Technology
press releases.

Technology23 Oct 2025

AI can be trained to provide safe advice for treating opioid use disorder in pregnancy: New study

PISCATAWAY, NJ – When trained correctly on medically accurate information, ChatGPT can provide trustworthy information for pregnant women seeking medical advice for treating opioid use disorder, according to new research in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, based at Rutgers University. The research might one day lead to apps and websites for people seeking help for conditions that they may not want to discuss face to face with a health care provider. “Seeking health advice online is a ...

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Technology23 Oct 2025

Innovative online monitoring system for farmland non-point source pollution enables automated monitoring of continuous cropping farmland

Agricultural non-point source (NPS) pollution is a major cause of water quality degradation, with pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphorus carried by farmland surface runoff being important sources. Statistics show that in 2017, the total nitrogen discharge from agricultural sources in China reached 1.4149 Mt, and total phosphorus was 212 kt. Among these, the nitrogen and phosphorus emissions from cropping alone accounted for 51% and 36% of agricultural source pollutants, respectively. However, current farmland runoff monitoring methods have obvious limitations: traditional runoff pool monitoring has a small ...

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Technology22 Oct 2025

AI tool beats humans at detecting parasites in stool samples, Utah study finds

Scientists at ARUP Laboratories have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that detects intestinal parasites in stool samples more quickly and accurately than traditional methods, potentially transforming how labs diagnose parasitic infections around the world. Identifying parasites under the microscope has long been a painstaking task requiring highly trained experts to manually scour each sample for telltale cysts, eggs or larva. Now, a deep-learning model, known as a convolutional neural network (CNN), achieves that work with a high degree ...

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Technology22 Oct 2025

Roboticists reverse engineer zebrafish navigation

A paradox of neuroscience is that while brains evolve within specific sensory and physical environments, neural circuits are usually studied in isolation under controlled laboratory conditions. But we can’t fully understand how environmental factors shape brain function without considering the body in which that brain evolved. The BioRobotics Lab in EPFL’s School of Engineering specializes in developing bioinspired robots to tease apart the brain-body interactions involved in sensorimotor coordination. Now, they have published a study in Science Robotics that provides detailed insight into embodiment, or how the body ...

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Technology22 Oct 2025

UK Capital's ULEZ quickly cut air pollution —high vehicle compliance may have left little room for further gains after expansion

People living, working and visiting London have seen substantial reductions in air pollution following the introduction of the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) introduced in 2019, according to a new research paper. In a study published in npj Clean Air today (Weds 22 October), researchers from the University of Birmingham have created a sophisticated model for assessing the direct impact of ULEZ on air pollution in the Greater London area. The team found that there were significant reductions in nitrogen-based pollutants NO2 and NOx following the introduction of ULEZ in 2019 that extended beyond the geographical boundaries of the zone, including areas that were covered ...

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Technology21 Oct 2025

AI models can now be customized with far less data and computing power

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have created a new method to make large language models (LLMs) — such as the ones that power chatbots and protein sequencing tools — learn new tasks using significantly less data and computing power. LLMs are made up of billions of parameters that determine how they process information. Traditional fine-tuning methods adjust all of these parameters, which can be costly and prone to overfitting — when a model memorizes patterns instead of truly understanding them, causing it to perform poorly on new examples. The new method developed by UC San Diego engineers takes a smarter approach. ...

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Technology21 Oct 2025

Algorithmic outreach leads to information inequality

Algorithms that identify influential people in social networks can help maximize the reach of messages, but a modeling study shows that those same algorithms can disseminate information inequitably, potentially exacerbating existing social inequalities. From public health campaigns to information about social services, algorithms that identify “influencers” have been used to maximize reach. Vedran Sekara and colleagues used the independent cascade model on synthetic and diverse real-world social networks, including connections between households in multiple villages, connections between political bloggers, Facebook friendships, and scientific collaborations. The authors ...

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Technology21 Oct 2025

Who watches the AI watchman?

As artificial intelligence (AI) takes on increasingly critical roles — from managing power grids to piloting autonomous vehicles — making sure these systems are safe has never been more important. But how can we be certain that the AI controlling them can be trusted? A research team at the University of Waterloo is addressing this question using tools from applied mathematics and machine learning to rigorously check and verify the safety of AI-driven systems. “Any time you’re dealing with a dynamic system — something ...

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Technology20 Oct 2025

Invisible poison: Airborne mercury from gold mining is contaminating African food crops, new study warns

In a recent study published today in the European Geosciences Union (EGU) journal Biogeosciences, scientists have confirmed that mercury pollution from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is contaminating food crops not through the soil, as previously believed, but directly from the air. Driven by the surging price of gold, which has increased by more than tenfold since 2000, the rapid expansion of unregulated mining in these regions raises urgent questions about food security, human health, and environmental justice The study, conducted by an international team of scientists led by Excellent ...

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Technology17 Oct 2025

Three science and technology leaders elected to Hertz Foundation Board of Directors

The Hertz Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing American scientific and technological leadership, today announced the election of three new members to its board of directors: Hertz Fellow Kevin Bowers, chief science officer and head of research and development, Jump Trading; Sri Kosaraju, former chief executive officer, Inscripta; and Hertz Fellow Jordan Chetty, software engineer, Citadel, as an early-career member. The new board members bring a remarkable breadth of experience and accomplishment across critical sectors, including national security, ...

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Technology17 Oct 2025

A lightweight and rapid bidirectional search algorithm

Researchers at the University of Kent, UK, introduced LiteRBS (Lightweight and Rapid Bidirectional Search), a novel grid-based pathfinding algorithm designed for efficient and scalable navigation in mobile robots. Published in ELSP Journal, the work demonstrates that LiteRBS achieves high computational performance with low memory usage, outperforming classical algorithms such as A*, Bidirectional A*, Jump Point Search (JPS), and the Shortest Path Faster Algorithm (SPFA). Path planning is a central component of robotic navigation, ...

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Technology17 Oct 2025

Most users cannot identify AI bias, even in training data

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — When recognizing faces and emotions, artificial intelligence (AI) can be biased, like classifying white people as happier than people from other racial backgrounds. This happens because the data used to train the AI contained a disproportionate number of happy white faces, leading it to correlate race with emotional expression. In a recent study, published in Media Psychology, researchers asked users to assess such skewed training data, but most users didn’t notice the bias — unless they were in the negatively portrayed group. The study was designed to examine whether laypersons understand that unrepresentative data used to train ...

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Technology17 Oct 2025

Scientists smash record in stacking semiconductor transistors for large-area electronics

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST; Saudi Arabia) researchers have set a record in microchip design, achieving the first six-stack hybrid CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) for large-area electronics. With no other reported hybrid CMOS exceeding two stacks, the feat marks a new benchmark in integration density and efficiency, opening possibilities in electronic miniaturization and performance. Among microchip technologies, CMOS microchips are found in nearly all electronics, from phones and televisions to satellites and medical devices. Compared with conventional silicon chips, hybrid CMOS microchips hold greater promise ...

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Technology16 Oct 2025

Old-school material could power quantum computing, cut data center energy use

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A new twist on a classic material could advance quantum computing and make modern data centers more energy efficient, according to a team led by researchers at Penn State. Barium titanate, first discovered in 1941, is known for its powerful electro-optic properties in bulk, or three-dimensional, crystals. Electro-optic materials like barium titanate act as bridges between electricity and light, converting signals carried by electrons into signals carried by photons, or particles of light. However, despite its promise, barium titanate never became the industry standard for electro-optic devices, such as modulators, switches and ...

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Technology16 Oct 2025

UNF chemistry professor awarded NSF Grant to advance laser-based measurement technology

The University of North Florida has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to advance laser-based measurement technology to find more accurate and reliable chemical measurements across diverse scientific fields. Dr. Willis Jones, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, will lead the study that will pursue groundbreaking advances in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), a powerful but often limited analytical technique. LIBS uses a high-powered laser to create a small plasma that reveals the elemental compositions of solids, liquids and gases with minimal preparation. While powerful, the method is hindered by ...

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Technology16 Oct 2025

Stinkbug leg organ contains symbiotic fungi to shield eggs from parasitic wasps

What looked like a hearing organ on a tiny stinkbug’s leg turned out to be something far stranger: a fungal nursery that mother bugs use to coat their newly laid eggs in protective symbiotic hyphae, shielding their offspring from parasitic wasps. Tympanal organs have repeatedly evolved in many insect species and are often considered to be used for sensing sound. Previous studies have reported a conspicuously enlarged structure on the real legs of adult female dinidorid stinkbugs, which has long been interpreted as a tympanal ...

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Technology16 Oct 2025

A research team at the Universitat Jaume I creates a robotic platform with artificial intelligence to accelerate the transition to a sustainable industry

A team from the the Universitat Jaume I (UJI) has developed an innovative robotic platform, powered by artificial intelligence, that promises to revolutionize the design of sustainable chemical processes. The system, named Reac-Discovery, makes it possible to optimize in just a few days what previously could take months or even years of work in a traditional laboratory, thanks to its high level of integration and automation. Chemistry and sustainability are advancing hand in hand. Reducing environmental impact while maintaining industrial ...

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Technology16 Oct 2025

Korea University researchers advance orthodontics with AI-assisted growth prediction

Orthodontic treatment is most effective when timed to coincide with a child’s growth peak. Traditionally, clinicians estimate growth by examining X-ray images of the cervical vertebrae—the neck bones visible in routine dental radiographs. However, this process requires careful manual annotation of specific points on the bones, a task that is both time-consuming and prone to variation between observers. In a new article, researchers from Korea University Anam Hospital, KAIST, and the University of Ulsan introduced an artificial intelligence (AI) system designed to overcome these challenges. The paper was made available online on 29 July 2025 and published ...

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Technology16 Oct 2025

New low-cost, efficient single-photon source for powering future quantum internet

With the rise of quantum computers, the security of our existing communication systems is at risk. Quantum computers will be able to break many of the encryption methods used in current communication systems. To counter this, scientists are developing quantum communication systems, which utilize quantum mechanics to offer stronger security. A crucial building block of these systems is a single-photon source: a device that generates only one light particle at a time. These photons, carrying quantum information, are then sent through optical fibers. For quantum communication systems to work, it is essential ...

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Technology16 Oct 2025

Time crystals could power future quantum computers

A glittering hunk of crystal gets its iridescence from a highly regular atomic structure. Frank Wilczek, the 2012 Nobel Laureate in Physics, proposed quantum systems –– like groups of particles –– could construct themselves in the same way, but in time instead of space. He dubbed such systems time crystals, defining them by their lowest possible energy state, which perpetually repeats movements without external energy input. Time crystals were experimentally proved to exist in 2016. Now researchers at Aalto University’s Department of Applied Physics have, for the first time, connected a time crystal to another ...

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Technology16 Oct 2025

Quantum radio antenna

Quantum radio antenna A team from the Faculty of Physics and the Centre for Quantum Optical Technologies at the University of Warsaw has developed a new type of all-optical radio receiver based on the fundamental properties of Rydberg atoms. The new type of receiver is not only extremely sensitive, but also provides internal calibration, and the antenna itself is powered only by laser light. The results of the work, in which Sebastian Borówka, Mateusz Mazelanik, Wojciech Wasilewski and Michał Parniak participated, were published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications. They open a new chapter ...

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Technology16 Oct 2025

MXene‑based wearable contact lenses: Integrating smart technology into vision care

As wearable health technologies evolve, smart contact lenses (SCLs) are emerging as powerful platforms for non-invasive, real-time ocular diagnostics. Now, researchers from Istanbul Okan University and Istinye University, led by Prof. Ali Zarrabi and Dr. Siavash Iravani, have presented a comprehensive review on MXene-based smart contact lenses, highlighting their transformative potential in vision care and ophthalmic health monitoring. This work outlines how MXenes—2D transition metal carbides—can revolutionize contact lens functionality through biosensing, therapy, and user comfort. Why MXene-Based Contact Lenses Matter Multifunctionality: Enable real-time ...

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Technology16 Oct 2025

Combination of pre- and probiotics offers superior anti-inflammatory benefits compared with omega-3 or prebiotic alone

A new study, led by experts at the University of Nottingham, has found that combining certain types of dietary supplements is more effective than single prebiotics or omega-3 in supporting immune and metabolic health, which could lower the risk of conditions linked to chronic inflammation. The findings of the study, which are published in the Journal of Translational Medicine, show that a synbiotic - a combination of naturally fermented kefir and a diverse prebiotic fibre mix - produces the most powerful anti-inflammatory effects among the three common dietary supplements tested. The kefir and prebiotic mix was provided by Chuckling Goat ...

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Technology15 Oct 2025

This robotic skin allows tiny robots to navigate complex, fragile environments

Researchers developed a soft robotic skin that enables vine robots that are just a few millimeters wide to navigate convoluted paths and fragile environments. To accomplish this, the researchers integrated a very thin layer of actuators made of liquid crystal elastomer at strategic locations in the soft skin. The robot is steered by controlling the pressure inside its body and temperature of the actuators. The researchers showed that a robot equipped with this skin could successfully navigate a model of the arteries in a human body. The robot also was able to navigate a model of the interior of a jet engine. The research team published their results ...

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Technology15 Oct 2025

SwRI’s Dr. Pablo Bueno named AIAA Associate Fellow

SAN ANTONIO — October 15, 2025 — Dr. Pablo Bueno of Southwest Research Institute’s Mechanical Engineering Division has been named an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). AIAA Associate Fellows are recognized for overseeing important engineering or scientific work, outstanding contributions to their field or original work of exceptional caliber. Associate Fellows must be recommended by at least three other associate fellows, be a senior member in good standing of the ...

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