Technology
press releases.

Technology29 Jul 2025

With no need for sleep or food, AI-built ‘scientists’ get the job done quickly

Imagine you’re a molecular biologist wanting to launch a project seeking treatments for a newly emerging disease. You know you need the expertise of a virologist and an immunologist, plus a bioinformatics specialist to help analyze and generate insights from your data. But you lack the resources or connections to build a big multidisciplinary team. Researchers at Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco and Stanford University now offer a novel solution to this dilemma: an AI-driven Virtual Lab through which a team of AI agents, each equipped with varied scientific expertise, can tackle sophisticated and open-ended scientific problems by formulating, refining, ...

Read the release

Technology29 Jul 2025

Researchers advocate for separate roles between AI and humans

OAK BROOK, Ill. – Renowned physician-scientist Eric J. Topol, M.D., and Harvard artificial intelligence (AI) expert Pranav Rajpurkar, Ph.D., advocate for a clear separation of the roles between AI systems and radiologists in an editorial published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). “We’re stuck between distrust and dependence, and missing out on the full potential of AI,” said Dr. Rajpurkar, associate professor of Biomedical Informatics at Harvard University. The ...

Read the release

Technology29 Jul 2025

Storage process: a new method reduces the acute toxicity of the essential oil of Artemisia argyi H. Lév. & Vaniot by 40%

Background and objectives Artemisia argyi H. Lév. & Vaniot essential oil (AAEO) holds significant pharmacological potential, but its application is constrained by hepatotoxicity. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of reducing AAEO’s toxicity through storage and to evaluate changes in chemical composition, toxicity, and bioactivity. Methods Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to analyze compositional changes during storage. Zebrafish acute toxicity tests and the liver-specific transgenic zebrafish model ...

Read the release

Technology29 Jul 2025

How to survive the explosion of AI slop

In a Perspective, Hany Farid highlights the risk of manipulated and fraudulent images and videos, known as deepfakes, and explores interventions that could mitigate the harms deepfakes can cause. Farid explains that visually discriminating the real from the fake has become increasingly difficult and summarizes his research on digital forensic techniques, used to determine whether images and videos have been manipulated. Farid celebrates the positive uses of generative AI, including helping researchers, democratizing content creation, and, in some cases, literally giving voice ...

Read the release

Technology29 Jul 2025

Carbon-based molecules open new pathways for quantum sensing

Quantum sensing has transformational potential across many areas of technology and science, most prominently biomedical research. The basic premise is to detect and manipulate the spin state of an electron - magnetic properties of electrons that can be used to store quantum information - using light. This capability has previously been limited to highly exotic or expensive materials such as nano-sized diamonds with specific atomic defects. Now, in the paper published in Nature Chemistry, scientists have reported an organic molecule built from carbon atoms in which its optical properties are ...

Read the release

Technology28 Jul 2025

There’s something in the air

Researchers at the University of Tokyo explored how female body odor can influence behaviors in men. They found certain scent compounds in female body odor increased during ovulation and can subtly influence how men feel. When these scents were added to armpit odor samples, men rated them as more pleasant and faces associated with the samples as more attractive. The scents also seemed to reduce stress. The team states this is not evidence of pheromones in humans, but that smell might subtly shape how we people interact. While they’re a common staple of pop culture, especially in romantic comedies, pheromones, behavior-altering ...

Read the release

Technology28 Jul 2025

Decoding the blue: Advanced Technology realizes potential in harmful algal bloom monitoring

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have developed a powerful new method to detect harmful blue-green algae in freshwater lakes. Their method, which involves advanced mass spectrometry technology, can identify toxin producing blue-green algae before they become damaging in recreational waters and pose threat to public health. Blue-green algae (scientifically named as cyanobacteria) are micro-organisms commonly found in ponds, lakes, and oceans worldwide. In optimum growth conditions, they can form huge “blooms” that appear like green slime covering the surface of the water. Although these blooms are extremely ...

Read the release

Technology25 Jul 2025

Robotic space rovers keep getting stuck. UW engineers have figured out why

MADISON — When a multimillion-dollar extraterrestrial vehicle gets stuck in soft sand or gravel — as did the Mars rover Spirit in 2009 — Earth-based engineers take over like a virtual tow truck, issuing a series of commands that move its wheels or reverse its course in a delicate, time-consuming effort to free it and continue its exploratory mission. While Spirit remained permanently stuck, in the future, better terrain testing right here on terra firma could help ...

Read the release

Technology25 Jul 2025

Good vibrations: Scientists use imaging technology to visualize heat

Most people envision vibration on a large scale, like the buzz of a cell phone notification or the oscillation of an electric toothbrush. But scientists think about vibration on a smaller scale—atomic, even. In a first for the field, researchers from The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have used advanced imaging technology to directly observe a previously hidden branch of vibrational physics in 2D materials. Their findings, published in Science, confirm the existence of a previously unseen class ...

Read the release

Technology25 Jul 2025

Aligning AI with Human Values and Well-Being

In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, the July 2025 Special Issue of the peer-reviewed journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking highlights the concept of “Humane Artificial Intelligence,” examining how AI can support human flourishing across contexts including healthcare, education, peacekeeping, and daily digital interactions. Click here to read the issue now. In their Editorial, Guest Editors Giuseppe Riva, PhD, from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Brenda ...

Read the release

Technology25 Jul 2025

Automated speed enforcement significantly reduces speeding in Toronto school zones

Despite lower speed limits in school zones, child pedestrian injuries are most common near schools. Now, a new study led by researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) has found that automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras reduced the number of speeding vehicles by 45 per cent in urban school zones. The study, published in Injury Prevention, evaluated the impact of mobile ASE cameras deployed across 250 school zones in the City of Toronto between July 2020 and December 2022. The results showed that in addition to a ...

Read the release

Technology24 Jul 2025

Accelerating science with AI

It can take years for humans to solve complex scientific problems. With AI, it can take a fraction of the time. Dr. Shuiwang Ji, a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University and a leading expert in the emerging field of AI for science and engineering — commonly referred to as AI4Science — is at the forefront of using AI to accelerate scientific problem solving. Ji, along with other Texas A&M researchers, has recently published a paper in Foundations and Trends in Machine Learning outlining the uses and benefits of AI4Science. This collaborative paper features ...

Read the release

Technology24 Jul 2025

Could metasurfaces be the next quantum information processors?

Key takeaways New research shows that metasurfaces could be used as strong linear quantum optical networks This approach could eliminate the need for waveguides and other conventional optical components Graph theory is helpful for designing the functionalities of quantum optical networks into a single metasurface In the race toward practical quantum computers and networks, photons — fundamental particles of light — hold intriguing possibilities as fast carriers of information at room temperature. Photons are typically controlled and coaxed into quantum ...

Read the release

Technology24 Jul 2025

Researchers document first images of the atomic fingerprint of heat in quantum materials

College Park, Md. — Researchers investigating atomic-scale phenomena impacting next-generation electronic and quantum devices have captured the first microscopy images of atomic thermal vibrations, revealing a new type of motion that could reshape the design of quantum technologies and ultrathin electronics. Yichao Zhang, an assistant professor in the University of Maryland Department of Materials Science and Engineering, has developed an electron microscopy technique to directly image “moiré phasons”—a physical phenomenon that impacts superconductivity and heat conduction in two-dimensional materials for next-generation ...

Read the release

Technology24 Jul 2025

Self-disclosure in the era of video communication and embodied virtual reality

Self-disclosure, or the process of conveying one’s details to others verbally, is crucial for communication. Self-disclosure includes expressing personal information, thoughts, and feelings. It encompasses self-expression and clarification, social validation and control, as well as relationship development, and is closely related to reciprocity, intimacy, trust, interactional enjoyment, and satisfaction. In recent years, technological advancements have paved the way for new forms of communication, including video-conferencing and embodied virtual ...

Read the release

Technology23 Jul 2025

Scientists propose AI-driven biotech model for future crop breeding

In a major step toward securing global food supplies and advancing sustainable agriculture, a team of scientists has proposed an integrated framework that combines biotechnology and artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize crop breeding. Published in Nature on July 24, the review was co-corresponding authored by Prof. GAO Caixia from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Prof. LI Guotian of Huazhong Agricultural University, with contributions from ...

Read the release

Technology23 Jul 2025

First quantum confinement achieved without physical downsizing

Quantum confinement is a physical effect that occurs when the size of a material—usually a semiconductor or conductor—is reduced to the nanoscale thereby restricting the movement of electrons or holes. This is useful because confinement of electrons to very small spaces causes their energy levels to become discrete rather than continuous, altering the material's electronic and optical properties. For example, the photoluminescence (PL) performance of semiconductors can be improved by reducing their size or effective conjugation length—the distance ...

Read the release

Technology23 Jul 2025

KRISS unveils record-breaking “absolute distance measurement system” nearing the quantum limit

The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS, President Lee Ho Seong) has successfully developed a length measurement system that achieves a level of precision approaching the theoretical limit allowed by quantum physics. The system boasts world-leading measurement accuracy while maintaining a compact and robust design suitable for field deployment, making it a strong candidate to serve as the new benchmark for next-generation length metrology. Currently, the most precise instruments for measuring length are national length ...

Read the release

Technology23 Jul 2025

Transfer printing technology for lithium protective layers to prevent battery explosions

A research team in South Korea has developed a breakthrough transfer printing technology that forms protective thin layers on lithium metal surfaces—an innovation poised to solve the long-standing dendrite issue plaguing next-generation lithium-metal batteries. Dr. Jungdon Suk’s team (Advanced Battery Research Center) at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) has successfully transferred hybrid protective layers composed of solid polymers and ceramics onto lithium metal using a solvent-free process. Unlike conventional wet coating methods, this technique enables uniform coating over large areas without ...

Read the release

Technology22 Jul 2025

UTA unveils supercomputing research hub

The University of Texas at Arlington has launched a $2.1 million supercomputing hub, expanding its capacity to support data-intensive research, including work powered by artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies. The project was spearheaded by a multidisciplinary team of researchers and leaders from UT Arlington’s College of Engineering and the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, who recognized the growing demand for high-performance computing across campus. The new hub will allow ...

Read the release

Technology22 Jul 2025

AI chatbots remain overconfident -- even when they’re wrong

Artificial intelligence chatbots are everywhere these days, from smartphone apps and customer service portals to online search engines. But what happens when these handy tools overestimate their own abilities? Researchers asked both human participants and four large language models (LLMs) how confident they felt in their ability to answer trivia questions, predict the outcomes of NFL games or Academy Award ceremonies, or play a Pictionary-like image identification game. Both the people and the LLMs tended to be overconfident about how they would hypothetically perform. ...

Read the release

Technology22 Jul 2025

The Holobiont Revolution: How wheat is becoming more climate-resilient through nature-based plant breeding and machine learning

Nitrogen fertilizers used in agriculture contribute significantly to global warming. A new breeding concept, specifically for wheat, could help reduce nitrogen fertilization. This holobiont principle places the complex interactions between plants and soil microbiomes at the center of plant breeding. In combination with machine learning, this could lead to the use of new wheat varieties, as well as other crops, that are more resilient to climate change and contribute to soil health. Two recent studies led by Wolfram Weckwerth from the University of Vienna have been published in the journals Plant Biotechnology and Trends in Plant Science. To increase the supply ...

Read the release

Technology22 Jul 2025

AIPasta—using AI to paraphrase and repeat disinformation

Brace yourself for a new source of online disinformation: AIPasta. Research has demonstrated that generative AI can produce persuasive content. Meanwhile, so-called CopyPasta campaigns take advantage of the “repetitive truth” effect by repeating the exact same text over and over until it seems more likely to be true by those who encounter it many times. Saloni Dash and colleagues explore how these two strategies can be combined into what the authors term “AIPasta.” In AIPasta campaigns, AI can be used to produce many slightly different versions of the same message, giving the public ...

Read the release

Technology22 Jul 2025

Chung-Ang University researchers develop innovative air filter inspired by nasal hair

Airborne particulate matter represents a silent but pervasive threat to our health, infiltrating our homes, workplaces, and public spaces alike. Air filters are often our primary defense against these microscopic pollutants, which include pollen, dust, and smoke. However, conventional air filters suffer from a fundamental weakness: they rely on extremely weak adhesive forces (van der Waals interactions) to capture particles. These forces are often insufficient to effectively trap and retain fine particles, leading to poor filtration performance and the release ...

Read the release

Technology22 Jul 2025

Pusan National University researchers reveal new calibration framework for digital twins

To manage increasingly complex manufacturing systems, involving material flows across numerous transporters, machines, and storage locations, the semiconductors and display fabrication industries have implemented automated material handling systems (AMHSs). AMHSs typically involve complex manufacturing steps and control logic, and digital twin models have emerged as a promising solution to enhance the visibility, predictability, and responsiveness of production and material handling operation systems. However, digital twins don’t always fully reflect reality, potentially affecting production performance ...

Read the release