Tech Xplore news
Tech Xplore / Converting human urine into clean energy: Researchers optimize the process
Researchers at McGill University have improved the efficiency of a method for converting human urine into clean energy. The method employs microbial fuel cells (MFCs), which use bacteria to turn organic waste into electricity, ...
Tech Xplore / Can AI build a machine that draws a heart? What automated mechanism design could mean for mechanical engineering
Can you design a mechanism that will trace out the shape of a heart? How about the shape of a moon, or a star? Mechanism design—the art of assembling linkages and joints to create machines with prescribed motion—is one ...
Tech Xplore / Fiber batteries promise 'smart clothing,' but two obstacles stand in the way
Fiber batteries are an emerging technology which could one day be used to create smart clothing with a wide array of functions, from charging electronic devices to acting as wearable controllers. However, a new study finds ...
Tech Xplore / Woven nickel-titanium structures unlock new flexibility in 3D-printed shape-memory materials
At first glance, few materials would seem to have less in common than metals and textiles. And yet, by manufacturing nickel-titanium alloys as a highly deformable, interwoven material, more similar to fabric than a typical ...
Tech Xplore / Why 'zero-knowledge encryption' may not stop password theft if servers are hacked
People who regularly use online services have between 100 and 200 passwords. Very few can remember every single one. Password managers are therefore extremely helpful, allowing users to access all their passwords with just ...
Tech Xplore / Organic solar cells degrade quickly, but a solid additive could help them last longer
Solar power continues to grow—accounting for most new capacity added to U.S. electric grids in 2024—but the mid-1950s technology most often used to capture the sun's energy comes with environmental costs.
Tech Xplore / Why AI may overcomplicate answers: Humans and LLMs show 'addition bias,' often choosing extra steps over subtraction
When making decisions and judgments, humans can fall into common "traps," known as cognitive biases. A cognitive bias is essentially the tendency to process information in a specific way or follow a systematic pattern. One ...
Tech Xplore / LLMs violate boundaries during mental health dialogues, study finds
Artificial intelligence (AI) agents, particularly those based on large language models (LLMs) like the conversational platform ChatGPT, are now widely used daily by numerous people worldwide. LLMs can generate texts that ...
Tech Xplore / Atom-thin ferroelectric transistor can store 3,024 polarization states
Over the past few decades, electronics engineers have been trying to develop new neuromorphic hardware, systems that mirror the organization of neurons in the human brain. These systems could run artificial intelligence (AI) ...
Tech Xplore / Cybersecurity spending may pay off: Study links readiness to stronger returns
The infamous Target data breach during the 2013 holiday shopping season, which cost the company more than $200 million in damages, has since been hailed as a landmark case in cybersecurity. Exposure to these threats has only ...
Tech Xplore / Organic molecule stores solar energy for years, then releases it as heat on demand
When the sun goes down, solar panels stop working. This is the fundamental hurdle of renewable energy: how to save the sun's power for a rainy day—or a cold night. Chemists at UC Santa Barbara have developed a solution ...
Tech Xplore / Redesigned electrolyte helps lithium-metal batteries safely reach full charge in 15 minutes
Lithium-metal batteries (LMBs) are rechargeable batteries that contain an anode (i.e., the electrode through which current flows and a loss of electrons occurs) made of lithium metal. Compared to conventional lithium-ion ...
