Solar energy has become a popular source of sustainable energy in recent years. However, the intermittent nature of solar energy has limited its use for certain applications, such as IoT devices, live remote sensing, and off-grid power supplies. Conventionally, batteries are used to store the energy generated by solar cells, but combining the two technologies
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Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools have become increasingly common in today’s technological landscape. However, most of these tools are based on “black box” models, which analyze data and make predictions without sharing their processes with human users. To address this issue, researchers at Meta Reality Labs have created a framework called XAIR that
Researchers from the University of Helsinki and the University of Eastern Finland have found that a particular genus of microbe, commonly found in wet and boggy environments, could play a critical role in Parkinson’s disease. The researchers discovered that the microbe generates compounds that activate proteins inside brain cells to form toxic clumps. These findings
As offices start to reopen after pandemic-induced remote working, a growing number of companies are asking employees to return to the office either full- or part-time. While this is a good opportunity to socialize with colleagues, it may have negative effects on health, depending on how long the commute is. The Research A research project
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new vaccine to protect against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which causes lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD). This is the first time that a vaccine has been approved for this purpose, and it is a significant moment that has been decades in the making. The vaccine,
A rare glimpse of how the Solar System may have formed billions of years ago has been revealed by shadows flickering across the dust roiling around a newborn star. Changing light around the star, named TW Hydrae, suggests that the giant disks of material circling the star are off-kilter, orbiting at slightly different angles of
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced that COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency of international concern (Pheic). This declaration marks the end of the emergency response period that began in January 2020. The WHO has also unveiled a new strategy to transition from an emergency response to longer-term sustained COVID-19 disease management.
The International Space Station (ISS) is constantly orbiting around the Earth, making 16 rounds every day. Photographer Andrew McCarthy was recently able to capture the ISS flying across the sun in a stunning portrait. But it took him 12 hours of composition, three telescopes, and two blown-out tires to achieve the shot. The critical moment
The blood-brain barrier is a protective shield that prevents toxins and pathogens from entering the brain. However, it also hinders the effectiveness of drugs designed to help treat brain cancer. For years, scientists have been searching for ways to overcome this barrier and deliver medications to the brain. In 2014, researchers discovered a method of
A recent study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison has found that atmospheric rivers are a crucial element in the complex conditions that are leading to the acceleration of glacial melting in northern Greenland. Atmospheric rivers are long, concentrated flows of moisture in the sky that can stretch thousands of kilometers. They are an essential part
Researchers in Singapore have created a sub-wavelength LED, which is smaller than the wavelength of light, that can be used to convert mobile phone cameras into high-resolution microscopes. Using modifications to the silicon chip and software, existing camera devices in everyday items such as mobile phones can be converted into microscopes. The revolutionary neural networking
Artificial intelligence has long been a topic of concern for many technology leaders and researchers, who believe it could pose a threat to humanity. Stephen Hawking, for example, once warned that the development of AI could spell the end of the human race. Others, such as OpenAI co-founder Elon Musk, have expressed similar worries, stating
A recent article in the ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering journal reported that used coffee pods’ plastic can be recycled to create filament for 3D printers. The solution was successfully tested by research groups in Brazil at the Federal University of São Carlos (USFCar) and the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) and in the UK
With the recent increase in extreme weather events both in New Zealand and globally, a new study published in Nature Geoscience aims to improve the prediction of heavy rainfall and provide earlier warnings to the public. Cameron McErlich, a Ph.D. student at the University of Canterbury, used models and satellite observations to examine daily rainfall.
Scientists from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, leading an international team, have discovered aerosols from the Hunga Tonga eruption in the stratospheric westerlies of the Northern Hemisphere for the first time. The discovery, published in Science Bulletin, will help scientists to simulate the physical and chemical processes in
