Tech Xplore news

Tech Xplore / Researchers establish performance targets for next-generation solar aircraft batteries

A sleek, pilotless, solar-powered airplane that soars through the atmosphere to monitor climate or track wildfires was once just an idea. Now, these high-altitude specialty aircraft are advancing from early prototyping demonstrations ...

Oct 28, 2026
Tech Xplore / Artificial skin helps robots grasp pencil lead and pull away from needles

Researchers have covered robotic fingers with a new artificial skin that allows the hand to grasp fragile pencil lead and pull away from a needle before it punctures the covering. Both actions depend on more than sensitive ...

Oct 27, 2026
Tech Xplore / AIs fail to reliably detect AIs in reverse Turing tests

The famous "Turing test" of computer science comes from a 1950 paper written by the British computer scientist (and war hero) Alan Turing. There are many variants, but perhaps the most common involves a human asking questions ...

Oct 27, 2026
Tech Xplore / New neural framework could make LLMs more empathetic

As more people turn to large language models (LLMs) during personal crises, the companies behind them are engineering these AI-powered models to be more personal, empathetic and understanding when prompts indicate a user ...

Oct 27, 2026
Tech Xplore / Origami-based construction method yields lightweight, load-bearing structures on architectural scales

MIT researchers have developed a new type of origami-based construction method that could be used to build complex structures that are cheaper and easier to assemble and use less material than those built with some conventional ...

Oct 27, 2026
Tech Xplore / The unexpected key to extending EV battery life found in 'oxygen release'

What if a battery could become more powerful as it ages? Much like wine developing a deeper flavor over time, researchers in Korea have uncovered the mechanism behind a battery material that can deliver greater usable capacity ...

Oct 27, 2026
Tech Xplore / Seeing Rembrandt through the eyes of a machine

A few hundred years ago, determining whether a painting was created by a master like Rembrandt or a talented copycat depended only on the trained eye of an expert. Then, new tools like X-rays and infrared imaging allowed ...

Oct 27, 2026
Tech Xplore / Flash heating offers faster way to recover critical metal from e-waste

Many electronic devices use flame-retardant plastic as casing in order to reduce the risk of electrical fires. This plastic is formulated using a metal called antimony along with organic bromide compounds. In fact, 39% of ...

Oct 27, 2026
Dialog / Why were you shown that ad? Most platforms still won't say, despite EU law

Article 39 of the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) requires very large online platforms (VLOPs) and very large online search engines (VLOSEs), including social media platforms like Instagram, shopping platforms like Temu and ...

Oct 27, 2026
Tech Xplore / Living cells inspire tiny channels that could help extract lithium for batteries

Gathering lithium, a crucial element in batteries for smartphones, electric cars and the electrical grid, is a time-consuming and energy-intensive process, but new technology could make it much easier.

Oct 27, 2026
Tech Xplore / Pulsed 3D printing grows creep-resistant single crystals more than a meter long for high-temperature applications

Researchers from China have developed a new 3D-printing process capable of building titanium-alloy rods more than a meter (3.3 feet) tall composed entirely of a single crystal. The new method, described in the team's recently ...

Oct 26, 2026
Tech Xplore / Tunable gate electrodes could help semiconductors operate at lower voltages

Smartphones and computers process information by switching the current that flows inside semiconductors on and off. The gate electrode delivers the signal that controls this switching. Until now, gate electrodes have typically ...

Oct 26, 2026