So many astonishing questions raised by one apparently simple chart.
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Quantum precision reached in modeling molten salt behavior
Scientists have developed a new machine learning approach that accurately predicted critical and difficult-to-compute properties of molten salts, materials with diverse nuclear energy applications.
In a Chemical Science article, Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers demonstrated the ability to rapidly model salts in liquid and solid state with quantum chemical accuracy. Specifically, they looked at thermodynamic properties, which control how molten salts function in high-temperature applications. These applications include dissolving nuclear fuels and improving reliability of long-term reactor operations. The AI-enabled approach was made possible by ORNL’s supercomputer Summit.
“The exciting part is the simplicity of the approach,” said ORNL’s Luke Gibson. “In fewer steps than existing approaches, machine learning gets us to higher accuracy at a faster rate.”
AI chatbots can be easily manipulated to make us share more personal data
Millions of people chat with AI tools every day, trading small talk for quick answers or support. A new study presented at the 34th USENIX Security Symposium shows how easily those friendly agents can be tuned to make you reveal far more than you planned.
The researchers report that malicious chatbots can push users to disclose up to 12.5 times more personal details than standard ones. The most effective tricks leaned on reciprocity and reassurance, not blunt questions about your life.
New research shows manipulative AI chatbots can make you reveal much more personal information than neutral ones.
Oregon State University researchers make key advances in radiation detection
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Researchers in the Oregon State University College of Engineering have developed new technology for uranium enrichment measurement and trace element detection, vital for nuclear non-proliferation and supporting the development and operation of next-generation nuclear reactors. Findings were published by the Royal Society of Chemistry.
A $2 gold nanotech test that detects deadly diseases in minutes
Arizona State University scientists have unveiled NasRED, a revolutionary one-drop blood test that can detect diseases like COVID-19, Ebola, HIV, and Lyme with incredible speed and precision. Using gold nanoparticles to spot microscopic disease markers, the device delivers results in just 15 minutes—outperforming traditional lab tests in sensitivity, speed, and affordability. Portable and costing only $2 per test, it could be deployed from remote clinics to urban hospitals, offering a lifeline for early detection and outbreak control worldwide.
Scientists may have found the tiny DNA switch that made us human
Ultimately, HAR123 promotes a particularly advanced human trait called cognitive flexibility, or the ability to unlearn and replace previous knowledge.
In addition to providing new insights into the biology of the human brain, the results also offer a molecular explanation for some of the radical changes that have occurred in the human brain over the course of our evolution. This is supported, for example, by the authors’ finding that the human version of HAR123 exerts different molecular and cellular effects than the chimpanzee version in both stem cells and neuron precursor cells in a petri dish.
Further research is needed to more fully understand the molecular action of HAR123 and whether the human version of HAR123 does indeed confer human-specific neural traits. This line of research could lead us to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying many neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism.
Gaia’s variable stars: A new map of the stellar life cycle
One of the best places to study stars is inside “open clusters,” which are groups of stars that formed together from the same material and are bound together through gravity.
Open clusters act as laboratories, showing how stars of different masses and ages behave. At the same time, some stars, known as “variable stars,” regularly change in brightness, and their flickers and pulses help scientists learn about the physics inside stars and about the wider galaxy.
Until now, astronomers studied clusters and variable stars separately, and usually one cluster at a time. But that approach missed the bigger picture, leaving gaps in our understanding of how the lives of stars unfold across the galaxy.
Deafness reversed: Single injection brings hearing back within weeks
A cutting-edge gene therapy has significantly restored hearing in children and adults with congenital deafness, showing dramatic results just one month after a single injection. Researchers used a virus to deliver a healthy copy of the OTOF gene into the inner ear, improving auditory function across all ten participants in the study. The therapy worked best in young children but still benefited adults, with one 7-year-old girl regaining almost full hearing. Even more exciting: this is just the start, as scientists now aim to target other genes that cause more common forms of deafness.
China’s Kaiwa plans world’s first pregnancy humanoid robot
A Chinese firm plans a humanoid “gestation robot” with an artificial womb, sparking debate over ethics and reproductive technology.