Tech Xplore news

Tech Xplore / Electrochemical research takes major strides towards harvesting a vital battery material

The supply of lithium—the battery material that keeps digital devices humming, EVs racing and renewable energy on the grid—will not meet even half the expected demand by 2040.

Jul 1, 2026
Tech Xplore / AI-human relationships are real and come with risks, researchers find

Human-AI relationships are no longer confined to the domain of science fiction. As the technology has developed, AI chatbots have evolved from playing a role in search engines and image-generation tools into confidants, therapists ...

Jul 1, 2026
Tech Xplore / Spent EV batteries get second life as higher-performance battery material

A new approach to battery recycling could turn today's electric vehicle waste into the building blocks of tomorrow's higher-performing batteries. Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed an environmentally ...

Jul 1, 2026
Tech Xplore / Tandem solar cell sets 25.5% efficiency record with CIGS-perovskite design

A Berlin-based team from HZB and Center for the Science of Materials Berlin (CSMB) at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin has set a new record for a tandem solar cell. Using a combination of a CIGS semiconductor layer and perovskite, ...

Jul 1, 2026
Tech Xplore / AI changes its behavior around authority... and that could be risky

Artificial intelligence doesn't just learn how humans talk. It may also be learning who gets listened to. A new study from researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that large language models, the ...

Jul 1, 2026
Tech Xplore / Why AI fiction still feels flat: New test shows characters lack mystery and complexity

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have found that while artificial intelligence can spin increasingly convincing stories, its characters may still lack one of the qualities that make human-written ...

Jul 1, 2026
Tech Xplore / Custom prosthetic hand adapts to each user, decoding 19 gestures in real time

Most prosthetic hands today still struggle with a fundamental problem: No two amputees are the same, yet most devices are designed as if they are. That mismatch makes natural, intuitive control difficult, often turning what ...

Jul 1, 2026
Tech Xplore / Moisture-driven tech can power green batteries—and destroy spy gear

Researchers from North Carolina State University and Rice University have created a nontoxic, stretchable battery that operates by extracting moisture from the ambient environment—even in climates as dry as the desert. The ...

Jul 1, 2026
Tech Xplore / Horror-movie cue inspires wearable that turns robot movements into warning music

In horror movies, music is a dead giveaway. Tension builds with each note, and you brace for the inevitable jump scare. The same sense of anticipation has taken a leading role in an unlikely venue: a Georgia Tech robotics ...

Jul 1, 2026
Tech Xplore / Smarter diagnostics could extend the lives of silicon EV batteries

Electric vehicle batteries could last twice as long, preventing costly replacement, with a new approach to heating and cooling the batteries, according to a study led by University of Michigan Engineering. The system is designed ...

Jul 1, 2026
Tech Xplore / Cavity-based underwater lens focuses sound while cutting weight by 40%

In the underwater world, sound is the primary means of communication, as light quickly fades. A Korean research team has developed an underwater acoustic lens capable of focusing sound precisely at a desired point while reducing ...

Jul 1, 2026
Tech Xplore / Surface oxidation, not water, drives Prussian blue battery failure

Like a delicate fabric that becomes damaged during drying, a promising next-generation battery material has faced an unexpected challenge: Removing water to improve performance can actually shorten battery life. Now, a Korean ...

Jul 1, 2026