Computers

North Carolina State University engineers continue to improve the efficiency of a flexible device worn on the wrist that harvests heat energy from the human body to monitor health. In a paper published in npj Flexible Electronics, the NC State researchers report significant enhancements in preventing heat leakage in the flexible body heat harvester they first reported in 2017 … [Read more...] about Reduced heat leakage improves wearable health device

In the era of social distancing, using robots for some health care interactions is a promising way to reduce in-person contact between health care workers and sick patients. However, a key question that needs to be answered is how patients will react to a robot entering the exam room. Researchers from MIT and Brigham and Women's Hospital recently set out to answer that … [Read more...] about The (robotic) doctor will see you now: Study finds patients are receptive to interacting with robots designed to evaluate symptoms in a contact-free way

Researchers have developed a new quantum version of a 150-year-old thermodynamical thought experiment that could pave the way for the development of quantum heat engines. Mathematicians from the University of Nottingham have applied new quantum theory to the Gibbs paradox and demonstrated a fundamental difference in the roles of information and control between classical and … [Read more...] about New quantum theory heats up thermodynamic research

Public grants to build rural broadband networks may not be sufficient to close the digital divide, new Cornell University research finds. High operations and maintenance costs and low population density in some rural areas result in prohibitively high service fees -- even for a subscriber-owned cooperative structured to prioritize member needs over profits, the analysis … [Read more...] about Building networks not enough to expand rural broadband

A new data-driven study from Texas A&M University casts serious doubt on the stereotype that male students perform better than female students in science -- specifically, physics. A team of researchers in the Department of Physics and Astronomy analyzed both the midterm exam scores and final grades of more than 10,000 Texas A&M students enrolled in four introductory … [Read more...] about Study finds no link between gender and physics course performance

Professor Byoungwoo Kang develops a high-density cathode material through controlling local structures of the Li-rich layered materials. Researchers in Korea have developed a high-capacity cathode material that can be stably charged and discharged for hundreds of cycles without using the expensive cobalt (Co) metal. The day is fast approaching when electric vehicles can drive … [Read more...] about Speeding up commercialization of electric vehicles

Researchers have succeeded in making an AI understand our subjective notions of what makes faces attractive. The device demonstrated this knowledge by its ability to create new portraits on its own that were tailored to be found personally attractive to individuals. The results can be utilised, for example, in modelling preferences and decision-making as well as potentially … [Read more...] about Beauty is in the brain: AI reads brain data, generates personally attractive images

You look for a pattern, or a rule, and you just can't spot it. So you back up and start over. That's your brain recognizing that your current strategy isn't working, and that you need a new way to solve the problem, according to new research from the University of Washington. With the help of about 200 puzzle-takers, a computer model and functional MRI (fMRI) images, … [Read more...] about Can’t solve a riddle? The answer might lie in knowing what doesn’t work

Efforts to duplicate on Earth the fusion reactions that power the sun and stars for unlimited energy must contend with extreme heat-load density that can damage the doughnut-shaped fusion facilities called tokamaks, the most widely used laboratory facilities that house fusion reactions, and shut them down. These loads flow against the walls of what are called divertor plates … [Read more...] about Extreme-scale computing and AI forecast a promising future for fusion power

As you scroll through Amazon looking for the perfect product, or flip through titles on Netflix searching for a movie to fit your mood, auto-generated recommendations can help you find exactly what you're looking for among extensive offerings. These recommender systems are used in retail, entertainment, social networking and more. In a recently published study, two researchers … [Read more...] about Recommended for you: Role, impact of tools behind automated product picks explored: Pros, cons of recommender systems