Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Category: computing – Page 65

Scientists design novel battery that runs on atomic waste

Researchers have developed a battery that can convert nuclear energy into electricity via light emission, a new study suggests.

Nuclear power plants, which generate about 20% of all electricity produced in the United States, produce almost no greenhouse gas emissions. However, these systems do create , which can be dangerous to human health and the environment. Safely disposing of this waste can be challenging.

Using a combination of scintillator crystals, high-density materials that emit light when they absorb radiation, and , the team, led by researchers from The Ohio State University, demonstrated that ambient gamma radiation could be harvested to produce a strong enough electric output to power microelectronics, like microchips.

DNA origami suggests route to reusable, multifunctional biosensors

Using an approach called DNA origami, scientists at Caltech have developed a technique that could lead to cheaper, reusable biomarker sensors for quickly detecting proteins in bodily fluids, eliminating the need to send samples out to lab centers for testing.

“Our work provides a proof-of-concept showing a path to a single-step method that could be used to identify and measure and proteins,” says Paul Rothemund (BS ‘94), a visiting associate at Caltech in computing and mathematical sciences, and computation and neural systems.

A paper describing the work recently appeared in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The lead authors of the paper are former Caltech postdoctoral scholar Byoung-jin Jeon and current graduate student Matteo M. Guareschi, who completed the work in Rothemund’s lab.

Hybrid states of light and matter may significantly enhance OLED brightness

Researchers developed a theoretical model that predicts a substantial increase in the brightness of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) by leveraging novel quantum states called polaritons. Integrating polaritons into OLEDs effectively requires the discovery of new materials, making practical implementation an exciting challenge.

OLED technology has become a common light source in a variety of high-end display devices, such as smartphones, laptops, TVs or smart watches.

While OLEDs are rapidly reshaping lighting applications with their flexibility and eco-friendliness, they can be quite slow at converting electric current into light, with only a 25% probability in emitting photons efficiently and rapidly. The latter is an important condition for boosting the brightness of OLEDs, which tend to be dimmer than other light technologies.

Scientists reveal key to affordable, room-temperature quantum light

Quantum light sources are fickle. They can flicker like stars in the night sky and can fade out like a dying flashlight. However, newly published research from the University of Oklahoma proves that adding a covering to one of these light sources, called a colloidal quantum dot, can cause them to shine without faltering, opening the door to new, affordable quantum possibilities. The findings are available in Nature Communications.

Quantum dots, or QDs, are so small that if you scaled up a single quantum dot to the size of a baseball, a baseball would be the size of the moon. QDs are used in a variety of products, from computer monitors and LEDs to and biomedical engineering devices. They are also used in and communication.

A research study led by OU Assistant Professor Yitong Dong demonstrates that adding a crystalized molecular layer to QDs made of perovskite neutralizes surface defects and stabilizes the surface lattices. Doing so prevents them from darkening or blinking.

Searching for a universal principle for unconventional superconductivity

You may recognize graphite as the “lead” in a pencil, but besides helping you take notes or fill in countless bubbles on exam answer sheets, it is helping scientists grapple with the secrets of superconductivity.

Superconductivity happens when an electric current is transmitted through wires without the loss of any energy in the form of heat or resistance. Superconducting materials have the potential to revolutionize many aspects of our daily lives, from improving the electrical grid to making more powerful computers.

However, generally requires very low temperatures, so low they may become impractical, and the exact mechanisms of superconductivity are not well understood for many .

New Maps of the Bizarre, Chaotic Space-Time Inside Black Holes

In the late 1960s, physicists like Charles Misner proposed that the regions surrounding singularities—points of infinite density at the centers of black holes—might exhibit chaotic behavior, with space and time undergoing erratic contractions and expansions. This concept, termed the “Mixmaster universe,” suggested that an astronaut venturing into such a black hole would experience a tumultuous mixing of their body parts, akin to the action of a kitchen mixer.

S general theory of relativity, which describes the gravitational dynamics of black holes, employs complex mathematical formulations that intertwine multiple equations. Historically, researchers like Misner introduced simplifying assumptions to make these equations more tractable. However, even with these assumptions, the computational tools of the time were insufficient to fully explore the chaotic nature of these regions, leading to a decline in related research. + Recently, advancements in mathematical techniques and computational power have reignited interest in studying the chaotic environments near singularities. Physicists aim to validate the earlier approximations made by Misner and others, ensuring they accurately reflect the predictions of Einsteinian gravity. Moreover, by delving deeper into the extreme conditions near singularities, researchers hope to bridge the gap between general relativity and quantum mechanics, potentially leading to a unified theory of quantum gravity.

Understanding the intricate and chaotic space-time near black hole singularities not only challenges our current physical theories but also promises to shed light on the fundamental nature of space and time themselves.

Physicists hope that understanding the churning region near singularities might help them reconcile gravity and quantum mechanics.

What’s the future of connecting our tech to our brains?

A brain’s 86 billion neurons are always chattering along with tiny electrical and chemical signals. But how can we get inside the brain to study the fine details? Can we eavesdrop on cells using other cells? What is the future of communication between brains? Join Eagleman with special guest Max Hodak, founder of Science Corp, a company pioneering stunning new methods in brain computer interfaces.

DARPA, Microsoft Hail Quantum Chip Breakthrough

Microsoft, after teaming up with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), last week unveiled a new chip that could fast-track the development of quantum computers and bring them into wider use within years instead of decades.

Microsoft has developed Majorana 1 – a breakthrough material known as a topoconductor – putting the tech giant on track to build the world’s first fault-tolerant prototype (FTP) of a scalable quantum computer within years – rather than decades.

That breakthrough came as part of the final phase of DARPA’s Underexplored Systems for Utility-Scale Quantum Computing (US2QC) program.

Nanoparticles offer enhanced treatment for root canal infection with fewer complications

Apical periodontitis, a chronic and hard-to-treat dental infection, affects more than half of the population worldwide and is the leading cause of tooth loss. Root canal is the standard treatment, but existing approaches to treat the infection have many limitations that can cause complications, leading to treatment failure.

Now, researchers at the School of Dental Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have identified a promising new therapeutic option that could potentially disrupt current treatments. The team of researchers is part of the Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry, a joint research center between Penn Dental Medicine and Penn Engineering that leverages engineering and computational approaches to advance oral and craniofacial health care innovation.

In a paper published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, they show that ferumoxytol, an FDA-approved iron oxide nanoparticle formulation, greatly reduces infection in patients diagnosed with apical periodontitis.

Surprise Spiral Shape Revealed in The Darkness Surrounding The Solar System

The edge of the Solar System is a strange place, full of oddities we’ve only just begun to probe. But perhaps the oddest of all is the Oort Cloud, a vast field of icy debris extending out to 100,000 times the distance between Earth and the Sun.

We have a rough idea of the size and shape of this field, but the fine particulars elude our understanding. Now, a new computational study has revealed a surprising structure – a spiral generated by the tidal forces exerted by the Milky Way galaxy itself.

The finding, in press at The Astrophysical Journal, is currently available on preprint server arXiv.