Lifeboat Foundation

In the fast-paced world of electric vehicles (EVs), a major breakthrough in battery technology is set to significantly enhance energy storage capacity. This development arrives at a crucial moment, as the EV industry is experiencing rapid growth, making it an ideal time for such a transformative advancement.

Researchers at Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH) have introduced a revolutionary technique that can amplify the energy storage capacity of batteries by an astonishing tenfold. This leap forward not only propels battery technology to new heights but also has the potential to reshape the entire landscape of electric vehicles.

The key to understanding battery function lies in the anode, the component responsible for storing power during charging and then releasing it when the battery is in use. In most modern lithium batteries, graphite is the predominant material used for anodes.

Three European businessmen have plans to install a power “bridge” to link Europe and North America and transfer renewable electricity in both directions.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman believes the next major developments in the AI sector will be more disruptive than most people expect.

In a Mn3Sn/W epitaxial bilayer, spin–orbit torque induces the coherent rotation of spins, which can couple to microwave currents. Unlike in ferromagnets, the resulting conversion of AC current to DC voltage remains robust at higher frequencies, which may facilitate the development of high-speed electronic devices.

All DNA is prone to fragmentation, whether it is derived from a biological matrix or created during gene synthesis; thus, any DNA sample will contain a range of fragment sizes. To really exploit the true benefits of long read sequencing, it is necessary to remove these shorter fragments, which might other wise be sequenced preferentially.

DNA size selection can exclude short fragments, maximizing data yields by ensuring that those fragments with the most informational content are not blocked from accessing detection centers (for example, ZMWs) by shorter DNA fragments.

Next-generation size-selection solutions Starting with clean, appropriate-length fragments for HiFi reads can accelerate research by reducing the computation and data processing time needed post-sequencing. Ranger Technology from Yourgene Health is a patent-protected process for automating electrophoresis-based DNA analysis and size selection. Its fluorescence machine vision system and image analysis algorithms provide real-time interpretation of the DNA separation process.

Another well-known method for physical learning is Equilibrium Propagation (EP), sharing similar procedure with coupled learning and being able to define the arbitrary differentiable loss function³². This method has been demonstrated in various physical systems, numerically in nonlinear resistor networks³³ and coupled phase oscillators³⁴, experimentally on Ising machines³⁵.

So far, the MNNs based on the physical learning have been developed using the platform of origami structures^28,36 and disordered networks^29,37 to demonstrate machine learning through simulations. The experimental proposals involve using directed springs with variable stiffness³⁸ and manually adjusting the rest length of springs³¹.

Here, we present a highly-efficient training protocol for MNNs through mechanical analogue of in situ backpropagation, derived from the adjoint variable method, in which theoretically the exact gradient can be obtained from only the local information. By using 3D-printed MNNs, we demonstrate the feasibility of obtaining the gradient of the loss function experimentally solely from the bond elongation of MNNs in only two steps, using local rules, with high accuracy. Besides, leveraging the obtained gradient, we showcase the successful training in simulations of a mechanical network for behaviors learning and various machine learning tasks, achieving high accuracy in both regression and Iris flower classification tasks. The trained MNNs are then validated both numerically and experimentally. In addition, we illustrate the retrainability of MNNs after switching tasks and damage, a feature that may inspire further inquiry into more robust and resilient design of MNNs.

The latest weather forecasting AI model from Google DeepMind can beat the leading providers more than 97 per cent of the time, and it is quicker and cheaper to run.

By Matthew Sparkes

Users of the healthcare app Alan whose queries were answered by a medical AI reported high satisfaction levels, but one exchange included “potentially dangerous inaccuracies”

Recent developments in AI and neurological research may prompt concern. However, placing outright bans on such research is unlikely to be the best solution — and may hold us back.