systems

Engineered, autonomous machines combined with artificial intelligence have long been a staple of science fiction, and often in the role of villain like the Cylons in the "Battlestar Galactica" reboot, creatures composed of biological and engineered materials. But what if these autonomous soft machines were ... helpful? This is the vision of a team of Penn State and U.S. Air … [Read more...] about Helpful, engineered ‘living’ machines in the future? New soft, responsive metamaterial holds potential for wide variety of societal benefits

Fiber optic technology is the holy grail of high-speed, long-distance telecommunications. Still, with the continuing exponential growth of internet traffic, researchers are warning of a capacity crunch. In AVS Quantum Science, by AIP Publishing, researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University of Maryland show how quantum-enhanced receivers … [Read more...] about Boosting fiber optics communications with advanced quantum-enhanced receiver: Technology could avert capacity crunch by enhancing bandwidth while reducing energy consumption

As artificial intelligence has attracted broad interest, researchers are focused on understanding how the brain accomplishes cognition so they can construct artificial systems with general intelligence comparable to humans' intelligence. Many have approached this challenge by using conventional silicon microelectronics in conjunction with light. However, the fabrication of … [Read more...] about Combining light, superconductors could boost AI capabilities

Frequent use of social media may not amount to the same as addiction, according to research at the University of Strathclyde. The study invited 100 participants to locate specific social media apps on a simulated smartphone screen as quickly and accurately as possible, while ignoring other apps. The participants were varied in the extent and type of their social media use and … [Read more...] about Is social media use a potentially addictive behavior? Maybe not

With roughly 80% of jobs being sedentary, often requiring several hours of sitting stooped in front of a computer screen, neck pain is a growing occupational hazard. Smartphones and other devices have also caused people to bend their necks for prolonged periods. But is bad posture solely to blame? In a recent study, researchers at Texas A&M University have found that while … [Read more...] about Body mass index, age can affect your risk for neck pain

The fact that the human body is made up of cells is a basic, well-understood concept. Yet amazingly, scientists are still trying to determine the various types of cells that make up our organs and contribute to our health. A relatively recent technique called single-cell sequencing is enabling researchers to recognize and categorize cell types by characteristics such as which … [Read more...] about New algorithm uses online learning for massive cell data sets: The method enables researchers to analyze millions of cells with the amount of memory found on a standard computer

Someday, scientists believe, tiny DNA-based robots and other nanodevices will deliver medicine inside our bodies, detect the presence of deadly pathogens, and help manufacture increasingly smaller electronics. Researchers took a big step toward that future by developing a new tool that can design much more complex DNA robots and nanodevices than were ever possible before in a … [Read more...] about DNA robots designed in minutes instead of days: New software will allow creation of more complex devices

The internet seems like the place to go to get into fights. Whether they're with a family member or a complete stranger, these arguments have the potential to destroy important relationships and consume a lot of emotional energy. Researchers at the University of Washington worked with almost 260 people to understand these disagreements and to develop potential design … [Read more...] about How to make online arguments productive

In physics, things exist in "phases," such as solid, liquid, gas. When something crosses from one phase to another, we talk about a "phase transition" -- think about water boiling into steam, turning from liquid to gas. In our kitchens water boils at 100oC, and its density changes dramatically, making a discontinuous jump from liquid to gas. However, if we turn up the pressure, … [Read more...] about Water and quantum magnets share critical physics