May 03, 2023 (Nanowerk News) When Edwin Hubble observed distant galaxies in the 1920s, he made the groundbreaking discovery that the universe is expanding. It was not until 1998, however, that scientists observing Type Ia supernovae further discovered that the universe is not just expanding but has begun a phase...
Open-source platform simulates wildlife for soft robotics designers
May 03, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Since the term “soft robotics” was adopted in 2008, engineers in the field have been building diverse representations of flexible machines useful in exploration, locomotion, rehabilitation, and even space. One source of inspiration: the way animals move in the wild. A team of MIT researchers...
Near perfect particle-hole symmetry in graphene quantum dots
May 03, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Researchers at RWTH Aachen University and Forschungszentrum Jülich have uncovered important characteristics of double quantum dots in bilayer graphene, an increasingly promising material for possible applications in quantum technologies. The team has demonstrated near-perfect particle-hole symmetry in graphene quantum dots, which could lead to more...
First of its kind study of single protein paves way to improving understanding of disease
May 03, 2023 (Nanowerk News) The Nottingham Trent University team says the work – the first of its kind – enables them to see how a protein behaves in its natural environment and that it could help better understand proteins linked to disease and how they might respond to certain...
Can ET detect us?
May 03, 2023 (Nanowerk News) What would the Earth look like to an alien civilization located light years away? A team of researchers from Mauritius and Manchester University has used crowd-sourced data to simulate radio leakage from mobile towers and predict what an alien civilization might detect from various nearby...
Carbon capture using sunlight and mirrors
May 03, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Researchers at the Norwegian science institute SINTEF are currently working to construct a pilot solar power plant that can be floated on water. The plant will utilise a technology that captures so-called concentrated sunlight. “The concept is based on standard solar radiation technology, but it...
Engineering graphene-based quantum circuits with atomic precision
May 02, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Imagine having a building made of stacks of bricks connected by adaptable bridges. You pull a knob that modifies the bridges and the building changes functionality. Wouldn’t it be great? A team of researchers led by Prof. Aitor Mugarza, leader of the Atomic Manipulation and...
Upcycling method turns textile trash to functional coatings
May 02, 2023 (Nanowerk News) In an effort to make textiles more sustainable, a new method allows researchers to break old clothing down chemically and reuse polyester compounds to create fire resistant, anti-bacterial or wrinkle-free coatings that could then be applied to clothes and fabrics. The proof-of-principle study provides hope...
‘Explainable AI’ can efficiently detect AR/VR cybersickness
May 02, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Exposure to an augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) environment can cause people to experience cybersickness — a special type of motion sickness with symptoms ranging from dizziness to nausea — and existing research to mitigate the severity of the symptoms often relies upon...
New AI algorithm boosts COVID-19 mRNA vaccine antibody response by 128 times
May 02, 2023 (Nanowerk News) A team of researchers from Baidu Research has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm that can rapidly design highly stable COVID-19 mRNA vaccine sequences that were previously unattainable. The algorithm, named LinearDesign, represents a major leap in both stability and efficacy for vaccine sequences, achieving...