New way to make materials “breathe” with ultrafast light
Scientists at Cornell Engineering have found a way to make a thin film material expand and contract billions of times per second by hitting...
Batteries whisper before they fail — and scientists have learned to listen
Before a battery dies, loses power suddenly, or even catches fire, it doesn’t stay completely silent.
It makes tiny, faint sounds—like whispers—that reveal what’s happening...
Cornell’s new chip design slashes AI energy use by 20%
Artificial intelligence (AI) is getting stronger every year—but also more power-hungry.
Running large AI models takes a lot of electricity, raising concerns about the environmental...
Giving 3D images a new life on next-gen AR displays
Augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) headsets have come a long way in recent years, but one problem continues to frustrate users: eyestrain.
The discomfort comes...
Talking robots could help ease the burden of caregivers
Caring for a loved one can be one of life’s most meaningful roles, but it often comes with heavy emotional costs.
Many informal caregivers—people who...
How tiny defects threaten perovskite solar cells
Perovskite solar cells have been hailed as the next big thing in renewable energy.
They are cheaper and easier to produce than traditional silicon solar...
Scientists create first real-time shape-changing robot
Imagine a robot that can change its shape on demand, twisting, bending, or stretching without needing its magnetic field altered.
This is the breakthrough achieved...
Robots learn to hike on their own in virtual wilderness
Humanoid robots may soon be able to handle rugged trails as well as people do, thanks to new research from the University of Michigan.
A...
New test strip makes the invisible world of nanoplastics visible
Plastic pollution is one of the biggest global problems of our time.
Most people are familiar with the images of plastic bottles and bags floating...
A tiny switch could power the future of computing
Engineers at the University of Michigan have created a breakthrough device that can control the flow of excitons—tiny bundles of energy that could one...
Why next-gen perovskite solar cells fall apart under heat and light
Perovskite solar cells are often called the future of solar energy.
They promise higher efficiency and lower costs than today’s panels, and when combined with...
Ultra-thin lens breakthrough could transform cameras
For more than two hundred years, cameras have steadily evolved from bulky contraptions into essential tools of daily life.
Today, they are everywhere—built into smartphones,...
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Scientists bring fresh perspectives to next-generation nuclear reactors
To combat climate change, the U.S. energy sector needs a major overhaul, and nuclear energy could play a crucial role in this transformation.
Nuclear energy...
Physics shows the perfect roof shape for energy efficiency
When Adrian Bejan, a mechanical engineering professor from Duke University, visited the town of Benevento in southern Italy, something caught his eye—the roofs of...
How nanotechnology is revolutionizing medicine
Nanotechnology, the science of designing and using incredibly tiny materials—so small they are measured in billionths of a meter—is changing the way we treat...
Supercharged zinc battery could replace lithium for grid storage
A new battery breakthrough from researchers at the University of Adelaide may change how we store energy for the future.
The team has developed a...
TikTok shows dominance among young Americans amid looming US ban
Social media is widely viewed as dynamic, innovative and driven by the ethos to "move fast and break things."
But new research from Northeastern University...