Computers

When bringing technologies into the workplace, it pays to be realistic. Often, for instance, bringing new digital technology into an organization does not radically improve a firm's operations. Despite high-level planning, a more frequent result is the messy process of frontline employees figuring out how they can get tech tools to help them to some degree. That task can easily … [Read more...] about A better way to introduce digital tech in the workplace: Kate Kellogg advocates for ‘experimentalist governance,’ to find what works best for employees at all levels, then implement it widely

First, it takes skill to fly the often expensive pieces of equipment smoothly and without crashing. And once you've mastered flying, there are camera angles, panning speeds, trajectories and flight paths to plan. With all the sensors and processing power onboard a drone and embedded in its camera, there must be a better way to capture the perfect shot. "Sometimes you just want … [Read more...] about Shoot better drone videos with a single word: Mapping emotions to robotic behavior

Quantum computers with their promises of creating new materials and solving intractable mathematical problems are a dream of many physicists. Now, they are slowly approaching viable realizations in many laboratories all over the world. But there are still enormous challenges to master. A central one is the construction of stable quantum bits -- the fundamental unit of quantum … [Read more...] about Scientists found a new and promising qubit at a place where there is nothing

So-called quantum dots are a new class of materials with many applications. Quantum dots are realized by tiny semiconductor crystals with dimensions in the nanometre range. The optical and electrical properties can be controlled through the size of these crystals. As QLEDs, they are already on the market in the latest generations of TV flat screens, where they ensure … [Read more...] about How quantum dots can ‘talk’ to each other

A new formula from Army scientists is leading to new insights on how to build an energy-efficient legged teammate for dismounted warfighters. In a recent peer-reviewed PLOS One paper, the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, known as DEVCOM, Army Research Laboratory's Drs. Alexander Kott, Sean Gart and Jason Pusey offer new insights on building autonomous military … [Read more...] about Similarity of legs, wheels, tracks suggests target for energy-efficient robots

Researchers have demonstrated "giant flexoelectricity" in soft elastomers that could improve robot movement range and make self-powered pacemakers a real possibility. In a paper published this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists from the University of Houston and Air Force Research Laboratory explain how to engineer ostensibly ordinary … [Read more...] about The powerhouse future is flexoelectric: ‘Giant flexoelectricity’ breakthrough in soft elastomers paves way for improved robots and self-powered pacemakers

Scientists have created a cybersecurity technology called Shadow Figment that is designed to lure hackers into an artificial world, then stop them from doing damage by feeding them illusory tidbits of success. The aim is to sequester bad actors by captivating them with an attractive -- but imaginary -- world. The technology is aimed at protecting physical targets -- … [Read more...] about Shadow figment technology foils cyberattacks: Make-believe shadow world is designed to sidetrack hackers, buying time for the good guys

The myriad processes occurring in biological cells may seem unbelievably complex at first glance. And yet, in principle, they are merely a logical succession of events, and could even be used to form digital circuits. Researchers have now developed a molecular switching circuit made of DNA, which can be used to mechanically alter gels, depending on the pH. DNA-based switching … [Read more...] about Changing the shape of soft matter using logic circuits made from DNA

What makes cheetah the fastest land mammal? Why aren't other animals, such as horses, as fast? While we haven't yet figured out why, we have some idea about how -- cheetahs, as it turns out, make use of a "galloping" gait at their fastest speeds, involving two different types of "flight": one with the forelimbs and hind limbs beneath their body following a forelimb liftoff, … [Read more...] about A speedy trial: What it takes to be the fastest land predator: Researchers from Japan develop and validate a model exploring the dynamics governing high-speed movement in cheetahs

Can you trust the map on your smartphone, or the satellite image on your computer screen? So far, yes, but it may only be a matter of time until the growing problem of "deep fakes" converges with geographical information science (GIS). Researchers such as Associate Professor of Geography Chengbin Deng are doing what they can to get ahead of the problem. Deng and four colleagues … [Read more...] about Researchers explore ways to detect ‘deep fakes’ in geography