systems

From the branching pattern of leaf veins to the variety of interconnected pathways that spread the coronavirus, nature thrives on networks -- grids that link the different components of complex systems. Networks underlie such real-life problems as determining the most efficient route for a trucking company to deliver life-saving drugs and calculating the smallest number of … [Read more...] about Novel circuitry solves a myriad of computationally intensive problems with minimum energy

Widely used to monitor and map biological signals, to support and enhance physiological functions, and to treat diseases, implantable medical devices are transforming healthcare and improving the quality of life for millions of people. Researchers are increasingly interested in designing wireless, miniaturized implantable medical devices for in vivo and in situ physiological … [Read more...] about Tiny, wireless, injectable chips use ultrasound to monitor body processes

Touchscreens are notoriously difficult to type on. Since we can't feel the keys, we rely on the sense of sight to move our fingers to the right places and check for errors, a combination of efforts we can't pull off at the same time. To really understand how people type on touchscreens, researchers at Aalto University and the Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence (FCAI) … [Read more...] about AI learns to type on a phone like humans

The property that makes fluorescent lights buzz could power a new generation of more efficient computing devices that store data with magnetic fields, rather than electricity. A team led by University of Michigan researchers has developed a material that's at least twice as "magnetostrictive" and far less costly than other materials in its class. In addition to computing, it … [Read more...] about Harnessing the hum of fluorescent lights for more efficient computing

AdaptiFont has recently been presented at CHI, the leading Conference on Human Factors in Computing. Language is without doubt the most pervasive medium for exchanging knowledge between humans. However, spoken language or abstract text need to be made visible in order to be read, be it in print or on screen. How does the way a text looks affect its readability, that is, how it … [Read more...] about Interactive typeface for digital text: Scientists develop adaptive font that speeds up reading

Simon Fraser University researchers have designed a remarkably fast engine that taps into a new kind of fuel -- information. The development of this engine, which converts the random jiggling of a microscopic particle into stored energy, is outlined in research published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and could lead to significant … [Read more...] about Engine converts random jiggling of microscopic particle into stored energy

Scientists are exploring a number of ways for people with disabilities to communicate with their thoughts. The newest and fastest turns back to a vintage means for expressing oneself: handwriting. For the first time, researchers have deciphered the brain activity associated with trying to write letters by hand. Working with a participant with paralysis who has sensors implanted … [Read more...] about Brain computer interface turns mental handwriting into text on screen

People are more persuaded by the actual messages contained in social media posts than they are by how many others viewed the posts, a new study suggests. Researchers found that when people watched YouTube videos either for or against e-cigarette use, their level of persuasion wasn't directly affected by whether the video said it was viewed by more than a million people versus … [Read more...] about People are persuaded by social media messages, not view numbers: Study asked users to evaluate YouTube videos about e-cigarettes

As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in health applications grows, health providers are looking for ways to improve patients' experience with their machine doctors. Researchers from Penn State and University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) found that people may be less likely to take health advice from an AI doctor when the robot knows their name and medical history. … [Read more...] about Patients may not take advice from AI doctors who know their names