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Photon-driven synapse advances low-power neuromorphic systems

31 May 2026 at 20:00
Modern artificial intelligence systems rely on moving large amounts of data between memory and processors, a design that limits speed and increases energy use. The human brain works differently: it combines memory and computation within synapses, allowing fast, efficient learning and perception. Replicating this approach in hardware is a central goal of neuromorphic computing, especially for tasks like vision, where most real-world information is gathered and processed.

Atomic swap can improve phosphate cathodes for high-energy sodium-ion batteries

31 May 2026 at 17:40
Most smartphones, portable computers and other devices on the market today are powered by lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. While these rechargeable batteries perform remarkably well, they are based on lithium, which is not as abundant as other materials and is not evenly distributed across different countries worldwide.

Dual-mode magnetic elastomer moves on command, vanishes on demand

31 May 2026 at 15:40
The rapid expansion of soft robots and smart electronic devices is driving demand for materials that can not only move and adapt, but also complete their missions without leaving behind unwanted traces. As these technologies are increasingly explored for health care, environmental monitoring, infrastructure inspection, and security applications, robots and devices are expected to operate in places where human access is limited—such as narrow pipes, sealed spaces, underground facilities, and hazardous environments.

AI generates full battery electrolyte recipes, matching top lithium metal battery performance

30 May 2026 at 17:00
Battery electrolytes aren't just one chemical, but a complex mixture of salts, solvents, and additives interacting and reacting with each other. Artificial intelligence has made great headway in helping select ideal materials to go into that chemical soup. But a team from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) is using AI to generate the entire formulation, balancing the complicated tradeoffs and interactions that go into the electrolytes that make batteries possible.

3D silicon circuits bring denser computer chips closer to reality

30 May 2026 at 15:00
By stacking transistors on top of one another, rather than laying them side by side on a flat chip, many electronic engineers are hopeful that vast amounts of computing power could be packed into tiny spaces, all while cutting energy use. So far, however, the ability to build these monolithic 3D integrated circuits has proven stubbornly difficult, largely because the fabrication processes required can damage the layers already in place.

AI is making journalistic language more repetitive and predictable—and it's a problem for all of us

30 May 2026 at 13:00
What happens to language when a growing amount of text published in the press, online and on social media is written by machines? This question is not just important for the profession of journalism—it also has an impact on the richness of the language we all use to comprehend, describe and discuss reality itself.

Outdated power market rules could raise renewable energy costs, dissertation concludes

29 May 2026 at 23:20
The transition to renewable energy is not just about installing more solar panels and wind turbines. Without smarter market rules, the energy transition could become unnecessarily expensive and deepen inequality. That is the conclusion of new research by Dongchen He, who examined how electricity markets and subsidy policies should adapt as renewable energy becomes dominant.

Phosphonate groups lift organic transistor performance by balancing ions and charge flow

29 May 2026 at 19:00
By electrochemically introducing phosphonate ester groups into conductive polymer films, researchers at Science Tokyo have addressed a fundamental trade-off between electronic charge transport and ion transport, overcoming a key performance limitation in organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs).

Redesigned catalyst pathways vent bubbles fast and boost green hydrogen efficiency

29 May 2026 at 18:20
As the global transition toward carbon neutrality accelerates, "water electrolysis"—a technology that splits water electrically to produce clean hydrogen—is drawing significant attention. However, a major limitation has been the decline in efficiency caused by bubbles formed during the electrolysis process that block the pathways.

Quantum computing could transform energy grid optimization and security

29 May 2026 at 17:40
Modern power systems are rapidly evolving into highly digitized smart grids, increasing their complexity at an unprecedented pace. Renewables, batteries, electric vehicles, power electronics, sensors and real-time control systems are all expanding rapidly, and this is making electricity grids significantly harder to simulate, optimize, secure and operate.

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