Category Technology/Electronics

Our smart devices take voice commands from us, check our heartbeats, track our sleep, translate text, send us reminders, capture photos and movies, and let us talk to family and friends continents away.

Now imagine turbocharging those capabilities. Holding in-depth, natural language exchanges on academic or personal queries; running our vital signs through a global database to check on imminent health issues; packing massive databases to provide comprehensive real-time translation among two or more parties speaking different languages; and conversing with GPS software providing details on the best burgers, movies, hotels or people-watching spots trending along your route.

Tapping into the seductive power of large language models and natural langu...

Quantum computers have the potential to outperform conventional computers on some tasks, including complex optimization...

Barley seedlings grow on average 50% more when their root system is stimulated electrically through a new cultivation substrate. In a study published in the journal PNAS, researchers from Linköping University have developed an electrically conductive “soil” for soilless cultivation, known as hydroponics.

“The world population is increasing, and we also have climate change. So it’s clear that we won’t be able to cover the food demands of the planet with only the already existing agricultural methods...

Research appearing in ACS Nano reveals the ballistic movement of electrons in graphene in real-time.

The observations made at the University of Kansas’ Ultrafast Laser Lab could lead to breakthroughs in governing electrons in semiconductors, fundamental components in most information and energy technology.

“Generally, electron movement is interrupted by collisions with other particles in solids,” said lead author Ryan Scott, a doctoral student in KU’s Department of Physics & Astronomy.

“This is similar to someone running in a ballroom full of dancers. These collisions are rather frequent—about 10 to 100 billion times per second. They slow down the electrons, cause energy loss, and generate unwanted heat...