Science

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.

As a fuel - especially for large machines - hydrogen is likely to be of central importance in the future. However, its production is costly or dirty, something that biowaste could change abruptly.

Converting light directly into motion is one of the curious abilities of a quantum motor. New experiments show that quantum entanglement enhances this even further.

Instead of replacing coal with hydrogen, the direct route promises to be much more efficient. You would only need enough mirrors to capture sufficient sunlight, which has hardly been practical up to now. A new material is now set to change this.

Also a renewable energy source: the fibers used generate enough electricity from the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the jacket to charge a smartphone or smartwatch. Still theory, but the fiber already works.

Not only computers, but also some inattentive listeners find it difficult to recognize sarcasm. And both humans and machines find it difficult to classify and evaluate such statements. A new technology aims to remedy this.

The innovative energy storage system uses inexpensive materials, can absorb large amounts of electricity and binds CO2 when releasing energy. Further development of the system is already being planned.

Researchers are using normal ANC headphones and two additional microphones to show how noise can not only be suppressed. Instead, one specific voice is filtered by eye contact and amplified, while the rest remains muted.

Great technical solutions or innovations are not always necessary to increase the output of solar systems. Instead, more electricity can be generated with minimal effort, which works better in poor conditions.

A recent survey of 1.7 million gamers found that games that involve “strategic thinking and planning” are becoming less popular amongst gamers. Out of twelve different motivations, strategic thinking in games has seen the biggest decline, regardless of gender or nationality, and researchers speculate that declining attention spans may contribute to the lack of interest in strategy-centric games.

Google will soon begin construction of a fiber optic cable linking Africa to Australia, the first of its kind. The cable will run from Kenya to South Africa before crossing the Indian Ocean. The cable, dubbed "Umoja," is designed to bolster connections between countries within Africa and the world outside the continent.

Using metals instead of graphite increases the capacity of lithium batteries while reducing costs. This is reflected in the range of electric cars, which could make a leap thanks to new studies.

For the first time, two positively charged holes in a semiconductor transistor acted like qubits, i.e. they also interacted. This could fundamentally simplify the construction of quantum computers and improve their practical usability.

Computing pioneer Gordon Bell, a name associated with the development of the PDP and VAX computer systems at Digital Equipment Corporation in the 1960s and 1970s, passed away at 89. In the 1990s, he advised Microsoft and then joined the company full-time, becoming the subject of the MyLifeBits project.

Airbus has been working on a helicopter concept without a tail rotor for several years. The aircraft, known as the Racer, has now flown for the first time for 30 minutes and is now ready for real-world testing.

The need for antimicrobial surfaces has increased in recent years. This is especially true for publicly accessible touch displays, and not just in hospitals. But how can the property be retained for a long time and still be used as a screen?

According to a comprehensive study, the costs of battery systems and fuel cells are likely to fall noticeably as early as 2030. The necessary framework conditions for this development are already in place to some extent.