Tech Xplore news
Tech Xplore / The world's most efficient solar cell: Chinese researchers explain how they designed and built it
Earlier in 2025, Chinese solar manufacturer Longi announced it had built the world's most efficient solar cell. The hybrid interdigitated back-contact (HIBC) cell achieved 27.81% efficiency, which was verified by Germany's ...
Tech Xplore / Soft robots harvest ambient heat for self-sustained motion
A warm hand is enough to drive motion in tiny Salmonella-inspired robots that harness molecular-level dynamic bonding.
Tech Xplore / Programmable metamaterial can morph into more configurations than there are atoms in the universe
The Wave Engineering for eXtreme and Intelligent maTErials (We-Xite) lab, led by engineering assistant professor Osama R. Bilal, has developed a reconfigurable metamaterial that can control sound waves—bending them, dampening ...
Tech Xplore / Soft hybrid material turns motion into power—without toxic lead
Scientists have developed a new material that converts motion into electricity (piezoelectricity) with greater efficiency and without using toxic lead—paving the way for a new generation of devices that we use in everyday ...
Tech Xplore / LLMs use grammar shortcuts that undermine reasoning, creating reliability risks
Large language models (LLMs) sometimes learn the wrong lessons, according to an MIT study. Rather than answering a query based on domain knowledge, an LLM could respond by leveraging grammatical patterns it learned during ...
Tech Xplore / New model measures how AI sycophancy affects chatbot accuracy and rationality
If you've spent any time with ChatGPT or another AI chatbot, you've probably noticed they are intensely, almost overbearingly, agreeable. They apologize, flatter and constantly change their "opinions" to fit yours.
Tech Xplore / Uncovering hidden losses in solar cells: New analysis method reveals the nature of defects
A joint research team has successfully identified, for the first time, the specific types of defects responsible for efficiency loss in silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells.
Tech Xplore / Stretchable battery uses natural acids and gelatin for greener wearables
Researchers with McGill's Trottier Institute for Sustainability in Engineering and Design have developed a stretchable, eco-friendly battery suitable for use in wearable and implantable devices. The battery, which uses citric ...
Tech Xplore / Low-cost green hydrogen: New electrode design dramatically reduces wear in membrane electrolyzers
A University of California, Berkeley chemist has engineered a new technology that could make hydrogen-producing fuel cells last longer and hasten the arrival of cost-competitive, eco-friendly versions of the fuel source.
Tech Xplore / 3D printing researchers develop fast-curing, environmentally friendly concrete substitute
Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a quick-setting, environmentally friendly alternative to concrete they hope can one day be used to rapidly 3D print homes and infrastructure.
Tech Xplore / Why the long interface? AI systems don't 'get' the joke, research reveals
Powerful artificial intelligence (AI) systems, like ChatGPT and Gemini, simulate understanding of comedy wordplay, but never really "get the joke," a new study suggests.
Tech Xplore / Moisture-driven power generator delivers stable electricity even in dry air conditions
As artificial intelligence (AI) and smart gadgets become more common, our need for reliable power sources grows. Renewable energy options like solar and wind are great, but they depend on specific conditions. A research team ...
