Physorg March 5, 2018 An international team of researchers (USA – MIT, Harvard University, Japan) created a “superlattice” of two graphene sheets stacked together at a “magic angle” of 1.1 degrees creating a precise moiré configuration. They found that at the magic angle, the two sheets of graphene exhibit nonconducting behavior similar to Mott insulators. When they applied voltage by adding small amounts of electrons to the graphene superlattice, at a certain level, the electrons broke out of the initial insulating state and flowed without resistance, as if through a superconductor. The finding provides a platform for investigating unconventional superconductivity, […]
Broad spectrum antiviral drug inhibits a range of emerging coronaviruses
Science Daily March 6, 2018 A team of researchers in the US (Vanderbilt University, University of North Carolina, University of the South, industry) reports on GS-5734, a promising experimental broad spectrum antiviral drug. Previous studies on have shown that the drug inhibits strains of SARS and MERS coronaviruses that infect human airways and the lower respiratory tract, as well as infection by the Ebola virus. The researchers now report that the drug also inhibits murine hepatitis virus, or MHV, which is closely related to several human coronaviruses that can cause respiratory tract infections, sometimes as severe as SARS. They tested […]
Contact lenses with built-in biofuel cells as power supply
Nanowerk March 6, 2018 Enzymatic biofuel cells (EBFCs) are bioelectronic devices that utilize enzymes as the electrocatalysts to catalyze the oxidation of fuel and/or the reduction of oxygen or peroxide for energy conversion to electricity. Researchers in Ireland placed the electrodes between two commercially available contact lenses to avoid direct contact with the eye and tested them in a solution of artificial tears as well as one containing phosphate buffer solution. Hydrophilic silicon-hydrogel contact lenses contain microchannels that enable the transport of solutions and oxygen to the EBFC. This flexible EBFC holds potential as an autonomous power supply for wearable […]
Fund ideas, not pedigree, to find fresh insight
Nature March 6, 2018 Grant review tends to be biased against innovation; researchers’ best shot at funding is proposing the same sort of work that they have already proved they can do. Although there is some evidence to suggest that peer review can distinguish solid research from poor research, it is not clear that it can identify the very best. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation uses blind review for awards in its Grand Challenges Explorations programme, and New Zealand’s Health Research Council uses a random-number generator to prioritize ‘Explorer’ grant proposals that have fulfilled certain criteria. The global RAND […]
Leading MIT.nano
MIT News March 1, 2018 The largest capital project in the Institute’s history, MIT.nano is opening this summer as a 214,000-square-foot laboratory dedicated to the characterization and fabrication of nanoscale materials, structures, devices, and processes. MIT.nano will make it an unparalleled workshop for tinkering with nanoscale, nurturing discovery, sparking invention, and propelling hard-tech startups. The staff will work to coordinate MIT.nano’s collaborations with industry, develop new hands-on education programs, and communicate the expected impact of recent discoveries and scaled technologies with a broader community… read more.
Superconductivity – pairing up with nanotechnology
Nanotechweb February 28, 2018 The factors that determine whether a system will be superconducting and at what temperature remain hard to pin down. However, advances in nanotechnology have given some good pointers where to look, as well as providing promising systems for exploiting superconductivity in real-world applications. Although studies of nanostructures have made huge contributions to advancing understanding of superconductivity, many aspects of the phenomenon remain a marvelous mystery and a great stimulant for further research. Equally as fascinating again is the creativity in applying superconductors in such a diverse array of fields, and here without a doubt the tiny […]
Unclassified Version of New Report Predicts Small Drone Threats to Infantry Units, Urges Development of Countermeasures
Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine March 6, 2018 DoD invested significantly in counter-sUAS technologies, often focusing on detecting radio frequency transmissions by sUASs and/or their operators and jamming the radio frequency command and control links and GPS signals of individual sUASs. However, today’s consumer and customized sUASs can increasingly operate without radio frequency command and control links by using automated target recognition and tracking, obstacle avoidance, and other software-enabled capabilities. A new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine emphasizes the need for developing countermeasures against multiple sUASs which could be used much sooner than the Army […]
Top 10 Science and Technology Innovations for the Week of March 02, 2018Â
01. Exotic state of matter: An atom full of atoms 02. ‘Two-way signaling’ possible with a single quantum particle 03. Approximate quantum cloning: The new way of eavesdropping in quantum cryptography 04. MIT Engineers Have Built a Device That Pulls Electricity Out of Thin Air 05. Chipmakers Test Ferroelectrics as a Route to Ultralow-Power Chips 06. Charging ahead to higher energy batteries 07. DARPA Seeks to Expand Real-Time Radiological Threat Detection to Include Other Dangers 08. Magnetic nanoparticles will help stop internal bleeding 15 times more effectively 09. New technology may protect troops from blast-induced brain injury 10. The “Black […]
Approximate quantum cloning: The new way of eavesdropping in quantum cryptography
Physorg February 20, 2018 Uncertainty at the quantum scale makes exact cloning of quantum states impossible. Yet, they may be copied in an approximate way using probabilistic quantum cloning. Continuing previous work, researchers in China showed that if an independent subset cannot be expressed as the superposition of the other states in the set, then these dependent states can be partially cloned. Cloning operation allows scientists to make many copies of the output of computations—which take the form of unitary operations. These can, in turn, be used as input and fed into various further processes. Cloning also has applications in […]
The “Black Mirror” scenarios that are leading some experts to call for more secrecy on AI
MIT Technology Review February 21, 2018 A report, “The Malicious Use of Artificial Intelligence: Forecasting, Prevention, and Mitigation” authored by a team of more than 20 researchers in the UK, warns that AI creates new opportunities for criminals, political operatives, and oppressive governments—so much so that some AI research may need to be kept secret. The report includes four dystopian vignettes involving artificial intelligence to illustrate just a handful of the risks – the smarter phishing scam, the malware epidemic, the robot assassin, and a bigger Big Brother. It recommends more research and debate on the risks of AI and […]