Matter and energy from Science Daily Feed

Fungi are considered a promising source of biodegradable materials. Researchers have developed a new material based on a fungal mycelium and its own extracellular matrix. This gives the biomaterial particularly advantageous properties.

Quantum physics keeps challenging our intuition. Researchers have shown that joint measurements can be carried out on distant particles, without the need to bring them together. This breakthrough relies on quantum entanglement -- the phenomenon that links particles across distance as if connected by an invisible thread. The discovery opens up exciting prospects for quantum communication and computing, where information becomes accessible only once it is measured.

Researchers have detailed the geological ingredients required to find clean sources of natural hydrogen beneath our feet. The work details the requirements for natural hydrogen, produced by the Earth itself over geological time, to accumulate in the crust, and identifies that the geological environments with those ingredients are widespread globally. Hydrogen is $135 billion industry, essential for making fertilizer and other important societal chemicals, and a critical clean energy source for future low carbon emission technologies, with a market estimated to be up to $1000 billion by 2050. These findings offer a solution to the challenge of hydrogen supply, and will help industry to locate and extract natural hydrogen to meet global demands, eliminating the use of hydrocarbons for this purpose.

A robotic hand can pick up 24 different objects with human-like movements that emerge spontaneously, thanks to compliant materials and structures rather than programming.

Engineers have taught a simple submarine robot to take advantage of turbulent forces to propel itself through water.

A new study has uncovered the mystery of how mini sand dunes form on beaches and in deserts.

A team engineers created a twisty high-temperature heat exchanger that outperformed a traditional straight channel design in heat transfer, power density and effectiveness and used an innovative technique to 3D print and test the metal proof of concept.

Massive ripples in the very fabric of space and time wash over Earth constantly, although you'd never notice. An astrophysicist is trying a new search for these gravitational waves.

How might floating solar energy projects impact wild birds and vice versa? A paper outlines key considerations for a growing floating solar industry.

Researchers have developed a new way to create hydrogels using ultrasound, eliminating the need for toxic chemical initiators. This breakthrough offers a faster, cleaner and more sustainable approach to hydrogel fabrication, and produces hydrogels that are stronger, more flexible and highly resistant to freezing and dehydration. The new method also promises to facilitate advances in tissue engineering, bioadhesives and 3D bioprinting.

Researchers have developed a system, called ProxiCycle, that logs when a passing car comes too close to a cyclist (four feet or less). A small, inexpensive sensor plugs into bicycle handlebars and tracks the passes, sending them to the rider's phone. The team tested the system for two months with 15 cyclists in Seattle and found a significant correlation between the locations of close passes and other indicators of poor safety, such as collisions.

Researchers have developed two unique energy-efficient and cost-effective systems that use urea found in urine and wastewater to generate hydrogen. The unique systems reveal new pathways to economically generate 'green' hydrogen, a sustainable and renewable energy source, and the potential to remediate nitrogenous waste in aquatic environments.

A team partially replaced lithium in a lithium antimonide compound with the metal scandium. This creates specific gaps, so-called vacancies, in the crystal lattice of the conductor material. These gaps help the lithium ions to move more easily and faster, resulting in a new world record for ion conductivity.

Researchers have developed an innovative photodetector capable of detecting a broad range of mid-infrared spectra.

A research team used the German environmental satellite EnMAP (Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program) to simultaneously detect the two key air pollutants carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in emission plumes from power plants -- with an unprecedented spatial resolution of just 30 meters. The newly developed method allows for tracking of industrial emissions from space with great precision and enables atmospheric processes to be analyzed in detail.

Researchers have developed AI technology similar to a fellow songwriter who helps create music.

A significant advancement in molecular engineering has produced a large, hollow spherical shell nanostructure through the self-assembly of peptides and metal ions, report researchers from Japan. This dodecahedral link structure, measuring 6.3 nanometers in diameter, was achieved by combining geometric principles derived from knot theory and graph theory with peptide engineering. The resulting structure demonstrates remarkable stability while featuring a large inner cavity suitable for encapsulating macromolecules, opening pathways for producing complex artificial virus capsids.

An international team has pioneered a nano-3D printing method to create superconducting nanostructures, leading to groundbreaking technological advancements.

A team of researchers has developed a new strategy for identifying hazardous pollutants in soil -- even ones that have never been isolated or studied in a lab.

New bismuth-based organic-inorganic hybrid materials show exceptional sensitivity and long-term stability as X-ray detectors, significantly more sensitive than commercial X-ray detectors. In addition, these materials can be produced without solvents by ball milling, a mechanochemical synthesis process that is environmentally friendly and scalable. More sensitive detectors would allow for a reduction in the radiation exposure during X-ray examinations.