Matter and energy from Science Daily Feed

Engineers have developed a method to utilize aluminum to improve performance of water electrolysis catalyst.

Experts see peer recognition as important to student success in physics, and a new study gives college-level physics instructors insight into how students perceive the message from their classmates that 'you're good at physics.' Even when women receive similar amounts of recognition from peers as men for excelling in physics classes, they perceive significantly less peer recognition, the researchers found.

A newly developed pentanuclear iron complex can offer an efficient, stable, and cost-effective solution for water oxidation. By electrochemically polymerizing the complex, researchers have obtained a polymer-based catalyst, poly-Fe5-PCz, and achieved water oxidation with up to 99% Faradaic efficiency and exceptional stability, even under rigorous conditions. This breakthrough offers a scalable alternative to rare metal catalysts, advancing hydrogen production and energy storage for renewable energy.

Concrete structures in Japan capture and store about 14% of the CO2 emissions released during cement production, according to a new study. Their findings provide crucial insights for offsetting CO2 emissions from cement production, which is responsible for approximately 8% of global carbon emissions.

Working at nanoscale dimensions, billionths of a meter in size, a team of scientists revealed a new way to measure high-speed fluctuations in magnetic materials. Knowledge obtained by these new measurements could be used to advance technologies ranging from traditional computing to the emerging field of quantum computing.

Mining of polymetallic nodules from the seabed might lead to significant and long-lasting ecological changes -- both in the mined area, where surface sediments and the fauna living in and on it are removed along with the nodules, and on the adjacent seafloor, where the sediment suspended by the mining resettles.

Theoretical physicists reveal that room-temperature superconductivity is possible within the laws of our Universe, linked to fundamental constants like electron mass and Planck constant. Discovery could revolutionize energy, quantum computing, and medical tech by enabling superconductors to work at ambient conditions. Research explores how varying fundamental constants could alter superconductivity limits, offering a glimpse into the delicate balance of our Universe.

Binary neutron star mergers emit gravitational waves followed by light. To fully exploit these observations and avoid missing key signals, speed is crucial. An interdisciplinary team of researchers presents a novel machine learning method that can analyze gravitational waves emitted by neutron star collisions almost instantaneously -- even before the merger is fully observed. A neural network processes the data and enables a fast search for visible light and other electromagnetic signals emitted during the collisions. This new method could be instrumental in preparing the field for the next generation of observatories.

Scientists encased nanodiamonds in tiny moving droplets of water to improve quantum sensing. The new technique lets researchers detect trace amounts of certain ions and molecules, and could someday find applications in environmental monitoring, medicine, bioengineering, and more.

Researchers are working to move cold atom quantum experiments and applications from the laboratory tabletop to chip-based systems.

Researchers have demonstrated that multicolored stickers applied to stop or speed limit signs on the roadside can 'confuse' self-driving vehicles, causing unpredictable and possibly hazardous operations.

Researchers have created a system to help beekeepers monitor and analyze the health of their beehives and take corrective actions to prevent colony collapse -- when a majority of the worker bees abandon the colony and its queen. Beehives use thermoregulation to ensure the hive temperature stays between 33 and 36 degrees Celsius, about 91 to 97 degrees Fahrenheit. For example, bees might cluster to create insulation when it's cold or fan their wings when it's hot. But when beehives experience external stressors, such as pesticides or unexpected weather events, they lose the ability to regulate the hive temperature.

A research team has recently developed a groundbreaking neuromorphic exposure control (NEC) system that revolutionizes machine vision under extreme lighting variations. This biologically inspired system mimics human peripheral vision to achieve unprecedented speed and robustness in dynamic perception environments.

Engineers have developed a new computational approach to accurately model and predict the properties of a class of magnetic molecules called chiral helimagnets. Their work could accelerate the discovery of new materials for spintronics technologies.

Researchers are opening up new horizons in chemistry: They present the world's first triple bond between the atoms boron and carbon.

Hydrogen energy is widely recognized as a sustainable source for the future, but its large-scale production still relies on expensive and scarce platinum-based catalysts. In order to address this challenge, researchers have developed Bis(diimino)palladium coordination nanosheets (PdDI), a novel two-dimensional electrocatalyst that effectively facilitates the hydrogen evolution reactions while minimizing the use of precious metals like platinum, paving the way for affordable hydrogen production.

For decades, scientists have relied on electrodes and dyes to track the electrical activity of living cells. Now, engineers have discovered that quantum materials just a single atom thick can do the job with high speed and resolution -- using only light.

Researchers have developed an innovative tool that enhances surgeons' ability to detect and remove cancer cells during cryosurgery, a procedure that uses extreme cold to destroy tumors. This breakthrough technology involves a specialized nanoscale material that illuminates cancer cells under freezing conditions, making them easier to distinguish from healthy tissue and improving surgical precision.

A new study sheds light on ventilator-induced lung injury, a complication that gained increased attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a surge in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. The study suggests that repeated collapse and reopening of tiny alveoli -- air sacs in the lungs essential for breathing -- during mechanical ventilation may cause microscopic tissue damage, playing a key role in ventilator-related injuries that contribute to thousands of deaths annually.

Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) is a microscopy technique widely used to investigate cells and tissues. Even though first biomedical applications based on QPI have been developed, both acquisition speed and image quality need to improve to guarantee a widespread reception. Scientists suggest leveraging an optical phenomenon called chromatic aberration -- that usually degrades image quality -- to produce suitable images with standard microscopes.