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DeepMind introduces AI agent that learns to complete various tasks in a scalable world model
Over the past decade, deep learning has transformed how artificial intelligence (AI) agents perceive and act in digital environments, allowing them to master board games, control simulated robots and reliably tackle various other tasks. Yet most of these systems still depend on enormous amounts of direct experience—millions of trial-and-error interactions—to... Read more
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Harnessing disorder: Metamaterials researchers achieve static mechanical cloaking and camouflage
A new collaborative study between IMDEA Materials Institute, China's Northwestern Polytechnical University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking University, and the Southern University of Science and Technology, has achieved a significant breakthrough in the field of mechanical metamaterials.... Read more
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Turning pollution into clean fuel with stable methane production from carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the world's most abundant pollutants and a key driver of climate change. To mitigate its impact, researchers around the world are exploring ways to capture CO2 from the atmosphere and transform it into valuable products, such as clean fuels or plastics. While the idea... Read more
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Minimal pixels achieve the highest possible resolution visible to the human eye
As the transfer of information in our society becomes more complex, so the demand increases for screens that transmit images and video with precision. Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, the University of Gothenburg and Uppsala University, Sweden, have developed a screen technology with the smallest pixels ever and with... Read more
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Making it easier to recycle your house
According to Statistics Norway, an average of approximately 1,100 detached houses have been demolished each year in Norway over the course of the past decade. However, only 7% of the wood from these buildings was recycled.... Read more
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Novel carbon nanotube-based transistors reach THz frequencies
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), cylindrical nanostructures made of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice, have proved to be promising for the fabrication of various electronic devices. In fact, these structures exhibit outstanding electrical conductivity and mechanical strength, both of which are highly favorable for the development of transistors (i.e., the... Read more
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Secret QR codes and hidden warnings: 3D printing technique allows precise control of material properties, point by point
3D printing is extremely practical when you want to produce small quantities of customized components. However, this technology has always had one major problem: 3D printers can only process a single material at a time. Until now, objects with different material properties in different areas could only be 3D-printed at... Read more
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Semi-transparent solar cells achieve record efficiency to advance building-integrated photovoltaics
A research team has developed an innovative parameter, FoMLUE, to evaluate the potential of photoactive materials for semi-transparent organic photovoltaics (ST-OPVs), paving the way for their widespread commercial applications.... Read more
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Nanoporous silicon generates electricity from friction with water
A European research team involving Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) and Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY has developed a novel way for converting mechanical energy into electricity—by using water confined in nanometer-sized pores of silicon as the active working fluid.... Read more
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New organic thin-film tunnel transistors for wearable and other small electronics
To meet the growing demands of flexible and wearable electronic systems, such as smart watches and biomedical sensors, electronics engineers are seeking high-performance transistors that can efficiently modulate electrical current while maintaining mechanical flexibility.... Read more
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Scientists create a novel hydrogel for unclonable security tags
Encryption technologies are vital in today's digital landscape to protect sensitive information from hackers and prevent fraud. While cutting-edge encryption has been developed for data, sophisticated protection for physical objects such as high-value products, access cards and documents has lagged behind until now.... Read more
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Software designs eco-friendly clothing that can reassemble into new items
It's hard to keep up with the ever-changing trends of the fashion world. What's "in" one minute is often out of style the next season, potentially causing you to re-evaluate your wardrobe.... Read more
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A stapler that knows when you need it: Using AI to turn everyday objects into proactive assistants
A stapler slides across a desk to meet a waiting hand, or a knife edges out of the way just before someone leans against a countertop. It sounds like magic, but in Carnegie Mellon University's Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII), researchers are combining AI and robotic mobility to give everyday objects... Read more
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Prototype battery powered by glucose and vitamin B2 offers path to more affordable energy storage
Researchers reporting in ACS Energy Letters have devised a battery powered by vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and glucose. Inspired by how human bodies break down glucose for energy using enzymes, the team incorporated riboflavin into a prototype flow cell battery. The riboflavin mediator helped shuttle electrons between the battery's electrodes and... Read more
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Robot 'backpack' drone launches, drives and flies to tackle emergencies
Introducing X1: The world's first multirobot system that integrates a humanoid robot with a transforming drone that can launch off the humanoid's back, and later, drive away.... Read more
