Tech Xplore news

Tech Xplore / Dear AI, I'm autistic; should I go to this party?

When people ask ChatGPT and other AI models for advice, they often share deeply personal details in hopes of getting better answers: their age, their gender, their mental health history, even medical diagnoses like autism. ...

Apr 15, 2026
Tech Xplore / OpenAI announces restricted-access cybersecurity model

Artificial intelligence company OpenAI said Tuesday that it would release its latest cybersecurity model to a limited number of partners, after rival Anthropic also restricted release of a new system that uncovered thousands ...

Apr 15, 2026
Tech Xplore / This AI chatbot tackles scams, fear and isolation to bring seniors safely into digital life

Digital technologies can play a double-edged role in modern society; while they offer new forms of participation and access, they can also deepen existing inequalities. Older people are especially affected as services such ...

Apr 15, 2026
Tech Xplore / 3D-printing electronics with focused microwaves redefines possibilities in materials

In a recently published paper in Science Advances, a team led by Rice University's Yong Lin Kong describes a new 3D-printing process with focused microwaves that overcomes a fundamental constraint of electronics 3D printing ...

Apr 14, 2026
Tech Xplore / Computational 'time machine' shows solar and wind power on track for 2°C target, but not for 1.5°C

Wind and solar power have grown faster than almost anyone predicted, but projecting their future expansion remains surprisingly difficult. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have developed what they ...

Apr 14, 2026
Tech Xplore / Tiny cameras in earbuds let users talk with AI about what they see

University of Washington researchers developed the first system that incorporates tiny cameras in off-the-shelf wireless earbuds to allow users to talk with an AI model about the scene in front of them. For instance, a user ...

Apr 14, 2026
Tech Xplore / Perfect alignment between AI and human values is mathematically impossible, study says

Perfect AI alignment with human values and interests is mathematically impossible, according to a study, but behavioral diversity among AI agents offers the promise of some control. Published in PNAS Nexus, Hector Zenil and ...

Apr 14, 2026
Tech Xplore / AI fixes 'temporal errors,' enhancing reliability in medical and legal fields

What if ChatGPT answered with the name of a minister from a year ago when asked, "Who was the minister inaugurated last month?" This is a prime example of the limitations of AI that fails to properly reflect the latest information. ...

Apr 14, 2026
Tech Xplore / Clean concrete: How shrimp waste can transform sustainable construction

Cement production is responsible for around 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions, primarily due to the production of Portland cement. In response to this environmental challenge, geopolymers—materials obtained through the ...

Apr 14, 2026
Tech Xplore / Phase-changing VO₂ turns methane into propane and hydrogen more efficiently

Converting methane, the primary component of natural gas, into higher alkanes and hydrogen, could be highly advantageous. Alkanes, such as propane and butane, are easier to transport than methane and are used in a wider range ...

Apr 13, 2026
Tech Xplore / Kale, cabbage, and broccoli could turn toxic soil into a new source of critical thallium metal

University of Queensland geochemist Dr. Amelia Corzo-Remigio said powerful X-rays confirmed crops in the Brassicaceae family had strong "phytomining" potential because of the mechanisms they evolved to extract traces of the ...

Apr 13, 2026
Tech Xplore / Mechanical computers use springs and bolts to count, sort odd-even pushes and remember force

Published in Nature Communications, researchers from St. Olaf College and Syracuse University built a computer made entirely of mechanical components that can perform simple computations without electricity or batteries.

Apr 13, 2026