Science X Newsletter Thu, Jan 11

Dear manoj dole,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for January 11, 2024:

Technology news

	Catalytic combo converts CO₂ to solid carbon nanofibers while offsetting emissions Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and Columbia University have developed a way to convert carbon dioxide (CO2), a potent greenhouse gas, into carbon nanofibers, materials with a wide range of unique properties and many potential long-term uses. Their strategy uses tandem electrochemical and thermochemical reactions run at relatively low temperatures and ambient pressure.
	Scientists unveil blueprint for affordable solar cells to power Saudi Arabia and beyond Scientists have unveiled a roadmap for bringing perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells to market, paving the way for a future powered by abundant, inexpensive clean energy in Saudi Arabia and the world.
	Scientists develop artificial muscle device that produces force 34 times its weight Researchers have developed a fluid switch using ionic polymer artificial muscles that operates at ultra-low power and produces a force 34 times greater than its weight. Fluid switches control fluid flow, causing the fluid to flow in a specific direction to invoke various movements.
	Laser-controlled liquid metals herald new era for soft robotics Researchers at The University of Queensland (UQ) are developing new 4D printing technology that produces shape-shifting liquid metals for soft robotics.
	Research shows artificial intelligence fails in grammar A study of UAB and URV researchers and published in PNAS shows that human beings recognize grammatical errors in a sentence while AI does not. Researchers have compared the skills of humans and the three best large language models currently available.
	Novel AI framework generates images from nothing A new, potentially revolutionary artificial intelligence framework called "Blackout Diffusion" generates images from a completely empty picture, meaning that, unlike other generative diffusion models, the machine-learning algorithm does not require initiating a "random seed" to get started.
	Bulky additives could make cheaper solar cells last longer An insight into preventing perovskite semiconductors from degrading quickly, discovered at the University of Michigan, could help enable solar cells estimated to be two to four times cheaper than today's thin-film solar panels.
	Google awaits EU legal opinion on 2.4-bn-euro fine The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice will on Thursday publish a long-awaited opinion on a contested 2.4-billion-euro ($2.6-billion) fine that Brussels slapped on Google for anti-competitive practices.
	CES 2024 updates: AI fortune telling, accessible gaming, a flying taxi and Martha Stewart Welcome to CES 2024. This multi-day trade event put on by the Consumer Technology Association is expected to bring some 130,000 attendees and more than 4,000 exhibitors to Las Vegas. The latest advances and gadgets across personal tech, transportation, health care, sustainability and more will be on display, with burgeoning uses of artificial intelligence almost everywhere you look.
	Autonomous driving is 'happening', but slower than expected To the believers, the oft-promised autonomous car revolution is "clearly happening"—they point to the myriad displays at the Consumers Electronics Show in Las Vegas that defy the industry's bad headlines.
	US regulators authorize first bitcoin funds on public markets US securities regulators gave the green light Wednesday to a group of bitcoin exchange-traded funds, a keenly anticipated decision expected to boost the cryptocurrency.
	UK unveils plans for 'biggest nuclear power expansion in 70 years' The UK government on Thursday announced plans for what it said was the country's "biggest expansion of nuclear power for 70 years" to bolster its energy independence and meet carbon emission targets.
	Uber, Kia sign electric vehicle partnership US ride-hailing platform Uber and South Korean automaker Kia announced Wednesday the signing of an agreement on producing electric vehicles, during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
	Google lays off hundreds in hardware, voice assistant teams amid cost-cutting drive Google has laid off hundreds of employees working on its hardware, voice assistance and engineering teams as part of cost-cutting measures.
	Highly durable, non-noble metal electrodes for hydrogen production from seawater Water electrolysis using renewable energy sources has emerged as a promising clean method for hydrogen production. However, its extensive freshwater consumption poses limitations to regions with abundant water resources. Therefore, it is imperative to develop a new technology for water electrolysis that can directly harness the abundant supply of seawater.
	World added 50% more renewable energy but more needed: IEA The world added 50 percent more renewable energy capacity in 2023 over the previous year but more is needed in the battle against climate change, the International Energy Agency said Thursday.
	How we almost ended up with a bull's-eye bar code Few objects in the world are more immediately recognizable than the bar code. After all, bar codes are all around us. They're on the books we buy and the packages that land on our doorsteps. More than 6 billion bar codes are scanned every single day. They've become such an accepted part of our daily lives that it's hard to imagine how they could look any different.
	How do I use air conditioning efficiently? Is it better to blast it briefly throughout the day, or just leave it on? Despite so many people having air conditioning at home now, many are still unsure how to use it efficiently. And air conditioning uses a lot of energy. For example, running all the lights in an average home all day and night consumes about the same energy as one hour of air conditioning of the same space.
	The New York Times' lawsuit against OpenAI could have major implications for the development of machine intelligence In 1954, the Guardian's science correspondent reported on "electronic brains", which had a form of memory that could let them retrieve information, like airline seat allocations, in a matter of seconds.
	Blizzards are inescapable, but the most expensive winter storm damage is largely preventable, says engineer Winter storms can easily become billion-dollar disasters as the snow piles up on interstates and collapses roofs and power lines. Yet, while canceled flights and business interruptions can't be avoided, what turns a snowstorm into a disaster often can be.
	Artificial intelligence helps unlock advances in wireless communications A new wave of communication technology is quickly approaching and researchers at UBC Okanagan are investigating ways to configure next-generation mobile networks.
	Will Apple's new Vision Pro mixed reality headset change how we relive memories? Imagine this: you're at the beach enjoying the day with your friends. You take in the shining sun and the calm waves that can be heard in the distance. Wanting to capture the moment, you grab your smartphone and take a video.
	Revolutionizing real-time data processing with edge computing and reservoir technology Every day, a significant amount of data related to weather, traffic, and social media undergo real-time processing. In traditional cloud computing, this processing occurs on the cloud, raising concerns about issues such as leaks, communication delays, slow speeds, and higher power consumption.
	New report updates NASA on space-based solar power Space-based solar power offers tantalizing possibilities for sustainable energy—in the future, orbital collection systems could harvest energy in space, and beam it wirelessly back to Earth. These systems could serve remote locations across the planet to supplement the terrestrial power transmission infrastructure required today.
	Here are the 'Worst in Show' CES products, according to consumer and privacy advocates The best CES products pierce through the haze of marketing hype at the Las Vegas gadget show to reveal innovations that could improve lives.
	Airbus says record 2,094 planes ordered in 2023, 735 delivered European planemaker Airbus said Thursday that it secured 2,094 net plane orders last year, a record for the group as airlines prepare for further global passenger growth and seek out more fuel-efficient planes.
	At CES, tech for sleep, not late night scrolling Technology causes us to lose sleep, but can it also give it back?
	Buzz, bump, goal! Drone soccer aims high at CES A loud whirring sound incites fear that a giant swarm of insects has overtaken Eureka Park, one of the venues for the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. But in fact, it's a group of "soccer drones" made in South Korea.
	Study pinpoints the weaknesses in AI ChatGPT and other solutions built on machine learning are surging. But even the most successful algorithms have limitations. Researchers from University of Copenhagen have proven mathematically that apart from simple problems it is not possible to create algorithms for AI that will always be stable. The study, posted to the arXiv preprint server, may lead to guidelines on how to better test algorithms and reminds us that machines do not have human intelligence after all.
	Brain-inspired model enhances wastewater treatment predictions Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) play a crucial role in environmental protection by mitigating risks to public health and aquatic ecosystems through the prevention of pollutant release. Accurately predicting effluent quality, especially levels of ammonia nitrogen (NH3) and chemical oxygen demand (COD), is essential for ensuring water safety and enhancing the efficiency of WWTPs. Despite advances in data-driven methods, persistent challenges arise from the complexity of wastewater data.
	Study explores how we interact with remote drivers Newcastle University research is helping shed light on the important interaction between users and remote drivers that oversee the operation of automated vehicles.
	How tidal range electricity generation can protect coastal areas Tidal range schemes can protect estuaries and coastal areas from the effects of sea level rise according to a new study by Lancaster researchers.
	Q&A: ChatGPT has read almost the whole internet. That hasn't solved its diversity issues AI language models are booming. The current frontrunner is ChatGPT, which can do everything from taking a bar exam to creating an HR policy to writing a movie script.
	Taiwan prepares for cyber D-Day in China invasion scenarios Millions of people offline, banks knocked out and the world's most advanced semiconductor industry paralyzed—Taiwan's doomsday scenario includes not just invading Chinese troops but also a wave of attacks against its cyber infrastructure.
	Chinese auto exports rose 64% in 2023, with strong push by EVs, as makers expanded overseas China's auto exports surged 63.7% in 2023 while domestic sales, boosted by year-end incentives, rose 4.2%, an industry association said Thursday.
	Business trumps politics for Chinese companies at CES Xiaoyu Fan smiled as she looked around a bustling China Pavilion at the Consumer Electronics Show Wednesday as gadgets like bladeless fans were displayed and deals were being made.
	Elon Musk's X tells watchdog it has shed 1,000 'safety' staff Elon Musk's X has shed more than 1,000 staff globally from teams responsible for stopping abusive content online, according to new figures released Thursday by Australia's online watchdog.
	Commentary: Greening our Northern California home and cars cut our energy bills by $11,000 a year, but it wasn't easy As global carbon emissions from human activity hit an all-time high last year, my family zeroed out emissions from our home and cars while getting an 11% tax-free return on the investment. That's more than twice the yield of municipal bonds. And it's an auspicious time to hit this target, weeks after an oil executive running the recent United Nations climate summit in Dubai rehashed the trope that eliminating fossil fuels would "take the world back into caves."
	India's TCS, Infosys see revenue dips on client spending cuts Indian IT giants TCS and Infosys both signaled weak revenue growth in quarterly results Thursday as a client spending slowdown deepened a seasonally weak time for the sector.
	Methodology for regulating fuel stratification and improving fuel economy of GCI mode via double main-injection strategy Exploring advanced combustion mode with high efficiency and low emissions has been the dream of successive generations of researchers. Conventional diesel engines have high compression ratios thus with thermal efficiencies of 35%–45%, but the diffusion combustion characteristics of diesel make NOx and soot emissions high.
	US is investigating if Boeing made sure a part that blew off a jet was made to design standards The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating whether Boeing failed to make sure a panel that blew off a jetliner in midflight last week was safe and manufactured to meet the design that regulators approved.
	Hertz to shrink EV rental fleet over sluggish US demand Hertz said Thursday it will sell one-third of its electric vehicle (EV) automobiles to resize its fleet in line with slowing demand growth for emission-free transport.
	New lubricants could offer cheaper and greener rail services New lubricants, combined with new knowledge about how they should be applied to train wheels and rails, have the potential to reduce rail sector costs in Norway by hundreds of millions of kroner during the next decade.

---

This email is a free service of Science X Network
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you do not wish to receive such emails in the future, please unsubscribe here.
You are subscribed as manojdole1.consumerelectronic@blogger.com. You may manage your subscription options from your Science X profile