teaches a user when to collaborate with an AI assistant. In ...

Read the release