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Springtails, small bugs often found crawling through leaf litter and garden soil, are expert jumpers. Inspired by these hopping hexapods, roboticists have made a walking, jumping robot that pushes the boundaries of what small robots can do. The research glimpses a future where nimble microrobots can crawl through tiny spaces, skitter across dangerous ground, and sense their environments without human intervention.

A bioinspired robot can change shape to alter its own physical properties in response to its environment, resulting in a robust and efficient autonomous vehicle as well as a fresh approach to robotic locomotion.

A research team demonstrated the 'world's smallest shooting game,' a unique nanoscale game inspired by classic arcade games. This achievement was made possible by real-time control of the force fields between nanoparticles using focused electron beams. This research has practical applications, as the manipulation of nanoscale objects could revolutionize biomedical engineering and nanotechnology.

A recent study shows that computer algorithms can be used to find molecules that can be developed into anti-inflammatory drugs. In the article, the researchers also describe how the same strategy can be used to search through 10 sextillion alternatives to identify the best drug candidate.

A low-energy challenger to the quantum computer also works at room temperature. The researchers have shown that information can be transmitted using magnetic wave motion in complex networks.

The less carbon dioxide polluting our air, the better. Researchers are investigating non-toxic, low-cost electrocatalysts to turn our sustainability goals into reality.

The south-western Baltic Sea has about 3,000 kilograms of dissolved toxic chemicals released from unexploded ordnance, according to a new study. The substances were detected in almost all water samples taken in 2017 and 2018, with particularly high concentrations in the Bights of Kiel and L beck. The levels are still below thresholds for health risk, but highlight the urgent need for munitions clearance to minimize long-term risks.

A new study explores the behavior of photons, the elementary particles of light, as they encounter boundaries where material properties change rapidly over time. This research uncovers remarkable quantum optical phenomena which may enhance quantum technology and paves the road for an exciting nascent field: four-dimensional quantum optics.

Biophysicists have elucidated why unexpected structures can sometimes arise during protein design.

For decades researchers have been exploring how to store data in glass because of its potential to hold information for a long time -- eons -- without applying power. A special type of glass that changes color in different wavelengths of light, called photochromic glass, holds promise for stable, reusable data storage. Now, researchers have developed a doped photochromic glass that has the potential to store rewritable data indefinitely.

New research offers insights that could help reduce the amount of radioactive tritium embedded in the walls of fusion vessels to a minimum.

Researchers use rare-earth ions to achieve the first-ever demonstration of entanglement multiplexing between individual memory qubits in a quantum network.

Researchers have developed a hydrogel that heals and strengthens itself as it is overloaded and damaged. The proof-of-concept demonstration could lead to improved performance for situations where soft but durable materials are required, such as load-bearing connections and joints within machines, robots and even people.

Physicists bring unprecedented levels of predictability to the ancient practice of knitting by developing a mathematical model that could be used to create a new class of lightweight, ultra-strong materials.

In a breakthrough that could transform bioelectronic sensing, an interdisciplinary team of researchers has developed a new method to dramatically enhance the sensitivity of enzymatic and microbial fuel cells using organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs).

From integrated photonics to quantum information science, the ability to control light with electric fields -- a phenomenon known as the electro-optic effect -- supports vital applications such as light modulation and frequency transduction. These components rely on nonlinear optical materials, in which light waves can be manipulated by applying electric fields.

Identifying and delineating cell structures in microscopy images is crucial for understanding the complex processes of life. This task is called 'segmentation' and it enables a range of applications, such as analyzing the reaction of cells to drug treatments, or comparing cell structures in different genotypes. It was already possible to carry out automatic segmentation of those biological structures but the dedicated methods only worked in specific conditions and adapting them to new conditions was costly. An international research team has now developed a method by retraining the existing AI-based software Segment Anything on over 17,000 microscopy images with over 2 million structures annotated by hand.

On Wednesday 26 February, a thermal imaging camera blasted off to the Moon as part of NASA's Lunar Trailblazer mission. This aims to map sources of water on the Moon to shed light on the lunar water cycle and to guide future robotic and human missions.

A new study has revealed key factors limiting the efficiency of photoelectrochemical water splitting using a titanium dioxide photoanode for clean hydrogen production. Researchers combined intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy with the distribution of relaxation times analysis to analyze charge carrier dynamics. They identified distinct behaviors related to light intensity and recombination at different applied potentials and discovered a previously unreported 'satellite peak,' offering new insights for improving material design and hydrogen production efficiency.

Labor market policies shape firms' innovation dynamics. A new study shows for the first time that higher minimum wages for low-skill jobs drive firms to develop automation technologies. Rising wages for high-skill labor, in contrast, can hamper this effect.