The XB-1 prototype plane in flight, with shark skin material patches stuck on its belly Boom Supersonic A material with microscopic grooves mimicking those of shark skin could help commercial airliners – and even supersonic jets or military aircraft – save on fuel and reduce carbon emissions when cruising through the skies. Commercial and military…
As the world shifts toward sustainable energy sources, “green hydrogen” — hydrogen produced without emitting carbon — has emerged as a leading candidate for clean power. In a significant step forward, a collaborative research team led by Professor Hyungyu Jin from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at POSTECH and Professor Jeong Woo Han from the…
Scientists at University College Cork (UCC) in Ireland have developed a powerful new tool for finding the next generation of materials needed for large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computing. The significant breakthrough means that, for the first time, researchers have found a way to determine once and for all whether a material can effectively be used in…
The odd effects of special relativity can be harnessed to build quantum computers Yuichiro Chino/Getty Images Special relativity could be harnessed to build a novel quantum computer, and creating it this way could let us use machine learning to deepen our understanding of the quantum realm. Albert Einstein’s theory of special relativity describes how moving…
Sharing a quantum computer could put you at risk of hacking BlackJack3D/Getty Images Hackers may be able to “vandalise” other people’s results on a quantum computer, say researchers, who warn that the problem will only get worse as devices become larger and host more users simultaneously, unless manufacturers plug the security gap. Sharing access to…
Encrypted messages could be hidden within a normal-looking conversation on social media Tero Vesalainen/iStockphoto/Getty Images Secret messages can be hidden inside fake conversations generated by AI chatbots. The technique could give people a way to communicate online without arousing the suspicion of oppressive governments. When messages are encrypted for secure transmission, the resulting cipher text…
Disinformation can be especially prevalent on social media sites Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images The US National Science Foundation (NSF) has terminated government research grants for studying misinformation and disinformation. The defunding comes at a time when propaganda and scams fuelled by the latest artificial intelligence technologies are flooding social media networks, and tech companies…
Priti Gupta Technology Reporter Getty Images Jammu and Kashmir is India’s biggest apple producing region “My neighbours thought I’d lost my mind,” says farmer Kakasaheb Sawant. In 2022 he had decided to plant some apple trees, not crazy for a farmer unless, like Mr Sawant, you live in subtropical southern India, where temperatures can hit…
We typically spend 80% of our time indoors, where the quality of the air we breathe depends on the age and type of building we occupy, as well as indoor pollution and outdoor pollution sources. But also playing an important role is the kind of HVAC system used to heat, ventilate and cool the building,…
The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, wants to make the country a world leader in artificial intelligence PA Images/Alamy Thousands of civil servants at the heart of the UK government, including those working directly to support Prime Minister Keir Starmer, are using a proprietary artificial intelligence chatbot to carry out their work, New Scientist can…
