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Aug 13, 2024

Unique transistor ‘could change the world of electronics’ thanks to nanosecond-scale switching speeds and refusal to wear out

Posted by in categories: computing, materials

A new material can withstand ‘billions’ of electrical cycles without wearing out — and scientists say it could transform electronics within 10 to 20 years.

Aug 13, 2024

Quantum Entanglement in Neurons May Actually Explain Consciousness

Posted by in categories: chemistry, neuroscience, particle physics, quantum physics

A silent symphony is playing inside your brain right now as neurological pathways synchronize in an electromagnetic chorus that’s thought to give rise to consciousness.

Yet how various circuits throughout the brain align their firing is an enduring mystery, one some theorists suggest might have a solution that involves quantum entanglement.

The proposal is a bold one, not least because quantum effects tend to blur into irrelevance on scales larger than atoms and molecules. Several recent findings are forcing researchers to put their doubts on hold and reconsider whether quantum chemistry might be at work inside our minds after all.

Aug 13, 2024

Protein reduces toxicity of drug-delivery material made of graphene oxide

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, chemistry, nanotechnology

A new publication has discovered ways to reduce the toxicity of graphene oxide (GO), an ultra-thin sheet of nanomaterial derived from graphite, laying the groundwork to use it as a drug delivery system.

Professor Khuloud Al-Jamal, who led the study, said: “Researchers have been incredibly excited in the potential medical applications of graphene since experiments into the nanomaterial were recognised with the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010. However, concerns around toxicity have remained a consistent obstacle.”

Graphene oxide (GO) is an ultra-thin sheet derived from graphite. It is similar to pencil lead but includes attached oxygen atoms, making it compatible with water. Its unique physical and chemical properties mean it has a high capacity for carrying antibiotics and anticancer drugs, among others, as well as targeting specific cells, making it a potentially effective drug delivery system.

Aug 13, 2024

Consciousness: what it is, where it comes from — and whether machines can have it

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

To understand where artificial intelligence might be heading, we must first understand what consciousness, the self and free will mean in ourselves.

Aug 13, 2024

Helen O’Loy By Lester Del Rey

Posted by in category: futurism

Long before “ex Machina” trotted out the standard “creation kills creator” storyline, real science fiction authors explored the idea of human/machine relatio…

Aug 13, 2024

Scientists Suggest Sending AI to Aliens So They Can Talk to It in Real Time

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

AI might be able to allow aliens to communicate in real-time with humans — or a language model representing us, at least.

Aug 13, 2024

Ultra-thin, seaweed-based electronic skin rivals clinical devices in vital sign accuracy

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, innovation

Nearly invisible, seaweed-based electronic skin precisely monitors pulse pressure and temperature, rivaling medical equipment in accuracy with its innovative bioelectronic design.

Aug 13, 2024

Discrete and Continuous Processes in Computers and Brains

Posted by in categories: computing, neuroscience, physics

Theories of computation and theories of the brain have close historical interrelations, the best-known examples being Turing’s introspective use of the brain’s operation as a model for his idealized computing machine (Turing 1936), McCulloch’s and Pitts’ use of ideal switching elements to model the brain (McCulloch and Pitts 1943), and von Neumann’s comparison of the logic and physics of both brains and computers (von Neumann 1958).

Aug 13, 2024

Durable and programmable ultrafast nanophotonic matrix of spectral pixels

Posted by in category: futurism

Electrically addressable VO2 elements show large resonance shifts during phaseions, producing a brilliant colour change at a modulation rate of 70 kHz.

Aug 13, 2024

Transforming Construction with Nanotechnology

Posted by in categories: chemistry, climatology, habitats, nanotechnology, sustainability

Nanomaterials, with their distinctive physical and chemical properties, hold significant promise for revolutionizing the housing construction industry. By enabling the development of stronger, more durable, efficient, and sustainable structures, nanotechnology offers solutions to challenges such as climate change and global urbanization.

The use of nanomaterials in construction began in the mid-1980s with the advent of carbon-based structures. Since then, their application has become more widespread, driving innovations in the sector. Today, advances in nanotechnology are leading to the creation of increasingly sophisticated, selective, and efficient nanomaterials, broadening the scope of construction capabilities.

This study explored the application of various nanomaterials—titanium dioxide, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), nanosilica, nanocellulose, nanoalumina, and nanoclay—in residential construction. These materials were chosen for their potential to enhance the structural integrity, thermal performance, and overall functionality of building materials used in housing.

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