Researchers Discover New Ultra Strong Material for Microchip Sensors
By Delft University of Technology in phys.org
Researchers have unveiled a remarkable new material with potential to impact the world of material science: amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC). Beyond its exceptional strength, this material demonstrates mechanical properties crucial for vibration isolation on a microchip. Amorphous silicon carbide is therefore particularly suitable for making ultra-sensitive microchip sensors. READ FULL ARTICLE.
Media credits: Science Brush
Originally published in Advanced Materials (2023). DOI: 10.1002/adma.202306513
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Room-Temperature Superconductor Study Retracted by Nature
By phys.org
A study published in March claiming the discovery of a superconductor that works at room temperature—a scientific holy grail—has been retracted by the high-profile journal Nature at the request of most of its authors. It marks Nature's second retraction of a superconductor study produced by the team led by Ranga Dias of the University of Rochester in the United States. READ FULL ARTICLE.
Media credits: CC0 Public Domain
Originally published in Nature (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06774-2
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Red Hot October Almost Guarantees 2023 Will Be the Hottest Year on Record
By Melina Walling, phys.org
This October was the hottest on record globally, 1.7 degrees Celsius (3.1 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the pre-industrial average for the month—and the fifth straight month with such a mark in what will now almost certainly be the warmest year ever recorded. READ FULL ARTICLE.
Media credits: AP Photo/Bob Edme, File
Originally published by the Associated Press
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Humans vs. Robots: Study Compares 27 Humanoid Robots with Humans to See Who Is Superior
By Franziska Schmid, ETH Zurich, phys.org
Science fiction films portray the idea relatively simply: the terminator—who either tries to destroy or rescue humanity—is such a perfect humanoid robot that in most cases it is superior to humans. But how well do humanoid robots perform nowadays away from the cinema screen? READ FULL ARTICLE.
Media credits: Robotic Systems Lab / ETH Zurich
Originally published in Frontiers in Robotics and AI (2023). DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2023.1223946
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Neutralizing Electronic Inhomogeneity in Cleaved Bulk MoS₂
By Sonal Mistry, Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, phys.org
Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is a highly versatile material that can function, for example, as a gas sensor or as a photocatalyst in green hydrogen production. Although the understanding of a material usually starts from investigating its bulk crystalline form, for MoS2 much more studies have been devoted to mono and few layer nanosheets. READ FULL ARTICLE.
Media credits: Martin Künsting / HZB
Originally published in Advanced Materials Interfaces (2023). DOI: 10.1002/admi.202300392
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Vacuum in Optical Cavity Can Change Material's Magnetic State without Laser Excitation
By Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter in phys.org
Researchers in Germany and the U.S. have produced the first theoretical demonstration that the magnetic state of an atomically thin material, α-RuCl3, can be controlled solely by placing it into an optical cavity. Crucially, the cavity vacuum fluctuations alone are sufficient to change the material's magnetic order from a zigzag antiferromagnet into a ferromagnet. READ FULL ARTICLE.
Media credits: J. Harms, MPSD
Originally published in npj Computational Materials (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41524-023-01158-6
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Detecting Gravitational Waves with an Interferometric Seismometer Array on the Lunar Near Side
By Science China Press in phys.org
A research recently proposed a promising plan to detect gravitational waves (GWs) by putting seismometers on the moon's surface. By utilizing the moon as a Weber bar-style resonant mass, the experiment capitalizes on detecting deci-Hertz gravitational waves. The researchers plan to build an array of small laser interferometric seismometers on the moon surface. READ FULL ARTICLE.
Media credits: Science China Press
Originally published in Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy (2023). DOI: 10.1007/s11433-023-2179-9
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Miniaturized Free-Space Optical Breakthrough Unlocks High-Speed Wireless Communication Anywhere
By Anna Ettlin, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, techxplore.com
The Empa research group is researching innovative materials for the batteries of tomorrow. Whether it's fast-charging electric cars or low-cost stationary storage, there's a promising material or a novel manufacturing process for every application. What are the hallmarks of a good battery? Is it its capacity? How fast it charges? Or its price? READ FULL ARTICLE.
Media credits: Empa
Originally published in Cell Reports Physical Science (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2023.101473; Advanced Materials (2023). DOI: 10.1002/adma.202304158
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Reactant Enrichment of Nanoreactors Boosts Hydrogenation Performance
By Science China Press in phys.org
Hollow-structured supported metal catalysts (i.e. nanoreactor catalysts) with encapsulated active sites and well-defined shells provide an ideal place for multicomponents to react or transform cooperatively in an orderly manner, and efficiently have been recognized as one of the most popular catalyst candidates. READ FULL ARTICLE.
Media credits: Science China Press
Originally published in National Science Review (2023). DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwad201
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Controlling Waves in Magnets with Superconductors for the First Time
By Delft University of Technology in phys.org
Quantum physicists have shown that it's possible to control and manipulate spin waves on a chip using superconductors for the first time. These tiny waves in magnets may offer an alternative to electronics in the future. The study primarily gives physicists new insight into the interaction between magnets and superconductors. READ FULL ARTICLE.
Media credits: Michael Borst, TU Delft
Originally published in Science (2023). DOI: 10.1126/science.adj7576
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Research Team Suggests Ways to Eat Our Way Out of the Climate Crisis
By University of California, Irvine in phys.org
Agriculture is one of the hardest human activities to decarbonize; people must eat, but the land-use practices associated with growing crops account for roughly a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine and other institutions evaluate a new solution to this problem, one that eliminates farms altogether. READ FULL ARTICLE.
Media credits: Steven Davis/UCI
Originally published in Nature Sustainability (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41893-023-01241-2. www.nature.com/articles/s41893-023-01241-2
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Preventing Catastrophic Failure in Lithium Ion Batteries
By Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) in techxplore.com
In a recent study, a team of ANSTO scientists, used neutron scattering techniques to understand the formation of harmful lithium structures in rechargeable lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Despite being found in most portable electronics and electric vehicles, the energy capacity of LIBs falls short of that required by many next-generation technologies. READ FULL ARTICLE.
Media credits: Advanced Energy Materials (2023). DOI: 10.1002/aenm.202301266
Originally published in Advanced Energy Materials (2023). DOI: 10.1002/aenm.202301266
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Measuring Mechanical Stresses and Strains in Graphene-Based Supercapacitor Electrodes
By Raven Wuebker, Texas A&M University College of Engineering, phys.org
Researchers have discovered that when charging a supercapacitor, it stores energy and responds by stretching and expanding. This finding can be used to design new materials for flexible electronics or other devices that must be both strong and store energy efficiently. READ FULL ARTICLE.
Media credits: Matter (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2023.08.017
Originally published in Matter (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2023.08.017
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Do We Live in a Computer Simulation Like in The Matrix? Proposed New Law of Physics Backs Up the Idea
By Melvin M. Vopson, The Conversation, phys.org
The simulated universe theory implies that our universe, with all its galaxies, planets and life forms, is a meticulously programmed computer simulation. In this scenario, the physical laws governing our reality are simply algorithms. The experiences we have are generated by the computational processes of an immensely advanced system. READ FULL ARTICLE.
Media credits: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain
Originally published in The Conversation
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NASA's Curiosity Rover Clocks 4,000 Days on Mars
By NASA in phys.org
Four thousand Martian days after setting its wheels in Gale Crater on Aug. 5, 2012, NASA's Curiosity rover remains busy conducting exciting science. The rover recently drilled its 39th sample, then dropped the pulverized rock into its belly for detailed analysis. READ FULL ARTICLE.
Media credits: NASA / JPL-Caltech
Originally published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets (2023). DOI: 10.1029/2023JE008041
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GPT-4 Falls Short of Turing Threshold
By Peter Grad, techxplore.com
One question has relentlessly followed ChatGPT in its trajectory to superstar status in the field of artificial intelligence: Has it met the Turing test of generating output indistinguishable from human response? Two researchers at the University of California at San Diego say it comes close, but not quite. READ FULL ARTICLE.
Media credits: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain
Originally published in arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2310.20216
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Self-Powered Flexible Multicolor Electrochromic Devices for Information Displays
By Research in phys.org
In recent years, self-powered electrochromic (EC) devices have shown significant potential in various fields such as optoelectronics, sensors, and security systems. These self-powered EC systems, capable of reversible color switching without external power sources, have garnered considerable interest for next-generation electronic devices. READ FULL ARTICLE.
Media credits: Research (2023). DOI: 10.34133/research.0227
Originally published in Research (2023). DOI: 10.34133/research.0227
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