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Electronics & Semiconductors

Shape-morphing brain sensor adheres to curved surfaces for ultrasound neurostimulation

Transcranial focused ultrasound, a non-invasive technique to stimulate specific areas of the brain using high-frequency sound waves, could be a promising treatment strategy for many neurological disorders. Most notably, it ...

Engineering

Scientists develop novel digital encoding system using fluorescent pixels

A team of scientists has developed a novel digital encoding and data storage system based on a combination of microcapsules containing different luminescent dyes and phase change materials. This work represents an important ...

Engineering

Lasers provide boon for manufacturing of ceremonial Thai umbrellas

Seen atop pagodas, inside Buddhist ordination halls, and in royal palaces, the tiered umbrella is one of Thailand's oldest and most sacred ornamental symbols. Constructing one of these ornate pieces, also called chatras, ...

Engineering

New origami-inspired system turns flat-pack tubes into strong building materials

Engineers at RMIT University have designed an innovative tubular structural system that can be packed flat for easier transport and pop up into strong building materials. This breakthrough is made possible by a self-locking ...

Engineering

New device simplifies manipulation of 2D materials for twistronics

A discovery six years ago took the condensed-matter physics world by storm: Ultra-thin carbon stacked in two slightly askew layers became a superconductor, and changing the twist angle between layers could toggle their electrical ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

Japan plans driverless bullet trains

Shinkansen bullet trains could be whizzing around Japan without drivers from the mid 2030s, one of its main rail operators said, motivated in part by the country's demographic crisis.

Engineering

Revolutionizing 3D printing through microwave technology

In the rapidly evolving world of 3D printing, the pursuit of faster, more efficient and versatile production methods is never-ending. Traditional 3D printing techniques, while groundbreaking, are often time-consuming and ...

Business

Ma vs Musk: tech tycoons spar on future of AI

Jack Ma believes artificial intelligence poses no threat to humanity, but Elon Musk called that "famous last words" as the billionaire tech tycoons faced off Thursday in an occasionally animated debate on futurism in Shanghai.

Hi Tech & Innovation

Five ways AI could make your car as smart as a human passenger

Driving long distances without a passenger can be lonely. If you've ever done it, you might have wished for a companion to talk to—someone emotionally intelligent who can understand you and help you on the road. The disembodied ...

Engineering

Delivering new concepts for urban citizens

The city could be thought of as a living organism that requires inputs of energy, nutrients, and water and exudes wastes. Traditionally, engineers designed and managed the systems that bought energy and water into the city ...

Engineering

Wireless sensors stick to skin and track health

We tend to take our skin's protective function for granted, ignoring its other roles in signaling subtleties like a fluttering heart or a flush of embarrassment.

Hi Tech & Innovation

Time to worry: Silicon Valley wants to read your mind

Not content with monitoring almost everything you do online, Facebook now wants to read your mind as well. The social media giant recently announced a breakthrough in its plan to create a device that reads people's brainwaves ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

Computer-aided knitting: Machine learning for customized clothing

The oldest known knitting item dates back to Egypt in the Middle Ages, by way of a pair of carefully handcrafted socks. Although handmade clothes have occupied our closets for centuries, a recent influx of high-tech knitting ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

Orlando publisher adopts realistic voice technology

An Orlando digital publisher has adopted technology distributed by Amazon that makes the stilted robotic voices often associated with text-to-speech services sound more natural.

Business

Cobalt hits headlines as Glencore shuts key mine

Cobalt hit the headlines Wednesday after Glencore shut a key African facility that mines the rare metal—and blamed prices that have been tumbling from highs seen in recent years on battery demand.