Science

Texas-based battery tech startup Group1 has launched the world’s first potassium-ion battery (KIB) in the popular cylindrical 18650 format. The battery outperforms Li-ion ones in key areas like charging speed, safety and number of charge cycles, while also being free of unsustainably sourced minerals like cobalt, nickel, copper, etc.

In a wide-ranging interview spanning more than 8 hours, Elon Musk and the Neuralink team talk about the BCI implant human trials and enhancing the human mind so that AI doesn't become 'bored' with it.

A tiny chip drives a temperature sensor - thanks to the many different radio waves in our environment. In order for this to work, the researchers had to solve a crucial problem.

Magnetic separation not only promises cost-effective dismantling of batteries. At the same time, the price of basic parts for new batteries would fall - not to mention the savings in raw materials.

Synchron announced the successful use of its brain-computer interface (BCI) by an ALS patient to control the Apple Vision Pro using thoughts. This breakthrough will allow individuals who have lost mobility in their hands and voice to interact with the device hands-free. Synchron's CEO stated that this new approach will address a critical unmet need for millions of people with paralysis.

Artificial light is different from sunlight. Above all, it is not efficiently converted into electricity by solar modules. A new type of perovskite solar cell is set to change this thanks to its high efficiency.

The clinical trial for BiVACOR's innovative artificial heart has reached a stage in which it is being tested in human patients. The synthetic vital organ replacement, which incorporates magnetic levitation (or MAGLEV) technology to keep a user's blood pumping, has been successfully implanted at a Texas research center.

While researchers found that melatonin secretion fell in those watching a TV with LCD screen, in the OLED control group it actually increased. The parasympathetic nerves' activation was also higher when watching an OLED TV.

As Elon Musk announced on X, the Optimus robot will be used in Tesla factories as early as next year and could go into mass production as early as 2026.

A principle from nature helps to obtain valuable metals much more easily in their pure form. Instead of complex mechanical and physical processes, a reaction from our own bodies is used.

University of Delaware and Argonne National Lab researchers created a method to turn waste Styrofoam (polystyrene) into a valuable electronics material. Their technique uses a milder chemical reaction to produce high-performing PEDOT:PSS polymer, reducing environmental impact. This upcycled PEDOT:PSS can be used in various electronic devices.

A new technology from South Korea called Nano-MIND allows scientists to wirelessly control specific brain regions using magnetic fields. The technique has already successfully influenced maternal behavior and feeding in mice by targeting distinct neuronal circuits. From helping us understand our brain better to developing treatments for neurological disorders, this tech holds a ton of potential.

Scientists identified nickel iodide (NiI2) as a promising material for ultra-fast memory due to its exceptionally strong magnetoelectric coupling, a property where electric fields can influence magnetism and vice versa. This discovery could lead to significantly faster, smaller, and more energy-efficient memory devices. Beyond memory, NiI2 has potential applications in quantum computing and chemical sensors.

7 nm, 5 nm, 3 nm. The smaller MOSFETs and FinFETs become, the more circuits are possible on the same surface area. However, development is coming up against a very practical limit: the atomic radius.

Generative AI is often seen as one of the great technological innovations of the era; nevertheless, its effects on the traditionally human domains of artistic endeavor are hotly debated. A team of researchers set out to assess the effects of OpenAI's GPT model on the ability of its subjects to produce viable creative writing content, with intriguing results.

Taza Aya, a University of Michigan startup says it has developed an 'invisible mask' technology which kills 99% of pathogens in the air while also keeping out 99.8% of aerosols. The University of Michigan says its effectiveness has been proven by independent third-party testing.

Batteries in electric cars, but also for any other mobile use, require a high energy density. However, this is often associated with a shorter service life, which a new type of structure aims to change.

The Neuralink brain-computer implant that allowed a human trial participant to play games with their mind only might one day be used to control Tesla's Optimus robots, predicts Elon Musk.

With a mixture of targeted light scattering and adaptation to the respective light conditions, the sea creatures convert a large proportion of the light into usable energy. A model for future solar modules.

Building materials can also be produced using photosynthesis and special bacteria. The process is highly adaptable and should soon deliver relevant quantities.

It is still a prototype, but the tiny device listens exactly where the sound arrives and requires no other components. The advantages for hearing-impaired people could be enormous.

As with a solar cell, only a little sunlight is needed, but then hydrogen flows instead of electricity. And unlike photovoltaics, this can be stored for a long time. But there are still a few challenges.

It is not a new idea, and the material already exists. However, one very special property makes it more effective than traditional facade insulation - especially in summer, but not only.

Synthetic fuels could be useful in two ways: as storage for surplus renewable energy and as a climate-neutral fuel with enormous energy density. However, the efficiency of their production is appallingly poor.

A small modification during production was enough to store a considerable amount of CO2 in fresh cement. The researchers were quite surprised by the strength of their product.

After a 6-month collaboration, Microsoft and Photonic recently announced the capability to successfully transfer quantum information between two physically separated qubits in a point-to-point connection using photons at telecom wavelengths.

More smart devices, mobile communications and autonomous driving: Fast and reliable data transmission at all times is becoming increasingly important, which is becoming more and more of a challenge.

It's as big as the original, clicks like the original, but comes from outer space. To create a base on the moon, the ESA is copying the principle of the toy manufacturer that is also involved.

Following the example of nature, photosynthesis, a system was developed that captures as much light as possible and converts it as efficiently as possible. It is also wafer-thin.

NASA will pay SpaceX $843 million to demolish the ageing space station when it reaches the end of its operational life. The current plan is to bring the ISS down over the Pacific Ocean. Plans to salvage parts of the ISS for other projects have been met with concerns over ownership and legality.

Geothermal energy not only supplies heat and electricity. Almost pure lithium carbonate could be extracted from the deep water to produce batteries.

Bill Gates' company Molten Industries produces graphite, a key material for lithium-ion batteries, from natural gas in a cost-effective and CO2-free process. The new technology is designed to help decarbonise while supporting the development of EVs and the hydrogen economy.

It is invisible, cannot be measured in any other way, but is supposed to explain the creation and existence of the universe. A "trap" for dark matter and energy is now being constructed.

Durable or high-yield: until now, that was the choice with perovskite modules. A new method has now combined both - albeit on a not entirely practical scale.

With more wind and solar power, gigantic storage options must also be created. A new principle for producing liquid fuels should help - completely without pure hydrogen.

Keeping roads ice-free with innovative concrete: Researchers at Drexel University in Philadelphia have developed a new type of material that can melt snow on roads and sidewalks for up to ten hours, thanks to a special blend of ingredients. Using this self-heating concrete could reduce the need for extensive snowploughing and salting, thereby cutting costs and reducing environmental impact.

It should be more efficient and less complex. It also uses established structures, while the newly developed flash memory can significantly improve write performance. But there is still a catch.

Unlike the small nuclear fusion reactors used for research, the plasma in ITER could require constant shutdowns. New calculations suggest that this decades-old assumption is wrong.

Innovative photovoltaic modules can be produced in different colors. This ensures only minimal efficiency losses, but opens up many additional application possibilities.

The energy density is on a par with current battery technology. The new battery can be shrunk to a thickness of just a few micrometers. But it is not only the material savings that are remarkable.

An automated process, a hyperspectral camera and the prospect of further optimizations are driving semiconductor development. And it is not only further improvements in photovoltaics that are to be tackled.

According to a comprehensive study that involved following over 25,000 women over a 25-year period, those who had eating habits in line with a Mediterranean diet were 23% less likely to die compared to those leading a different life from this point of view. This diet keeps processed foods, alcohol, and red meat to a minimum.

A new sodium-ion battery electrode material called Lignode is making its way into what could become the world's most sustainably built EV and energy storage battery with fast charging capability.

There are many reasons for ice ages: The earth's tilt, volcanoes, the CO2 concentration could be the cause. Or a mysterious bubble in space that could have had a significant effect.

With a peak level at 7:08 a.m. ET, yesterday's solar flare that got spotted by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory was labeled X1.5. On the first day of this month, NASA's solar research satellite spotted two other strong solar flares. Their intensities were slightly lower, peaking at X1.4.

A newly developed material can effectively reduce noise by acting as a curtain. Unlike ANC headphones, however, it does not cancel out the noise and can therefore make entire rooms quieter.

A new recycling method for solar modules produces neither strong acids nor toxic waste. An important step towards a circular economy in photovoltaics.

Japanese billionaire Yusaka Maezawa has cancelled his planned moon trip on board a SpaceX Starship, blaming persistent delays in the rocket's development which he did not anticipate. Originally announced in 2018 with an expected launch date in 2023, the 'dearMoon' project faced indefinite postponement last November.

Against the trend of rising prices, electricity from wind is costing less and less. Numerous other factors make offshore plants particularly attractive, also in combination with nuclear power.

Metal-air batteries require a highly complex structure. This is not the case with the new variant with high power density and efficiency, which owes its function to a new type of material.