Science X Newsletter Mon, Jan 29

Dear manoj dole,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for January 29, 2024:

Technology news

	A strategy to realize vertical iontronic energy storage via osmotic effects and electrode redox reactions In recent years, engineers have been trying to identify new technologies to sustainably generate and store energy. One promising solution leverages the energy produced by osmosis when two fluids with a different salt concentration meet, such as when a freshwater body (e.g., a river) flows into a saltwater body (e.g., the sea).
	Speaking in a local accent might make social robots seem more trustworthy and competent, say scientists Social robots can help us with many things: teaching, learning, caring. Because they're designed to interact with humans, they're designed to make us comfortable—and that includes the way they talk. But how should they talk? Some research suggests that people like robots to use a familiar accent or dialect, while other research suggests the opposite.
	Robot trained to read braille at twice the speed of humans Researchers have developed a robotic sensor that incorporates artificial intelligence techniques to read braille at speeds roughly double that of most human readers.
	Sound-powered sensors stand to save millions of batteries Sensors that monitor infrastructure, such as bridges or buildings, or are used in medical devices, such as prostheses for the deaf, require a constant supply of power. The energy for this usually comes from batteries, which are replaced as soon as they are empty. This creates a huge waste problem. An EU study forecasts that in 2025, 78 million batteries will end up in the rubbish every day.
	Researchers harness large language models to accelerate materials discovery Princeton researchers have created an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to predict the behavior of crystalline materials, a key step in advancing technologies such as batteries and semiconductors. Although computer simulations are commonly used in crystal design, the new method relies on a large language model, similar to those that power text generators like ChatGPT.
	Benchtop test quickly identifies extremely impact-resistant materials An intricate, honeycomb-like structure of struts and beams could withstand a supersonic impact better than a solid slab of the same material. What's more, the specific structure matters, with some being more resilient to impacts than others.
	Robot shows how dinosaurs flapped feathers to scare prey Against a backdrop of looming skyscrapers, a robot dinosaur raises its feathery wings, sending its prey fleeing in terror.
	Hybrid energy harvesters that harness heat and vibration simultaneously Harvesting energy sources such as heat, vibration, light, and electromagnetic waves from everyday environments such as industrial sites and automobiles and converting them into electrical energy is known as energy harvesting. Energy harvesting makes it easier to power today's popular IoT sensors and wireless devices that are located in environments where battery replacement is difficult.
	Amazon's bid to buy Roomba maker iRobot is called off amid pushback in Europe Amazon called off its purchase of robot vacuum maker iRobot on Monday, blaming "undue and disproportionate regulatory hurdles" after the European Union signaled its objection to the deal.
	Off the roof: The quest to harness energy from facades Researchers are going beyond conventional solar panels in a bid to generate heat and electricity from the other external surfaces of buildings.
	Q&A: Tallest building in US planned for the middle of Tornado Alley. Will it withstand the region's extreme weather? A 1,907-foot tall building could soon be erected as the tallest skyscraper in the United States. Can you guess where it may be built?
	Where are all the women in tech? While working as a software development project manager in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Bianca Trinkenreich was always one of few women in the room—and she often wondered why. When she came to NAU as a Ph.D. student, she had the opportunity to search for answers.
	Deepfakes: How to empower youth to fight the threat of misinformation and disinformation The World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2024 has issued a stark warning: misinformation and disinformation, primarily driven by deepfakes, are ranked as the most severe global short-term risks the world faces in the next two years.
	AI is supposed to make us more efficient, but it could mean we waste more energy The European Union is negotiating an Artificial Intelligence Act, the world's first comprehensive law that aims to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) based on the risk it poses to individuals, society and the environment.
	Tech layoffs for AI, but Wall Street ready for stellar earnings Tech layoffs have piled up since the start of the year, but analysts say that it could be a new normal for Silicon Valley in a big pivot to artificial intelligence.
	Fingerprinting with machine vision Traditional fingerprint identification methods can struggle with accurately identifying feature points in smaller regions. This is usually where a subset of fingerprints that are of limited size might typically be found in a restricted regions of a larger fingerprint image. Ultimately this usually leads to lower recognition accuracy and weaker evidence gleaned from a crime scene investigation, for instance.
	New analysis highlights geothermal heat pumps as key opportunity in switch to clean energy A new analysis from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found that, coupled with building envelope improvements, installing geothermal heat pumps in around 70% of U.S. buildings could save as much as 593 terawatt-hours of electricity generation annually and avoid seven gigatons of carbon-equivalent emissions by 2050.
	Vehicle networking environment information sharing based on distributed fountain code Intelligent Transportation systems (ITS) have shown great potential in smart cities in recent years. Using information processing and communication technology, ITS significantly improves the quality of urban traffic operation and service. Autonomous vehicles (AVs), a key component of ITS, are able to sense their surroundings and operate without the need for human intervention.
	New app effectively aids blind and visually impaired commuters in finding bus stops A team of researchers from Mass Eye and Ear have developed a micro-navigation smartphone app to provide assistance to those who are blind or visually impaired (BVI) in finding their bus stops, and a new study published in Translational Vision Science & Technology found the success rate of the app was substantially higher than that of Google Maps.
	Alaska Airlines has begun flying Boeing Max 9 jetliners again and United flies plane on Saturday Alaska Airlines has begun flying Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners again since they were grounded after a panel blew out of the side of one of the airline's planes.
	X to open new Texas office to combat child porn Social media platform X, formerly Twitter, will open a moderation office in Texas with an emphasis on fighting content linked to child sexual abuse, the company said.
	Boeing exec apologizes over MAX 9 problem, promises fixes A top Boeing executive has apologized for the problems highlighted by the mid-flight blowout of a door plug on an Alaska Airlines flight, as two airlines began returning the troubled 737 MAX 9 planes to service.
	Philips stops selling sleep devices in US amid recall woes Under-fire Dutch medical device maker Philips said Monday it would halt new sales of sleep machines in the United States after a series of recalls that continued to weigh on results.
	Wall Street girds for ugly Boeing earnings as CEO faces scrutiny Boeing's 737 MAX 9 planes have begun to fly again after the January 5 Alaska Airlines scare, but the episode is expected to weigh on the aviation giant's finances for the foreseeable future.
	Opinion: Freedom of information laws key to exposing AI wrongdoing. The current system isn't up to the task There's been much discussion about how artificial intelligence (AI) will affect every part of our society, from school assignments to the music industry.
	Renault slams brakes on listing of Ampere EV division French automaker Renault said Monday that it was halting the initial public offering of its EV unit Ampere, saying market conditions were unfavorable to list the company's shares.
	Static strength, crashworthiness analysis of a train cowcatcher at high running speed The cowcatcher is a unique device located at the front end of rail vehicles. It is generally installed at the bottom frame of the head car and can remove obstacles by colliding with foreign objects on the track ahead of the vehicle. This ensures the safety of the train and the prevention of major safety accidents such as derailment.

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