Technology
press releases.

Technology27 Dec 2024

Nanotechnology: Light enables an "impossibile" molecular fit

Exploiting an ingenious combination of photochemical (i.e., light-induced) reactions and self-assembly processes, a team led by Prof. Alberto Credi of the University of Bologna has succeeded in inserting a filiform molecule into the cavity of a ring-shaped molecule, according to a high-energy geometry that is not possible at thermodynamic equilibrium. In other words, light makes it possible to create a molecular “fit” that would otherwise be inaccessible. “We have shown that by administering ...

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Technology23 Dec 2024

Breaking boundaries: Researchers isolate quantum coherence in classical light systems

Understanding the boundary between classical and quantum physics has long been a central question in science. While thermal light fields have traditionally been viewed as classical, the team fragmented these fields into smaller multiphoton subsystems. Surprisingly, they uncovered quantum coherence—features such as particle interference previously thought unique to quantum systems—within a classical light source. By using a sophisticated technique involving photon-number-resolving detection and orbital angular momentum (OAM) measurements, the researchers projected a classical pseudothermal light field into isolated multiphoton ...

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Technology23 Dec 2024

Researchers find compromised indoor air in homes following Marshall Fire

2021’s Marshall Fire became the most destructive fire in Colorado history, burning nearly 1,000 homes and forcing more than 37,000 residents of Boulder County to evacuate. New research by scientists at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder found compromised indoor air quality in homes near the burnt area for weeks after the fire, similar to pollution levels recorded in urban Los Angeles in the 1990s. According to the researchers, the findings can help individuals weigh their options when returning ...

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Technology23 Dec 2024

High-quality nanodiamonds for bioimaging and quantum sensing applications

Quantum sensing is a rapidly developing field that utilizes the quantum states of particles, such as superposition, entanglement, and spin states, to detect changes in physical, chemical, or biological systems. A promising type of quantum nanosensor is nanodiamonds (NDs) equipped with nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers. These centers are created by replacing a carbon atom with nitrogen near a lattice vacancy in a diamond structure. When excited by light, the NV centers emit photons that maintain stable spin information ...

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Technology23 Dec 2024

Cryptographic protocol enables secure data sharing in the floating wind energy sector

Floating wind power offers enormous potential for deepwater offshore energy development. However, the management and secure exchange of data between stakeholders represents a key challenge for its evolution. A new cryptographic framework, proposed by researchers Claudia Bartoli (IMDEA Software) and Irene Rivera-Arreba (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU), presented at WindTech 2024 Conference, tries to solve this problem with a data sharing scheme that guarantees data integrity without compromising privacy. This breakthrough seeks to foster collaboration between industries and academia, driving innovation in floating wind technologies. Context Floating wind power ...

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Technology20 Dec 2024

Rice researchers take ‘significant leap forward’ with quantum simulation of molecular electron transfer

Researchers at Rice University have made a meaningful advance in the simulation of molecular electron transfer — a fundamental process underpinning countless physical, chemical and biological processes. The study, published in Science Advances, details the use of a trapped-ion quantum simulator to model electron transfer dynamics with unprecedented tunability, unlocking new opportunities for scientific exploration in fields ranging from molecular electronics to photosynthesis. Electron transfer, critical to processes such as cellular respiration and energy harvesting ...

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Technology20 Dec 2024

SNU researchers develop the world’s most sensitive flexible strain sensor

◦ Seoul National University College of Engineering announced that a research team led by Prof. Seung-Kyun Kang from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Seoul National University (first authors: Dr. Jae-Hwan Lee and Ph.D. candidate Yoon-Nam Kim) has developed a strain sensor with record-breaking sensitivity in collaboration with researchers from Dankook University, Ajou University, and Purdue University. This groundbreaking study introduced an hypersensitive, flexible, and stretchable ...

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Technology20 Dec 2024

Modern AI systems have achieved Turing's vision, but not exactly how he hoped

A recent perspective published Nov. 13 in Intelligent Computing, a Science Partner Journal, asserts that today's artificial intelligence systems have finally realized Alan Turing's vision from over 70 years ago: machines that can genuinely learn from experience and engage in human-like conversation. Authored by Bernardo Gonçalves from the University of São Paulo and University of Cambridge, the paper also sheds light on how current energy-hungry transformer-based systems contrast with Turing's prophecy of machines that would develop intelligence naturally, like human children. Gonçalves' ...

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Technology20 Dec 2024

Quantum walk computing unlocks new potential in quantum science and technology

Quantum walks are a powerful theoretical model using quantum effects such as superposition, interference and entanglement to achieve computing power beyond classical methods. A research team at the National Innovation Institute of Defense Technology from the Academy of Military Sciences (China) recently published a review article that thoroughly summarizes the theories and characteristics, physical implementations, applications and challenges of quantum walks and quantum walk computing. The review was published Nov. 13 in Intelligent Computing, a Science Partner Journal, in an article titled “Quantum Walk Computing: Theory, Implementation, and Application”. As ...

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Technology20 Dec 2024

First demonstration of quantum teleportation over busy Internet cables

Northwestern University engineers are the first to successfully demonstrate quantum teleportation over a fiberoptic cable already carrying Internet traffic. The discovery introduces the new possibility of combining quantum communication with existing Internet cables — greatly simplifying the infrastructure required for distributed quantum sensing or computing applications. The study will be published on Friday (Dec. 20) in the journal Optica. “This is incredibly exciting because nobody thought it was possible,” said Northwestern’s Prem Kumar, who led the study. “Our work ...

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Technology20 Dec 2024

Digital labels can help grocers waste less food

In 2022, U.S. grocers wasted 5 million tons of food, with 35% of it going to landfills, according to the food waste nonprofit ReFed. More than half of that waste — 2.7 million tons — was past the labels’ expiration dates. But there’s a potential technological solution to the waste problem, according to new research from Texas McCombs. By moving from paper shelf labels to digital ones, supermarkets can easily lower prices and move older stock from their shelves to consumers’ homes. Using technology to quickly change prices on labels, a process known as dynamic pricing, benefits more than just consumers, says Ioannis ...

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Technology19 Dec 2024

Taking a cue from lightning, eco-friendly reactor converts air and water into ammonia

BUFFALO, N.Y. — There’s a good chance you owe your existence to the Haber-Bosch process. This industrial chemical reaction between hydrogen and nitrogen produces ammonia, the key ingredient to synthetic fertilizers that supply much of the world’s food supply and enabled the population explosion of the last century. It may also threaten the existence of future generations. The process consumes about 2% of the world’s total energy supply, and the hydrogen required for the reaction ...

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Technology19 Dec 2024

Macroscopic oscillators move as one at the quantum level

Quantum technologies are radically transforming our understanding of the universe. One emerging technology are macroscopic mechanical oscillators, devices that are vital in quartz watches, mobile phones, and lasers used in telecommunications. In the quantum realm, macroscopic oscillators could enable ultra-sensitive sensors and components for quantum computing, opening new possibilities for innovation in various industries. Controlling mechanical oscillators at the quantum level is essential for developing future technologies in quantum computing and ultra-precise ...

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Technology19 Dec 2024

Chemistry: Algorithm can sniff out whisky’s strongest notes and origin

Two machine learning algorithms can determine whether a whisky is of American or Scotch origin and identify its strongest aromas, according to research published in Communications Chemistry. The results also suggest that the algorithms can outperform human experts at assessing a whisky’s strongest aromas. A whisky’s aroma is determined by a complex mixture of odorous compounds. This makes it highly challenging to assess or predict a whisky’s aroma characteristics, or notes, based solely on its molecular composition. Panels of human experts are often used to identify the strongest notes of a whisky, but these require a ...

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Technology19 Dec 2024

Effect of somatosensory electrical stimulation on hand choice

Hand choice is an unconscious decision frequently made in daily life, whether it's reaching for an object such as a cup or performing any other task. This decision is influenced by target-related information, such as the location, shape, and orientation of the object. However, the selection probability for each hand reaches equilibrium when the target-related factors are similar for the left and right hands. Recent findings suggest that hand choice in such ambiguous situations is biased by prior information before the target presentation. One such factor is prior somatosensory stimulation on one wrist, which likely affects brain activity, enhancing the likelihood ...

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Technology19 Dec 2024

Graz University of Technology develops modular timber high-rise building for resource-efficient construction

The operating life and life span of buildings are often far apart. If a property is no longer fit for purpose, it is usually demolished even though it would still be perfectly usable. Even in the event of damage to individual parts of the building, the entire building usually has to make way. This is because in most cases it is cheaper to build a new building than to carry out a conversion or renovation of the existing one. However, this approach does not conserve resources. In the MOHOHO project, an interdisciplinary team from the Institute of Architectural Technology and the Institute of Timber Engineering ...

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Technology19 Dec 2024

Breathing new life into technology: New way of separating oxygen from argon

Efficient gas separation is vital in various industries, from medical applications to energy production. However, isolating oxygen from mixtures presents a significant technological challenge. Because many gases, including argon and oxygen, share similar physical properties, separating them is difficult. Now, Ryotaro Matsuda and his team at Nagoya University have developed a unique porous metal-organic framework (MOF), which represents a novel approach to gas separation: a combined phenomenon of "adsorption" and "dissolution" that they term the "adsorptive-dissolution" ...

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Technology19 Dec 2024

Almost all leading AI chatbots show signs of cognitive decline

Almost all leading large language models or “chatbots” show signs of mild cognitive impairment in tests widely used to spot early signs of dementia, finds a study in the Christmas issue of The BMJ. The results also show that “older” versions of chatbots, like older patients, tend to perform worse on the tests. The authors say these findings “challenge the assumption that artificial intelligence will soon replace human doctors.” Huge advances in the field of artificial intelligence have led to a flurry of excited and fearful speculation as to whether chatbots can surpass human physicians. Several studies have shown large ...

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Technology18 Dec 2024

Are AI chatbots helping the planet—or repeating old biases?

AI chatbots may seem like neutral tools, but a new study from UBC researchers suggests they often contain biases that could shape environmental discourse in unhelpful ways. The research team examined how four leading AI chatbots respond to questions about environmental issues—and the findings are surprising. “It was striking how narrow-minded AI models were in discussing environmental challenges,” said lead researcher Hamish van der Ven, an assistant professor in the faculty ...

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Technology18 Dec 2024

Q&A: New AI training method lets systems better adjust to users’ values

Ask most major artificial intelligence chatbots, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, to say something cruel or inappropriate and the system will say it wants to keep things “respectful.” These systems, trained on the content of a profusely disrespectful internet, learned what constitutes respect through human training. The standard method, called reinforcement learning from human feedback, or RLHF, has people compare two outputs from the systems and select whichever is better. It’s used to improve the quality of responses — ...

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Technology18 Dec 2024

Getting in sync: Wearables reveal happiest times to sleep

Sleep schedules are often one of the first things that people choose to compromise in order to check everything off their to-do lists, especially with the end of the year approaching. But folks hoping for happy holidays should reconsider. A new study from the University of Michigan shows that when people's sleep cycles are misaligned with their internal clocks, or circadian rhythms, it can have drastic effects on their moods. Conversely, however, that means getting sleep when the body's expecting it provides a potent boost to one's emotional state and could alleviate symptoms associated with mood disorders, said senior author Daniel Forger. "This is not going ...

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Technology18 Dec 2024

MIT engineers grow “high-rise” 3D chips

The electronics industry is approaching a limit to the number of transistors that can be packed onto the surface of a computer chip. So, chip manufacturers are looking to build up rather than out. Instead of squeezing ever-smaller transistors onto a single surface, the industry is aiming to stack multiple surfaces of transistors and semiconducting elements — akin to turning a ranch house into a high-rise. Such multilayered chips could handle exponentially more data and carry out many more complex functions than today’s electronics. A significant hurdle, however, is the platform on which chips are built. Today, bulky ...

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Technology18 Dec 2024

Bias in AI amplifies our own biases

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems tend to take on human biases and amplify them, causing people who use that AI to become more biased themselves, finds a new study by UCL researchers. Human and AI biases can consequently create a feedback loop, with small initial biases increasing the risk of human error, according to the findings published in Nature Human Behaviour. The researchers demonstrated that AI bias can have real-world consequences, as they found that people interacting with biased AIs became more likely to underestimate women’s ...

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Technology18 Dec 2024

Coral reef nightlife becomes more predatory with artificial light

Artificial light can wake sleeping fish and attract predators, changing nighttime coral reef communities, according to new research using novel underwater infrared cameras. The study, published today in Global Change Biology, was conducted by an international team of scientists from the UK, France, French Polynesia and Chile and the first large-scale experiment to investigate the impact of light pollution on the nightlife of coral reefs. Lead author, Dr Emma Weschke, from the University of Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences, ...

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Technology17 Dec 2024

New virtual reality-tested system shows promise in aiding navigation of people with blindness or low vision

A new study offers hope for people who are blind or have low vision (pBLV) through an innovative navigation system that was tested using virtual reality. The system, which combines vibrational and sound feedback, aims to help users navigate complex real-world environments more safely and effectively. The research from NYU Tandon School of Engineering, published in JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology, advances work from John-Ross Rizzo, Maurizio Porfiri and colleagues toward developing a first-of-its-kind ...

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