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Interdisciplinary Research Centre
 
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Detectors and electronics. Learn about every sort of detector, radar system and more from leading research institutes around the world.
Updated: 42 min 37 sec ago

EPA regulations cut power sector emissions but miss opportunities for deeper reductions

Wed, 19/03/2025 - 18:30
Regulations finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2024 could cut emissions from the power sector by 51% over 2022 levels, compared to only 26% without the rules, according to a new analysis. The study helps identify the likely effects of current regulations, highlights the impact of potential repeal on U.S. emissions, and quantifies the overall efficiency of emissions reductions achieved by the current rules.

Good vibrations: Scientists discover a groundbreaking method for exciting phonon-polaritons

Wed, 19/03/2025 - 18:30
Newly published research demonstrates a novel way of generating phonon-polaritons by making electrons collide with crystal lattice structures. The discovery paves the way for cheaper, smaller long-wave infrared light sources and more efficient device cooling.

Squirrel-inspired leaping robot can stick a landing on a branch

Wed, 19/03/2025 - 18:28
A leaping robot could have application in search and rescue, construction, even forest monitoring. But how do you design a robot to stick a landing on a branch or pipe? Biologists worked with robot designers to discover how squirrels do it, and used what they learned to design a one-legged robot with the balancing ability and leg biomechanics to correct for over- and undershooting and land successfully on a narrow perch.

Coffee-making robot breaks new ground for AI machines

Wed, 19/03/2025 - 00:41
An AI-powered robot that can prepare cups of coffee in a busy kitchen could usher in the next generation of intelligent machines, a study suggests.

New platform lets anyone rapidly prototype large, sturdy interactive structures

Tue, 18/03/2025 - 21:51
A rapid prototyping platform called VIK (Voxel Invention Kit) enables makers without engineering expertise to create large-scale interactive devices using a series of reconfigurable electromechanical building blocks. These user-friendly components can be assembled using only a soldering iron and a pair of pliers.

'Democratizing chemical analysis':Chemists use machine learning and robotics to identify chemical compositions from images

Tue, 18/03/2025 - 21:50
Chemists have created a machine learning tool that can identify the chemical composition of dried salt solutions from an image with 99% accuracy. By using robotics to prepare thousands of samples and artificial intelligence to analyze their data, they created a simple, inexpensive tool that could expand possibilities for performing chemical analysis.

AI ring tracks spelled words in American Sign Language

Tue, 18/03/2025 - 18:18
A research team has developed an artificial intelligence-powered ring equipped with micro-sonar technology that can continuously and in real time track finger-spelling in American Sign Language (ASL).

Eco-friendly method to efficiently convert methane to ethanol

Tue, 18/03/2025 - 18:18
In advancing sustainable energy solutions, an international collaborative team of scientists has achieved a significant milestone in low-carbon chemical conversion. In their recent publication in Nature, the team, led by Professors Zhengxiao GUO of Department of Chemistry at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), Weixin HUANG of University of Science and Technology of China, Richard CATLOW of University College London and Junwang TANG of Tsinghua University, have discovered a photocatalytic approach to converting methane to ethanol with high selectivity of around 80% and a methane conversion rate of 2.3% in a single run using a packed-bed flow reactor. The system achieves an impressive apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of 9.4%, which measures how effectively it converts incident photons into electrons that participate in the reaction under specific wavelength conditions.

Web search formulas offer a first step for protecting critical infrastructure

Tue, 18/03/2025 - 18:16
Scientists are exploring how web search engine technology might also keep the lights on, the water running and the trains moving.

Lords of the molecular rings: An innovative shortcut to high-performance organic materials

Tue, 18/03/2025 - 18:16
Scientists have unveiled an innovative approach for synthesizing azaparacyclophanes (APCs), a class of highly advanced ring-shaped molecular structures with immense potential in material science. Their innovative Catalyst-Transfer Macrocyclization (CTM) method streamlines the production of these complex macrocycles, paving the way for more efficient and scalable applications in organic electronics, optoelectronics, and supramolecular chemistry -- such as displays, flexible solar cells and transistors.

Innovative infant wearable uses artificial intelligence for at-home assessments of early motor development

Tue, 18/03/2025 - 18:16
The smart MAIJU jumpsuit offers a novel approach to at-home monitoring of infants' early motor development. The wearable device combines expertise in medicine, measuring technology and AI, enabling objective and accurate assessment of children's motor skills without the presence of researchers.

Nanomaterials used to measure nuclear reaction on radioactive nuclei produced in neutron star collisions

Tue, 18/03/2025 - 18:13
Physicists have measured a nuclear reaction that can occur in neutron star collisions, providing direct experimental data for a process that had previously only been theorised. The study provides new insight into how the universe's heaviest elements are forged -- and could even drive advancements in nuclear reactor physics.

Quantum light source for eco-friendly production of biogas

Tue, 18/03/2025 - 18:12
Biomass can be converted into valuable gases. But in order to control this process, the amount of water vapor has to be measured. This is notoriously hard, because other components of the gas can affect the measurement. Using quantum cascade lasers, this problem has now been solved.

To overcome antibiotic resistance, new research says to let it flow

Tue, 18/03/2025 - 18:11
Some notoriously difficult to treat infections may not be as resistant to antibiotics as has been thought, according to new research using a microfluidic device that more closely duplicates the fluid flow found in the body than standard cultures. The researchers hope that testing samples under flow conditions can improve antibiotic screening and development.

Rapid response to address critical aging aircraft issue

Tue, 18/03/2025 - 18:11
Scientists worked to ensure fleet safety after a large crack was unexpectedly found near the cockpit of a T-38 Talon. A new study describes how risk and damage tolerance analyses helped determine a more effective inspection schedule, allowing the Air Force to find cracks before they grow to critical size.

What's behind the 'pop and slosh' when opening a swing-top bottle of beer?

Tue, 18/03/2025 - 18:10
Researchers decided to use a high-speed camera to capture what occurs while opening a swing-top bottle of beer. They found that the sound emitted by opening a pressurized bottle with a swing-top lid isn't a single shockwave, but rather a very quick 'ah' sound. Their high-speed video recordings captured condensation within the bottleneck that vibrated up and down in a standing wave. After opening the bottle, the dissolved carbon dioxide starts to form inside the beer and triggers the liquid level to rise, causing the sloshing.

Reusing old oil and gas wells may offer green energy storage solution

Tue, 18/03/2025 - 18:10
Moving from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources like wind and solar will require better ways to store energy for use when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing. A new study by researchers at Penn State found that taking advantage of natural geothermal heat in depleted oil and gas wells can improve the efficiency of one proposed energy storage solution: compressed-air energy storage (CAES).

Revolutionary blueprint to fuse wireless technologies and AI

Tue, 18/03/2025 - 18:08
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.

Building a safer future: Strengthen Haiti's earthquake resilience

Tue, 18/03/2025 - 18:07
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.

Dialing in the temperature needed for precise nuclear timekeeping

Mon, 17/03/2025 - 22:42
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.