new tech, nuclear reactors, nuclear wastewater, water pollution

A New Way to Remove Contaminants From Nuclear Wastewater

Nuclear power continues to expand globally, propelled, in part, by the fact that it produces few greenhouse gas emissions while providing steady power output. But along with that expansion comes an increased need for dealing with the large volumes of water used for cooling these plants. Such wastewater contains nuclear wastewater contaminants made up of ...

Troy Oakes

Steam from a nuclear power plant.

Gamma-Ray Laser Moves a Step Closer to Reality

A physicist at the University of California, Riverside, has performed calculations showing hollow spherical bubbles filled with a gas of positronium atoms are stable in liquid helium. The calculations take scientists a step closer to realizing a gamma-ray laser, which may have applications in medical imaging, spacecraft propulsion, and cancer treatment. Extremely short-lived and only ...

Troy Oakes

A cutting laser.

Using AI to Predict Where and When Lightning Will Strike

Lightning is one of the most unpredictable phenomena in nature. It regularly kills people and animals and sets fire to homes and forests. It keeps aircraft grounded and damages power lines, wind turbines, and solar panel installations. However, little is known about what triggers lightning, and there is no simple technology for predicting when and ...

Troy Oakes

Streak lightning.

New Artificial Intelligence System Evolves to Evade Internet Censorship

Internet censorship by authoritarian governments prohibits free and open access to information for millions of people around the world. Attempts to evade such Internet censorship have turned into a continually escalating race to keep up with ever-changing, increasingly sophisticated strategies. Censoring regimes have had the advantage in that race because researchers must manually search for ...

Troy Oakes

Internet censorship.

Here’s the Quantum Chip 1,000 Times Smaller Than Current Setups

Researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), have developed a quantum chip that is 1,000 times smaller than current setups, but offers the same superior security the technology is known for. Most leading security standards used in secure communication methods — from withdrawing cash from the ATM to purchasing goods online on the smartphone ...

Troy Oakes

Quantum computing chip.

Turning (More) Fat and Sewage Into Methane

North Carolina State University researchers have developed what is, to date, the most efficient means of converting sewage sludge and restaurant grease into methane. After treating sewage, wastewater treatment plants are left with solid sludge, called biosolids. For years, utilities have treated biosolids with microbes that produce methane. In recent years, utilities have been adding ...

Troy Oakes

Anaerobic digesters.

New Printer Creates Extremely Realistic Colorful Holograms

Researchers have developed a new printer that produces digital 3D holograms with an unprecedented level of detail and realistic color. This new technology could be used to make high-resolution color recreations of objects or scenes for museum displays, architectural models, fine art, or advertisements that do not require glasses or special viewing aids. Research team ...

Troy Oakes

Chimera printer for 3D holograms.

Mighty Morphing Material Takes Complex Shapes

Rice University scientists have created a rubbery, shape-shifting morphing material that morphs from one sophisticated form to another on demand. The shapes programmed into a polymer by materials scientist Rafael Verduzco and graduate student Morgan Barnes appear in ambient conditions and melt away when heat is applied. The process also works in reverse. The smooth ...

Troy Oakes

Scientist Rafael Verduzco and graduate student Morgan Barnes.

Wearable Patch to Monitor Blood Pressure Deep Inside Your Body

A new ultrasound wearable patch to monitor blood pressure in arteries deep beneath the skin could help people detect cardiovascular problems earlier on and with greater precision. In tests, the patch performed as well as some clinical methods to measure blood pressure. Applications include real-time, continuous monitoring of blood pressure changes in patients with heart ...

Troy Oakes

New Stealth Material Hides Hot Objects From Infrared Eyes

Infrared cameras are the heat-sensing eyes that help drones find their targets even in the dead of night or through heavy fog. Hiding from such detectors could become much easier, thanks to a new cloaking stealth material that renders objects — and people — practically invisible. Hongrui Jiang, professor of electrical and computer engineering at ...

Troy Oakes

Infrared camera picking up body heat.