Science

A MIT research group has demonstrated the ability to mind-control a 4-legged Boston Robotics Spot. Participants wore a pair of AttentivU smart glasses with built-in electrodes that can mind-read. They were able to tell the robotic dog to fetch items and move about by thoughts alone.

Integrated Biosciences has discovered a new class of antibiotics using AI-powered drug discovery software. The new antibiotics can be effective against MRSA and other germs that have gained resistance against current drugs. This can reduce deaths from infections that do not respond to current antibiotics.

Microbiomes from hunter-gatherer societies are being used to help people in industrialised countries fight chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's, arthritis, heart disease, diabetes and cancer. However, this type of research also raises ethical concerns about biopiracy and scientific colonialism.

This year, zero-emissions flying came closer: the first flight of ZeroAvia's hydrogen-powered aircraft was voted the breakthrough technology of 2023 in a survey by MIT Technology Review. The company has already raised over $140 million from high-profile investors including Bill Gates, and is working towards commercial launch.

Alchemists puzzled over it for centuries, physicists have now been able to calculate it precisely. A comprehensive model shows how gold and other precious, rare and heavy metals are formed. The only ingredients: Just two neutron stars.

A rocket launch consumes a few hundred tons of fuel. Roughly speaking, the equivalent of 1 million liters of petrol. All the better that ESA wants to send its Ariane launch vehicles into space using solar energy in future.

"Great product" or "The best ever" are unhelpful comments. An online experiment shows how it can be done better. The strategy not only leads to more, but above all to more reliable reviews.

15 years of data on family, health and education are enough to make astonishingly reliable predictions for a lifetime. If you want to take a look into the future yourself, you can find the associated program "life2vec" on github.

NASA has streamed a high-definition video of a cat named Taters. The video was transmitted to Earth from 19 million miles away, nearly 80 times the distance from the Moon. But what's really interesting is that the video was beamed using near-infrared lasers with a bit rate of 267 Mbps, faster than many internet connections.

Google MedML is an AI language model developed specifically for the healthcare sector and is now available to Google Cloud customers in the US via the Vertex AI platform.

Google DeepMind's new AI is developing numerous materials, including for EV batteries, solar cells, computer chips and much more. In addition, the new A-Lab laboratory is taking material development to a next level by combining robotics and machine learning.

Not only meat consumption itself has a few disadvantages. The excrement of farm animals also becomes a problem in large quantities. A novel system of electrodes and surplus electricity can be used to recover valuable raw materials.

Quantum chips based on rubidium atoms instead of superconducting qubits are expected to dramatically increase the performance capabilities of quantum computers, as reported by researchers in the journal 'Nature'.

The newly launched Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology aims to develop novel technology that can record the genetic history of a cell as it changes over time. Called a genomic smartwatch, this research initiative has the potential to influence healthcare and 'unlock the secrets of disease'.

No transistors in the nanometer range, instead individual molecules and laser light come into play to store information and execute algorithms. Above all, however, research into molecule-based quantum computers provides an exciting glimpse into the future.

IBM recently presented two new quantum processors (QPUs) at the Quantum Summit 2023: the Condor QPU with 1121 qubits and the smaller Heron QPU with 133 qubits. IBM also unveiled the modular System Two quantum supercomputer.

CheckMag The Raspberry Pi 5 has been given a significant speed boost and a slew of new features. With the introduction of faster silicone and a PCI connector that doesn't require a separate compute module, the Raspberry Pi 5 is more akin to a full fat PC than just a board for projects

French startup Biomemory has introduced a new kind of memory card designed to securely store data for at least 150 years. According to the company, the Biomemory card encodes this data as DNA that it replicates thousands of times to prevent information from being irretrievable.

With a history of over 31 years, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has failed in its attempts to limit the negative influence of human activity on the climate system. However, the partnership with Microsoft might reshape mankind's future with the help of artificial intelligence.

Around 52,000 of the new stable structures resemble the layered nature of graphenes and may play an important role in the development of advanced superconductors for quantum supercomputers and nuclear fusion reactors.

Everyone would like cheap energy. For the electric car, radiant heater, heat pump, air conditioning or coffee machine. A new tandem solar cell promises exactly that, and on a large scale.

Combining green hydrogen and CO₂, experts at the VTT Technical Research Center have successfully produced a sustainable electro-fuel to power heavy transport engines.

AI can hallucinate and use false claims to substantiate arguments. A new quality are apparently scientific studies that conclusively prove the desired result at first glance. As if humans weren't already quite good at this themselves.

Gene therapy: A biotech company from China financed a treatment for ten deaf children that has resulted in potentially the greatest restoration of a lost sense in history. In a video, the mother of a child demonstrates her daughter's new hearing abilities.

Two counter-rotating blades on a turbine are better than one. This innovative technology from World Wide Wind (WWW) has the best chance to maximize offshore wind energy, especially in deep-sea locations.

Researchers at Chung Ang university have introduced a new wearable robotic system that assists hip abduction and improves balance in people with walking difficulties. Tests show that the robot minimizes the metabolic cost of walking by 11.6%.

Northvolt claims it has reached a breakthrough in sodium-ion battery technology, allowing it to reach up to 160 Wh/kg energy density. This means Northvolt's Na-ion chemistry is starting to overtake existing LFP cells for affordability and density.

In late November 1979, a 67-year-old unnamed Jehovah's Witness became the first receiver of artificial blood. The medical procedures, namely two transfusions during which six pints of Fluosol were administered, took place at the University of Minnesota Hospital in Minneapolis.

Huawei opened a new research facility in the Finnish capital at the end of October where, among other things, it is conducting research in the areas of sports and health for its wearables. We paid a visit.

Airbus has announced tests for the new detumblers for early 2024 and has already launched one into orbit. The system is intended to keep the many LEO satellites under better control in future.

On November 16, 1904, former Edison employee John Ambrose Fleming patented the first thermionic (vacuum-tube) diode in Britain. The US patent for the same invention was granted the following year. Today, these diodes are used in some high-power applications, audiophile devices, and musical instruments.

Trained with 40 years of weather data, AI has found a shortcut in the calculation of weather forecasts. It produces prognosises with the same accuracy, but with a fraction of the effort.

The new thermal transistor technology requires small amounts of power and can be integrated on top of the semiconductors in a chip. It can also improve efficiency for batteries and chargers.

In a bid to improve the accuracy of current genome editing methods, ORNL scientists have generated excitement over the potential of their AI model to create sustainable fuels.

Garmin Health, a division of smartwatch maker Garmin, has partnered with Labfront to offer an award worth US$1,750 to assist research into mental health. The goal of the hardware and software award is to accelerate data collection and analysis for improved mental health research and solutions.

Scientist Young Suk Jo has created a new technology that aims to use ammonia as a cheaper and lower-emission fuel in the transportation industry. Ammonia offers a higher energy density compared to hydrogen, making it a significant alternative for creating a climate-friendly transportation network.

A new study proves the accuracy of the Apple Watch - even when it is worn in an unusual place. The study also shows that the watch can be used in rather unusual situations.

a program at the University of Kansas claims to be able to reliably unmask 99% of all AI-generated texts. This is huge progress compared to previous attempts to automatically separate artificially created texts from human ones.

In the "Pulsar Seekers" project, anyone can search for pulsars using their own computer and brainpower. However, it is not necessary to have your own spaceship. The findings help to better understand Einstein's theories, including gravitational waves.

Avnos, a Californian company, is developing a device that separates both CO₂ and water from thin air. This pioneering technology aims to tackle climate change and alleviate drought in some parts of the world. Avnos has secured $92 million in funding to date.

AIR Company creates the first-ever vodka produced from CO₂ which comes with a negative carbon footprint. The company is devoted to extracting CO₂ from the atmosphere and converting it into a product to combat global warming. Moreover, the company makes use of sustainable energy to concoct a CO₂-based perfume that carries a genderless scent.

Anthro Energy's flexible energy storage systems will be used in next-generation electronic devices and are currently being sold to the first wearable manufacturers. The development team has identified promising applications for the fireproof batteries, particularly in electric vehicles and laptops. By integrating them into belts, straps and other "dead spaces", Anthro batteries are expected to extend the service life of devices by 2 to 5 times.

Hydrogen technology will play a crucial role in a climate-friendly energy supply in the future. It has potential as an alternative in transport and logistics and in the development of e-fuels. Thus, hydrogen could provide a basis for advancing energy transition. This 20-million-euro funded research programme aims to explore the potential and limitations of this technology.

A new eco-friendly fuel, produced from aluminium, stores more energy than batteries and can be obtained from scrap metal. This recycled energy source would otherwise go to waste and can be used in the transport sector to reduce emissions.

To increase the lifespan of batteries for electric vehicles, the Argonne National Laboratory in the USA developed battery systems capable of withstanding frequent charging and discharging. These systems have minimal environmental impact, too.

When it's cold, the jacket contracts into thick layers; when it's warm, the fabric stretches again. MIT has presented a fiber that requires neither additional electronics nor is it expensive to produce.

Xiaomi has now provided a deeper dive into one of its new flagship smartphone's least predictable upgrades: a new form of protection for its premium 2K display. Dragon Crystal Glass has been made in-house by the OEM, rated for up to 10 times the drop-resistance of rivals such as Huawei's Kunlun Glass or Corning's top-end Gorilla Glass Victus.

The GSM Association's latest study on mobile internet use worldwide has concluded that over half of the global population now has at least one smartphone. Four billion of those people are estimated to use mobile data on those devices, although hundreds of millions still use alternative mobile devices. The number of people without access to mobile connectivity has also been found to have dropped precipitously since 2015.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals has issued a press release that could leave millions of people suffering from type 1 diabetes (T1D) with cautious optimism in regard to a cure. By using VX-880 stem-cell therapy in a long-term trial, three patients who had coped with diabetes for decades had “achieved insulin independence”. The current study will last until 2028.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is estimated to affect about one billion people worldwide, and is currently associated with the risk of developing severe cardiovascular and neurological disease. Samsung has announced that its Galaxy Watch series is now officially approved to detect symptoms of the disorder in users, thereby possibly increasing their chances of early diagnosis.