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Categories: Energy: Technology, Physics: Quantum Physics
Published Wireless, battery-free electronic 'stickers' gauge forces between touching objects
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Engineers developed electronic 'stickers' that measure the force exerted by one object upon another. The force stickers are wireless, run without batteries and fit in tight spaces, making them versatile for a wide range of applications, from surgical robots to smart implants and inventory tracking.
Published Modular dam design could accelerate the adoption of renewable energy
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Scientists have developed a new modular steel buttress dam system designed to resolve energy storage issues hindering the integration of renewable resources into the energy mix. The new modular steel buttress dam system facilitates the rapid construction of paired reservoir systems for grid-scale energy storage and generation using closed-loop pumped storage hydropower, cutting dam construction costs by one-third and reducing construction schedules by half.
Published Ionic crystal generates molecular ions upon positron irradiation, finds new study
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The interaction between solid matter and positron (the antiparticle of electron) has provided important insights across a variety of disciplines, including atomic physics, materials science, elementary particle physics, and medicine. However, the experimental generation of positronic compounds by bombardment of positrons onto surfaces has proved challenging. In a new study, researchers detect molecular ion desorption from the surface of an ionic crystal when bombarded with positrons and propose a model based on positronic compound generation to explain their results.
Published Twisted science: New quantum ruler to explore exotic matter
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Researchers have developed a 'quantum ruler' to measure and explore the strange properties of multilayered sheets of graphene, a form of carbon. The work may also lead to a new, miniaturized standard for electrical resistance that could calibrate electronic devices directly on the factory floor, eliminating the need to send them to an off-site standards laboratory.
Published Comfort with a smaller carbon footprint
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Researchers have developed a data-driven AI algorithm for controlling the heating and cooling of an office building. The system does not require ambient sensors or specific knowledge of the building's rooms. During heating operations, the system was able to achieve energy savings of up to 30%, which can represent significant reductions to cost and environmental impact.
Published Machine learning used to probe the building blocks of shapes
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Applying machine learning to find the properties of atomic pieces of geometry shows how AI has the power to accelerate discoveries in maths.
Published Insect cyborgs: Towards precision movement
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Insect cyborgs may sound like something straight out of the movies, but hybrid insect computer robots, as they are scientifically called, could pioneer a new future for robotics. It involves using electrical stimuli to control an insect’s movement. Now, an international research group has conducted a study on the relationship between electrical stimulation in stick insects' leg muscles and the resulting torque (the twisting force that causes the leg to move).
Published Disaster-proofing sustainable neighborhoods requires thorough long-term planning
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Engineers and scientists look at how thoughtful design can reduce a sustainably-designed neighborhood’s energy vulnerability during power disruptions, as well as which design characteristics are needed if and when local populations need to move to shelters. Researchers analyzed the design and energy characteristics of particular kinds of buildings and neighborhoods to assess their vulnerabilities and their access to alternative and renewable energy sources. The authors use several scenarios involving different lengths of power disruption to see which kind of response is most beneficial to the populations affected.
Published Metal-loving microbes could replace chemical processing of rare earths
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Scientists have characterized the genome of a metal-loving bacteria with an affinity for rare earth elements. The research paves the way towards replacing the harsh chemical processing of these elements with a benign practice called biosorption.
Published Researchers dynamically tune friction in graphene
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The friction on a graphene surface can be dynamically tuned using external electric fields, according to researchers.
Published Capturing CO2 with electricity: A microbial enzyme inspires electrochemistry
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Humanity continuously emits greenhouse gases and thereby worsens global warming. Increasing research efforts go into developing strategies to convert these gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), into valuable products. CO2 accumulates dramatically over the years and is chemically very stable, thus challenging to transform. Yet, for billions of years, some microbes have actively captured CO2 using highly efficient enzymes. Scientists have now isolated one of these enzymes. When the enzyme was electronically branched on an electrode, they observed the conversion of CO2 to formate with perfect efficiency. This phenomenon will inspire new CO2-fixation systems because of its remarkable directionality and rates.
Published A new twist on rechargeable battery performance
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Rechargeable battery performance could be improved by a new understanding of how they work at the molecular level. Researchers upend what's known about how rechargeable batteries function.
Published Down goes antimatter! Gravity's effect on matter's elusive twin is revealed
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For the first time, in a unique laboratory experiment at CERN, researchers have observed individual atoms of antihydrogen fall under the effects of gravity. In confirming antimatter and regular matter are gravitationally attracted, the finding rules out gravitational repulsion as the reason why antimatter is largely missing from the observable universe.
Published Powering the quantum revolution: Quantum engines on the horizon
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Scientists unveil exciting possibilities for the development of highly efficient quantum devices.
Published Milestone for novel atomic clock
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An international research team has taken a decisive step toward a new generation of atomic clocks. The researchers have created a much more precise pulse generator based on the element scandium, which enables an accuracy of one second in 300 billion years -- that is about a thousand times more precise than the current standard atomic clock based on caesium.
Published Light and sound waves reveal negative pressure
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Negative pressure is a rare and challenging-to-detect phenomenon in physics. Using liquid-filled optical fibers and sound waves, researchers have now discovered a new method to measure it. In collaboration with the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technologies in
Published Copper-based catalysts efficiently turn carbon dioxide into methane
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Copper-based catalysts developed by materials scientists help speed up the rate of carbon dioxide-to-methane conversion.
Published Nanofluidic device generates power with saltwater
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There is a largely untapped energy source along the world's coastlines: the difference in salinity between seawater and freshwater. A new nanodevice can harness this difference to generate power.
Published Shh! Quiet cables set to help reveal rare physics events
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Newly developed ultra-low radiation cables reduce background noise for neutrino and dark matter detectors.
Published No shortcuts: New approach may help extract more heat from geothermal reservoirs
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Geothermal heat offers a promising source of renewable energy with almost zero emissions, but it remains a relatively expensive option to generate electricity. A new technique may help prevent 'short-circuits' that can cause geothermal power plants to halt production, potentially improving the efficiency of geothermal power, the researchers said.