Category archives: Technology

Aurkines could spark a new era in fighting bile duct and resistant cancers

Aurkines could spark a new era in fighting bile duct and resistant cancers

BiochemistryChemistryDIPC BiochemistryMedicine

By DIPC

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a rare but aggressive cancer of the bile ducts, poses a major challenge for doctors and patients. It’s tough to treat, with limited options beyond surgery, and systemic drugs like chemotherapy often fall short. Cisplatin, a classic platinum-based chemo drug, works against many solid tumours but has only modest effects in CCA. Worse […]

Sora 2 and the environmental impact of  OpenAI

Sora 2 and the environmental impact of OpenAI

Computer scienceEconomicsEnergyEthics

By Invited Researcher

OpenAI’s recent rollout of its new video generator Sora 2 marks a watershed moment in AI. Its ability to generate minutes of hyper-realistic footage from a few lines of text is astonishing, and has raised immediate concerns about truth in politics and journalism. But Sora 2 is rolling out slowly because of its enormous computational […]

Tuning spin and charge in graphene nanoribbons with atomic precision

Tuning spin and charge in graphene nanoribbons with atomic precision

Condensed matterDIPC Electronic PropertiesMaterialsQuantum physics

By DIPC

Graphene—a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice—has captivated scientists because of its extraordinary electronic and mechanical properties. Its electrons move through the lattice almost as if they were massless, giving graphene exceptionally high electrical conductivity and mobility. However, pristine graphene sheets are not magnetic and their electrons are delocalized across the […]

A 3,000 qubit system capable of continuous operation

A 3,000 qubit system capable of continuous operation

Computer science

By Mapping Ignorance

One often-repeated example illustrates the mind-boggling potential of quantum computing: A machine with 300 qubits (quantum bits) could simultaneously store more information than the number of particles in the known universe. Now process this: Harvard scientists just unveiled a system that was 10 times bigger and the first quantum machine able to operate continuously without […]

Building chips up: wafer-scale, MoS₂ electronics for BEOL integration

Building chips up: wafer-scale, MoS₂ electronics for BEOL integration

MaterialsNanotechnology

By Invited Researcher

When we think of faster, cheaper electronics, we usually think “smaller transistors.” But the future is also about stacking—adding new layers of components on top of finished silicon chips. That’s called back‑end‑of‑line (BEOL) integration, and it only works if everything you add can be made at low temperatures (generally below ~400–450 °C), otherwise you damage […]

Unlocking the secrets of recyclable vitrimers

Unlocking the secrets of recyclable vitrimers

ChemistryDIPC PolymersMaterials

By DIPC

In polymer science, the classic division is between thermoplastics, which soften and flow when heated, and thermosets, which are permanently cross-linked and keep their shape no matter how hot they get—at least until they burn. In the last decade, researchers have discovered a fascinating new class of materials called vitrimers, which sit between these two […]

Covalent bonds found in alpha plutonium

Covalent bonds found in alpha plutonium

ChemistryMaterialsPhysics

By Mapping Ignorance

Plutonium has captured the attention of scientists since its discovery in the early 1940s. This enigmatic element has an important role to play in emerging energy technologies like nuclear batteries and reactors, but it also has complicated electronic behavior that causes some intriguing effects. Its electron structure contributes to unconventional entropic properties at low temperatures […]

Adults with ADHD lose nearly a decade of life

Adults with ADHD lose nearly a decade of life

MedicineNeurobiology

By Invited Researcher

Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, known as ADHD, is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in children worldwide, with an estimated prevalence of around 5%. Research shows that the condition often continues into adulthood in up to 90% of diagnosed children . Although ADHD has been recognised for decades, it has recently gained much greater visibility […]

Mars Perseverance rover data suggests presence of past microbial life

Mars Perseverance rover data suggests presence of past microbial life

BiologyChemistryEvolutionGeosciencesMicrobiologyPlanetary ScienceRobotics

By Mapping Ignorance

A new study has revealed potential chemical signatures of ancient Martian microbial life in rocks examined by NASA’s Perseverance rover. The findings, published by a large international team of scientists, focus on a region of Jezero Crater known as the Bright Angel formation—a name chosen from locations in Grand Canyon National Park because of the […]