Category archives: Technology

AI misunderstands some people’s words more than others

AI misunderstands some people’s words more than others

Computer scienceEthicsLanguageSociology

By Invited Researcher

Author: Roberto Rey Agudo, Research Assistant Professor of Spanish and Portuguese, Dartmouth College The idea of a humanlike artificial intelligence assistant that you can speak with has been alive in many people’s imaginations since the release of “Her,” Spike Jonze’s 2013 film about a man who falls in love with a Siri-like AI named Samantha […]

Printable molecule-selective nanoparticles enable mass production of wearable biosensors

Printable molecule-selective nanoparticles enable mass production of wearable biosensors

MaterialsNanotechnology

By Mapping Ignorance

The future of medicine may very well lie in the personalization of health care—knowing exactly what an individual needs and then delivering just the right mix of nutrients, metabolites, and medications, if necessary, to stabilize and improve their condition. To make this possible, physicians first need a way to continuously measure and monitor certain biomarkers […]

Twisting nanoporous graphene on graphene

Twisting nanoporous graphene on graphene

Condensed matterDIPC Electronic PropertiesMaterials

By DIPC

In a recent study, a team of researchers explores the intriguing electronic behaviours that emerge when two distinct forms of carbon-based materials—nanoporous graphene (NPG) and graphene—are layered together with a twist between them. Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a two-dimensional honeycomb lattice, renowned for its exceptional electrical conductivity, mechanical strength […]

Giant anisotropic piezoresponse in layered ZrSe<sub>3</sub>

Giant anisotropic piezoresponse in layered ZrSe3

Condensed matterMaterials

By Invited Researcher

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have become a centrepiece of modern materials science, captivating researchers with their electronic, mechanical, and optical properties. Since Geim and Novoselov discovered the exfoliation technique in 2004, thousands of 2D materials have been discovered, synthesised, or predicted. In particular, anisotropic 2D materials display direction-dependent characteristics, promising cutting-edge applications in flexible electronics and […]

The Florey Dementia Index for Alzheimer’s onset prediction

The Florey Dementia Index for Alzheimer’s onset prediction

MedicineNeurobiologyNeurosciencePsychology

By Mapping Ignorance

A predictive tool for determining the age at which individuals may develop mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) has demonstrated the ability to predict MCI onset within 2.78 years and AD onset within 1.48 years. Developed by Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health researchers, collaborating with the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) […]

Monolayers from aligned hexagonal islands

Monolayers from aligned hexagonal islands

Materials

By Mapping Ignorance

A method that can grow a useful insulating material into exceptionally high-quality films that are just one atom thick and are suitable for industrial-scale production has been developed. The material, called hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), is used in semiconductor devices and can also enhance the performance of other two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene and […]

Inferentialism, a new system of logic that could boost critical thinking and AI

Inferentialism, a new system of logic that could boost critical thinking and AI

Computer scienceLinguisticsPhilosophy of science

By Invited Researcher

Author: Alexander V. Gheorghiu, Research Fellow in Logic or Applied Logic, University College London The rigid structures of language we once clung to with certainty are cracking. Take gender, nationality or religion: these concepts no longer sit comfortably in the stiff linguistic boxes of the last century. Simultaneously, the rise of AI presses upon us […]

A self-organizing nervous system of robots

A self-organizing nervous system of robots

Robotics

By Mapping Ignorance

The deployment of robot teams could allow humans to complete various real-world tasks faster and more efficiently. For instance, multiple co-operating robots could help to quickly find and rescue survivors of natural disasters or monitor pollution across large geographical areas. Researchers at Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) have developed a new swarm architecture inspired by […]

Mechanodrugs

Mechanodrugs

BiochemistryDIPC BiochemistryPharmacy

By DIPC

Numerous proteins in the cell withstand mechanical loads while performing their function. This is especially significant for cell-surface proteins located in the extracellular matrix, which are essential for the communication between cells in the extracellular milieu. Reacting to mechanical force through conformational changes is crucial for these cell-surface proteins, translating a physical signal into an […]