A new method has been developed to remove harmful compounds from waste printed circuit boards. The technique, known as ball-milling, uses a rotating machine to grind up materials and reduce the presence of brominated flame retardants. By breaking down these potentially toxic substances, scientists aim to minimize environmental pollution.
Scientists have developed an atomic-scale manufacturing tool that speeds up data storage and increases computing power for artificial intelligence. This breakthrough could eliminate a gigatonne of carbon emissions while improving data capacities.
Osaka University researchers developed equations to quantify and eliminate electromagnetic interference, allowing for the design of EM noise-less electric circuits. Their method enables theoretical calculations of electric circuits with various configurations, confirming that a symmetrical configuration is the only solution to eliminat...
Researchers have identified two brain circuits that help tune out distracting sensory information and found a way to reverse noise hypersensitivity in mice by boosting the activity of those circuits. Targeting both circuits is more effective than treating either one alone, suggesting a new approach to treating neurological disorders.
Researchers recreated barn owl brain circuitry in electronics, mimicking the ability to locate prey using sound to within one to two degrees. The electronic circuit can supersede the owl's precision by orders of magnitude and may lead to more accurate and energy-efficient navigation devices.
Engineers developed a novel scanning quantum dot microscopy method that enables the accurate measurement of electrical potentials at molecular resolution. This breakthrough allows for high-resolution images of potential fields, previously unattainable, and opens up possibilities for creating nanostructures via 3D printing.
Researchers developed a bionic stretchable nanogenerator inspired by electric eels, generating up to 170V under dry conditions. The technology has potential for wearable devices, human motion monitoring and underwater rescue applications.
A team at Politecnico di Milano has developed an electronic circuit that can solve systems of linear equations in a single operation, accelerating computing by orders of magnitude. The memristor-based circuit boasts superior performance to classical digital computers and even quantum computers, paving the way for AI breakthroughs.
Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed a digital PLL frequency synthesizer with a power consumption of 0.265 mW, reducing energy usage by over half. The innovative design achieves this low power consumption through an automatic feedback control system.
Binghamton University researchers developed 'neuristor' circuits that mimic biological neurons, enabling complex computations using minimal power. The team created niobium dioxide devices without electroforming, making them more efficient and scalable.
A team of EPFL researchers has created a new type of transistor using excitons, enabling effective operation at room temperature. The breakthrough uses two 2D materials to manipulate exciton lifespans and control their movement, paving the way for optoelectronic devices with reduced energy consumption and increased efficiency.
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a low-cost process to form smooth metallic circuits at the nanoscale using roll-to-roll newspaper printing. This technique enables the creation of touch screens and biosensors with improved performance.
Researchers identified a neural strategy that enables the brain to rapidly select and perform different mental operations. The brain uses a combination of internal cues and external inputs to control movement times flexibly, allowing for novel computations on the fly.
Researchers have created a new superconductor with a critical temperature over 6 Kelvin, which could enable the development of ultrafast and powerful computers. The electroplated rhenium material is non-toxic, easy to work with mechanically, and melts at high temperatures.
Researchers at Linköping University developed the world's first complementary electrochemical logic circuits that function stably for long periods in water. This breakthrough has major consequences for many applications, including bioelectronics and printed electronics.
MIT researchers have developed sensors that can be printed onto plant leaves to reveal when they are experiencing a water shortage. These sensors take advantage of plants' stomata and can detect even slight changes in water pressure, allowing for early warnings in agricultural settings.
Researchers have successfully written an electrical circuit into a crystal, enabling the creation of transparent and reconfigurable electronics. The phenomenon, called persistent photoconductivity, can be erased and reconfigured using heat and light, similar to an Etch A Sketch.
Researchers have overcome a fundamental theoretical limitation to design molecular diodes with a record-high rectification ratio of 6.3 x 10^5. This breakthrough enables the use of molecular diodes in applications that silicon diodes can't handle, potentially leading to cheaper and easier fabrication.
For the first time, researchers have made real-space images of exciton-polaritons, a combination of light and matter. The creation of these quasiparticles at room temperature could lead to faster circuits and higher bandwidths.
Scientists developed an algorithm to accurately identify multiple signals at multiple levels in the circuit to detect open-switch faults. The combination of the algorithm and artificial neural network can improve microgrid reliability, efficiency, and cost.
A new optically tunable capacitor has been developed by Israeli researchers, featuring embedded metal nanoparticles. The capacitor's capacitance is tunable by illumination and exhibits a strong frequency dispersion, allowing for high degree of tunability.
Researchers at MIT have designed a power converter that maintains efficiency across a wide range of current levels, reducing resting power consumption by 50%. The converter uses a variable clock and advanced control circuitry to accommodate high-power transmissions, enabling new possibilities for energy-harvesting devices.
Researchers create self-healing batteries, sensors and wearable circuits using a special magnetic ink. The devices can repair tears as wide as 3 millimeters in under 50 milliseconds.
A simple chemical method has been developed to extract gold from old mobile phones, potentially recovering up to 300 tonnes of gold per year. The new process uses a mild acid and an oily liquid containing a specific compound to selectively extract gold from other metals, eliminating the need for toxic chemicals.
Researchers at Harvard University have created the first autonomous, entirely soft robot called the octobot. The small, 3D-printed robot is powered by a chemical reaction controlled by microfluidics, eliminating the need for electronics.
Scientists have developed a new method for making transparent transistors and electronic circuits using aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO), a cheaper and more abundant material than indium tin oxide (ITO). The process uses atomic layer deposition, which improves circuit performance and simplifies fabrication.
Researchers at RMIT University have developed self-propelling liquid metals, a critical step towards flexible and dynamically reconfigurable soft circuit systems. The breakthrough enables liquid metal to move autonomously in three dimensions, opening the door to new applications in smart engineering solutions and biomedicine.
Researchers at UC San Diego have developed a flexible wearable sensor that can accurately measure blood alcohol levels from sweat, providing real-time monitoring for doctors and police officers. The device, consisting of a temporary tattoo and portable electronic circuit board, can be worn on the skin and transmit data wirelessly to a ...
Researchers at UT Austin developed a self-healing gel that repairs and connects electronic circuits without external stimuli. The gel has high conductivity, strong mechanical and electrical self-healing properties, and can be used as a soft joint to join circuit parts.
The Blue Brain Project digitally reconstructs a slice of juvenile rat brain containing over 31,000 neurons and 55 layers, enabling researchers to simulate neural activity and circuit-level behaviors
Researchers have developed an antireflex device that efficiently uncouples high-frequency signals from nanocomponents to larger circuits. By minimizing impedance differences, the scientists can transmit signals with reduced loss and increase the performance of electronics.
Scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have discovered a long-sought component of the neural network that controls eating, finding that the melanoncortin 4 receptor-regulated circuit inhibits and controls hunger. Activating this circuit reduces feeding in mice and removes feelings of intense hunger.
A team of researchers has found a way to strip out metallic carbon nanotubes from arrays using a simple, scalable procedure, leaving behind semiconducting nanotubes suitable for electronic devices. This breakthrough could lead to the development of smaller, faster, and cheaper electronic devices.
A team of researchers from the University of Michigan and Western Michigan University has developed a new radiation-resistant spintronic material that can maintain its spin-dependence after being irradiated. This breakthrough could enable electronic devices to work in harsh environments, such as space-based communications satellites.
Researchers discovered corannulene's potential as a material for future electronic devices due to its easily accessible energy levels. The molecule can form a tunneling effect when connected in a row, making it suitable for constructing molecular circuits.
A team of scientists has identified a brain circuit in mice that regulates thirst, with two distinct cell types working together to maintain fluid balance. The study found that activating one set of cells triggers drinking behavior, while silencing the other population suppresses thirst.
Scientists have successfully demonstrated the flow of electrical current through long DNA molecules, paving the way for the development of DNA-based programmable circuits. The breakthrough could lead to more sophisticated, cheaper and simpler computer circuits.
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen's Niels Bohr Institute have successfully created a steady stream of photons emitted one at a time, enabling control over their direction. The breakthrough has significant implications for future quantum technologies, including encryption and complex calculations.
Researchers at Vienna University of Technology have created a system of coupled lasers that exhibit paradoxical behavior. By adding or reducing energy, the lasers can switch each other on or off, making them suitable for building logical circuits using light.
Junior Professor Dr. Elisabetta Chicca and colleagues discover that imprecise digital and analog circuits are more efficient than precise ones in building artificial nervous systems. The study, published in Proceedings of the IEEE, reveals a new approach to designing autonomous cognitive systems with minimal power requirements.
Scientists have successfully directed charges through single molecules using a bi-layer arrangement of organic molecules, enabling precise control over electronic properties. This breakthrough brings us closer to nanoscale circuitry, which could be used in various applications such as OLEDs and biomedical devices.
A new biochemical technique allows researchers to study how specific proteins called kinases interact to trigger cellular behavior, such as cell movement. The method, developed by Klaus Hahn's team, enables the activation of just one kinase and its interaction with another molecule in real time.
Researchers at Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences envision a device that harnesses energy from Earth's infrared emissions into direct-current power. The proposed technology, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could provide a new source of renewable energy.
Researchers at JQI observe hysteresis in an ultracold atomic gas, a phenomenon crucial for electronics. By controlling the rotation of a quantum fluid, they create a stable two-velocity state that has implications for building practical atomtronic devices.
Researchers exploited the Kondo effect in molecules to change conductance between electrodes. The phenomenon allows for an increase in electrical resistance at low temperatures but can be reversed at small size scales.
Researchers have developed a novel metal ink made of copper nanosheets that can be used to write functioning, flexible electric circuits on regular printer paper. The ink showed excellent conductivity even after being folded or crumpled 1,000 times.
Researchers at MIT are developing smart tools that can mimic the human touch while controlling outcomes to ensure precision. These tools, designed by Amit Zoran and his team, use computer-aided design and feedback mechanisms to create distinctive imperfections and styles in handmade objects.
Researchers at the University of Adelaide have discovered a novel visual circuit in dragonflies' brains that combines opposite pathways for processing simple dark objects. This finding has implications for improving vision systems in robots and developing neural prosthetics.
Researchers discovered a genetic circuit in bacteria that enables individual freedom while ensuring the collective good. The circuit allows each bacterium to weigh its decisions based on stress levels and peer signals, striking a balance between selflessness and selfishness.
Researchers at NIST have successfully demonstrated the use of a mechanical micro-drum as a quantum memory, storing and retrieving information with 65% efficiency. This innovation exploits a mechanical form of quantum physics and has potential applications in quantum computing and precise force sensing.
Scientists have developed a novel gene transfer technique that selectively eliminates a specific neural circuit in non-human primates. The 'elimination' of the basal ganglia's hyperdirect pathway reveals its crucial role in motor function and provides insights into Parkinson's disease mechanisms.
The Broad Institute has received a $32.5 million grant to launch the Klarman Cell Observatory, which will decipher how biological decisions are made in health and disease. The Observatory aims to shed light on the inner workings of cells, leading to major treatment breakthroughs.
Scientists at Northwestern University have developed a reconfigurable electronic material that can rearrange itself to meet different computational needs. This new material enables the creation of self-adapting electronic components with directed paths for electron flow.
Researchers create ultra-portable electronic devices by connecting molecular components using conductive nanowires. The breakthrough enables cheaper, higher-performance alternatives to conventional silicon-based devices.
Researchers at MIT have found a way to manipulate the electrical and thermal properties of materials by changing external conditions such as temperature. The technique can change electrical conductivity by over 100 times and heat conductivity by threefold, making it suitable for various applications including electronic circuitry and t...
Scientists at NIST and UM create a toroidal Bose-Einstein condensate with ultracold sodium atoms, exhibiting superfluidity and persistent flow. The circuit includes a tunable weak link barrier that controls the atom current to specific values.
Scientists created a 70-nanometer narrow channel to analyze photogenerated electrons with high precision. They demonstrated that photogenerated electrons can flow several micrometers before colliding with crystalline atoms, revealing the influence of circuit geometry on electron paths.
A study published in Atmospheric Environment found toxic elements in e-waste recycling emissions in southern China, posing health risks to workers and the environment. The research team identified carcinogens and persistent organic pollutants through mass spectrometry and other instrumentation.
Researchers are developing a computer inspired by the feline brain's ability to recognize faces and learn from experience. The project aims to create a machine that can perform tasks simultaneously, like recognizing faces, while conventional computers rely on sequential processing.
A team from University of Washington has created a working electronic circuit that runs entirely off the power generated by trees, producing an output voltage of 1.1 volts and consuming just 10 nanowatts of power during operation.