Matter and energy from Science Daily Feed

Virginia Tech researchers say a true revolution in wireless technologies is only possible through endowing the system with the next generation of artificial intelligence (AI) that can think, imagine, and plan akin to humans. Doing so will allow networks to break free from traditional enablers, deliver unprecedented quality, and usher in a new phase of the AI evolution.

Over the past two decades, Haiti has endured the devastation of two catastrophic earthquakes -- first in 2010 and again in 2021. Each disaster left behind widespread destruction: buildings reduced to rubble, entire communities displaced and an overwhelming loss of life. A major factor in the severity of these tragedies was the widespread structural failure of poorly designed buildings, many of which were not constructed to withstand the powerful tremors. Engineers are now exploring cost-effective retrofitting solutions that could help fortify buildings against future earthquakes.

For decades, atomic clocks have been the pinnacle of precision timekeeping, enabling GPS navigation, cutting-edge physics research, and tests of fundamental theories. But researchers are now pushing beyond atomic transitions to something potentially even more stable: a nuclear clock.

Scientists are investigating how structures made from several layers of graphene stack up in terms of their fundamental physics and their potential as reconfigurable semiconductors for advanced electronics.

A new study has found that fortified enclosures also benefit nearby livestock keepers by preventing carnivore attacks.

Researchers have discovered that bacterial swarms transition from stable vortices to chaotic turbulence through distinct intermediate states. Combining experiments with bacterial swarms, computer simulations, and mathematical modeling, the team clarified the intricate process by which orderly swirling turns to disordered turbulence as the free space available to bacteria increases. These findings provide new insights into active matter physics and could inform future applications in micro-robotics, biosensing, and active fluid-based micro-scale systems.

Scientists have acquired direct evidence of rare, pulsing pear-shaped structures within atomic nuclei of the rare-earth element Gadolinium, thanks to new research.

With the long-term goal of creating living cells from non-living components, scientists in the field of synthetic biology work with RNA origami. This tool uses the multifunctionality of the natural RNA biomolecule to fold new building blocks, making protein synthesis superfluous. In pursuit of the artificial cell, a research team has cleared a crucial hurdle. Using the RNA origami technique, they succeeded in producing nanotubes that fold into cytoskeleton-like structures.

Researchers have identified a previously unknown bacterial protein, the structure of which is being used in the design of protein nanoparticles for the targeted delivery of anticancer drugs to tumors.

A new analysis of 105-year-old data on the effectiveness of 'dazzle' camouflage on battleships in World War I has found that while dazzle had some effect, the 'horizon effect' had far more influence when it came to confusing the enemy.

Until now, a global evaluation of ocean current energy with actual data was lacking. Using 30 years of NOAA's Global Drifter Program data, a study shows that ocean currents off Florida's East Coast and South Africa have exceptionally high-power densities, ideal for electricity generation. With densities over 2,500 watts per square meter, these regions are 2.5 times more energy-dense than 'excellent' wind resources. Shallow waters further enhance the potential for ocean current turbines, unlike areas like Japan and South America, which have lower densities at similar depths.

When exposed to high temperatures and pressure, water enters a state in which liquid and gas can no longer be distinguished. For a long time, there has been controversy about how this looks like on a molecular level.

Engineers developed a method to grow artificial muscle tissue that twitches and flexes in multiple, coordinated directions. These tissues could be useful for building 'biohybrid' robots powered by soft, artificially grown muscle fibers.

Scientists have developed a single-cell green microalgae coated with magnetic material. This miniature robot was put to the test: would the microalgae with its magnetic coating be able to swim through narrow spaces and, additionally, in a viscous fluid that mimics those found in the human body? Would the tiny robot be able to fight its way through these difficult conditions?

Researchers show that precisely layering nano-thin materials creates excitons -- essentially, artificial atoms -- that can act as quantum information bits, or qubits.

Researchers have developed innovative methods to control the ionization of atoms and molecules using specially structured light beams, challenging traditional limits. This breakthrough could lead to advancements in imaging, particle acceleration, and quantum computing by precisely controlling electron ejection from atoms.

With artificial photosynthesis, humankind could utilize solar energy to bind carbon dioxide and produce hydrogen. Chemists have taken this one step further: They have synthesized a stack of dyes that comes very close to the photosynthetic apparatus of plants. It absorbs light energy, uses it to separate charge carriers and transfers them quickly and efficiently in the stack.

Researchers have experimentally recreated another fundamental theoretical model from quantum physics, which goes back to the Nobel Prize laureate Werner Heisenberg. The basis for the successful experiment is made of tiny carbon molecules known as nanographenes. This synthetic bottom-up approach enables versatile experimental research into quantum technologies, which could one day help drive breakthroughs in the field.

Iridium-doped iron-cobalt (Fe-Co-Ir) alloys, previously identified through machine learning, have been shown to have enhanced magnetic properties, surpassing even the widely used pure Fe-Co alloy. However, the origin of this enhanced magnetization is poorly understood. Now, scientists employed an innovative method using high-throughput X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) measurements, demonstrating the critical role of Ir-doping. The findings will serve as a foundation for designing new high-performance magnetic materials.

Digital voice recordings contain valuable information that can indicate an individual's cognitive health, offering a non-invasive and efficient method for assessment. Research has demonstrated that digital voice measures can detect early signs of cognitive decline by analyzing features such as speech rate, articulation, pitch variation and pauses, which may signal cognitive impairment when deviating from normative patterns. However, voice data introduces privacy challenges due to the personally identifiable information embedded in recordings, such as gender, accent and emotional state, as well as more subtle speech characteristics that can uniquely identify individuals. These risks are amplified when voice data is processed by automated systems, raising concerns about re-identification and potential misuse of data.