Phys.org August 14, 2018 Researchers in the UK have developed a way to synthesize large libraries of polymers to make screening for antimicrobial activity faster, and without the need to use sealed vials. By using multiple ‘building blocks’ in their polymers, new antimicrobials were identified – some of which appear to inhibit bacteria growth, contrary to predictions. They found that the best materials do not seem to break apart the bacteria as we predicted, but rather inhibit their growth. The benefit of the method is that it allows screening of hundreds of different structures, enabling the researchers to ‘go fishing’ […]
Tag Archives: S&T UK
Liquid battery could lead to flexible energy storage
Phys.org August 14, 2018 Researchers in the UK have developed a ‘hybrid-electric-hydrogen’ flow battery, based upon the design of a nanoscale battery that can store energy, releasing the power on demand as electric power or hydrogen gas that can be used as fuel. When a concentrated liquid containing the nano-molecules is made, the amount of energy it can store increases by almost 10 times. Electric cars could be charged in seconds, as the material is a pumpable liquid. This could mean that the battery of an electric car could be “recharged” in roughly the same length of time as petrol […]
100 times faster broadband is coming: 5G passes first test
Science Daily July 6, 2018 With phase one of 5G global industry standards just being completed which focuses on 5G enhanced mobile broadband, research is now moving to address 5G technology to support ultra-reliable and ultra-low-latency connectivity for “vertical industries”. Researchers in the UK focus on the new frontiers of 5G, as well as investigating future deployment by operators, including indoor coverage and spectrum coexistence in newly assigned 5G frequencies in 3.5 Ghz and lower mm-wave bands. They have successfully completed the measurements of the indoor coverage of 5G signals. 5G is expected to be commercially available as early as […]
Game changing invention to revolutionise cybersecurity
Phys.org July 2, 2018 Researchers in the UK propose using resonant tunnelling diodes as practical true random number generators based on a quantum mechanical effect. The output of the proposed devices can be directly used as a random stream of bits or can be further distilled using randomness extraction algorithms, depending on the application. With the lowest power requirements and high scalability due to the simple semiconductor structure it is hoped that this innovation will play a pivotal role in protecting both consumers and businesses across the globe in their digital futures… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Plastic crystals hold key to record-breaking energy transport
Nanowerk May 29, 2018 Researchers in the UK developed a new way to make highly ordered crystalline semiconducting structures using polymers. The distance that the photo-exited states travelled reached distances of 200 nanometres – 20 times further than was previously possible. 200 nanometres is especially significant because it is greater than the thickness of material needed to completely absorb ambient light, making these polymers more suitable as “light harvesters” for solar cells and photodetectors… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Artificial intelligence needs to be socially responsible, says new policy report
Eurekalert May 10, 2018 In a policy report “On AI and Robotics: Developing policy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution“, researchers in the UK contend that the development of new Artificial Intelligence technology is often subject to bias, and the resulting systems can be discriminatory, meaning more should be done by policymakers to ensure its development is democratic and socially responsible. In these ‘data-driven’ decision-making processes some social groups may be excluded, either because they lack access to devices necessary to participate or because the selected datasets do not consider the needs, preferences and interests of marginalised and disadvantaged people…read more.
Photosynthetic protein structure that harvests and traps infrared light
Phys.org April 4, 2018 Plants and algae use chlorophyll to absorb energy from the Sun to power photosynthesis at wavelengths up to 720 nm. Researchers in the UK studied photosynthetic LH1-RC complex from the bacterium Blastochloris viridis, which can harvest and use light at wavelengths over 1,000 nm. They showed how it converts near-infrared light into an electrical charge to power cell metabolism, which enables the bacterium to live at the extreme red limit of photosynthesis on Earth. The study gives an insight into the efficiency and limits of photosynthesis… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Scientists create diodes made of light
Physorg March 16, 2018 Researchers in the UK created an optical version of a diode by sending lots of light into a microresonator and harnessing the circulating optical power to generate the diode effect. As the microrings can store extremely large amounts of light, even though they were sending small amounts of light into the glass rings, the circulating power was comparable to the light generated by the flood lights. They have shown that the electromagnetic field of clockwise circulating light in these glass rings effectively blocks any counterclockwise circulating light. The research opens the door to cheap and efficient […]
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 […]
Developing a secure, un-hackable net
Physorg January 11, 2018 A method of securely communicating between multiple quantum devices developed by researchers in the UK does not rely on assumptions, but instead it uses the quantum laws of physics to ensure security, which would need to be broken to hack the encryption. They report on a way of communicating securely between three or more quantum devices, irrespective of who built them. The method works by using the network’s structure to limit what an eavesdropper can learn. They used machine learning and causal inference to develop the test for the un-hackable communications system. This approach distributes secret […]