Tech Xplore news

Tech Xplore / Emoticons can confuse LLMs, causing 'silent failures' in coding responses

Large language models (LLMs), artificial intelligence (AI) systems that can process and generate texts in various languages, are now widely used by people worldwide. These models have proved to be effective in rapidly sourcing ...

Jan 28, 2026
Tech Xplore / AI can generate a feeling of intimacy that exceeds human connections

People can develop emotional closeness to artificial intelligence (AI)—under certain conditions, even more so than to other people. This is shown by a new study conducted by a research team led by Prof. Dr. Markus Heinrichs ...

Jan 28, 2026
Tech Xplore / Powering AI from space, at scale, with a passive tether design

Penn Engineers have developed a novel design for solar-powered data centers that will orbit Earth and could realistically scale to meet the growing demand for AI computing while reducing the environmental impact of data centers.

Jan 28, 2026
Tech Xplore / Electric eel biology inspires powerful gel battery

Power sources used in devices found in or around biological tissue must be flexible and nontoxic, while still powerful enough to support demanding technologies such as medical devices or soft robotics. To achieve this balance, ...

Jan 28, 2026
Tech Xplore / Molecular seal strengthens perovskite solar cells, while pushing efficiency to 26.6%

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are known for their impressive ability to convert sunlight into energy, their low production costs and their lightweight design. They may well be the rising stars of renewable energy, but they ...

Jan 27, 2026
Tech Xplore / Unsinkable metal tubes could lead to resilient ships, floating platforms and renewable energy innovations

More than a century after the Titanic sank, engineers still have hopes of someday creating "unsinkable" ships. In a step toward reaching that lofty goal, researchers at the University of Rochester's Institute of Optics have ...

Jan 27, 2026
Tech Xplore / Foundation AI models trained on physics, not words, are driving scientific discovery

While popular AI models such as ChatGPT are trained on language or photographs, new models created by researchers from the Polymathic AI collaboration are trained using real scientific datasets. The models are already using ...

Jan 27, 2026
Tech Xplore / Low-cost system turns smartphones into emergency radiation detectors

Prompt, individual-based dose assessment is essential to protect people from the negative consequences of radiation exposure after large-scale nuclear or radiological incidents. However, traditional dosimetry methods often ...

Jan 27, 2026
Tech Xplore / Synthetic 'muscle' with microfluidic blood vessels shows promise for soft robotics

Researchers are continuing to make progress on developing a new synthetic material that behaves like biological muscle, an advancement that could provide a path to soft robotics, prosthetic devices and advanced human-machine ...

Jan 27, 2026
Tech Xplore / Used EVs currently offer car buyers lowest lifetime cost of ownership, study shows

Now is a great time for anyone who's shopping for a used car to consider an electric vehicle, according to new research from the University of Michigan.

Jan 27, 2026
Tech Xplore / Core-shell anodes boost sodium-ion battery efficiency and capacity

Sodium-ion batteries are considered a promising, sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries. However, high storage losses during the first charging cycle have slowed down their development so far. Researchers at the ...

Jan 27, 2026
Tech Xplore / Meet the soft humanoid robot that can grow, shrink, fly and walk on water

Humanoid robots look impressive and have enormous potential to change our daily lives, but they still have a reputation for being clunky. They're also heavy and stiff, and if they fall, they can easily break and injure people ...

Jan 26, 2026