Nanotechnology

Faster Microfiber Actuators Mimic Human Muscle

IEEE Spectrum: Robotics, prosthetics, and other engineering applications routinely use actuators that imitate the contraction of animal muscles. However, the speed and efficiency of natural muscle fibers is a demanding benchmark. Despite new developments in actuation technologies, for the most past…

The computer chip industry has a dirty climate secret

The Guardian: The semiconductor industry has a problem. Demand is booming for silicon chips, which are embedded in everything from smartphones and televisions to wind turbines, but it comes at a big cost: a huge carbon footprint. The industry presents a…

Emilie Ringe: Plasmonics pioneer is harnessing the potential of magnesium nanoparticles

C&EN: In 2018, Emilie Ringe had a pivotal year in her work with plasmonic nanoparticles. These tiny specks of matter act like antennas for light, gathering and concentrating energy…

Brain-Inspired AI Will Enable Future Medical Implants

IEEE Spectrum: Artificial intelligence can identify subtle patterns in data, which is particularly useful in medicine. So far, these have been offline processes—doctors perform a medical test, and data from the test is run through a software program after. A real-time…