Research & Development World

UltraSonic Photonics, developed by the University of Pittsburg, with help from the National Energy Technology Laboratory and Sensible Photonics, is a sensor system that monitors large-scale infrastructure under stress, offering novel capabilities in detecting potential failures before they occur. The technology uses ultrasonic waves and optical fiber cables to “listen” for changes in the structural…

The semiconductor industry is running towards a nano-scale wall. For decades electronics have become smaller, faster and smarter. Today, a chip’s transistors are so densely packed and tiny that manufacturers are forced to build and design complex 3D architectures, at the nanometer scale, just to keep up with Moore’s Law. Discover how Atom Probe Tomography…

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) have discovered that remnants of ancient viral DNA — once considered genomic fossils — play a pivotal role in early embryo development. By creating a single-embryo atlas and comparing several mammalian species, the team found that these transposable elements reactivate shortly after fertilization, potentially influencing how cells specialize…

While smart home devices have expanded to include speakers, security systems, lights, and thermostats, their control has mostly been limited to a remote, an app, or voice commands. Users can interact with their phones or speak to the technology. Still, these methods are often less convenient than the simple switches they replace, significantly since devices…

Every day seems to bring new developments in rechargeable battery research, with teams racing to surpass conventional lithium-ion technology, which has significant room for enhancement. As the adoption of electric vehicles rises and the need for storing renewable energy becomes increasingly important, the search intensifies for safer, lighter, and more sustainable power sources. Recent breakthroughs…

2024 was the year of spatulageddon. Plastic spatulas were trashed due to reports of dangers lurking within. The journal article that raised concern contained an error, an obvious error. A correction was made but there is more to the story. How a recycling study spawned spatula hysteria The study causing spatulageddon is “From e-waste to…

Every day seems to bring new developments in rechargeable battery research, with teams racing to surpass conventional lithium-ion technology, which has significant room for enhancement. As the adoption of electric vehicles rises and the need for storing renewable energy becomes increasingly important, the search intensifies for safer, lighter, and more sustainable power sources. Recent breakthroughs…

Welcome to our weekly briefing on R&D headlines that are shaping technology, healthcare, and industry. In this edition, we explore NVIDIA’s global expansion plans (plus a sharp rebuttal to new U.S. AI policy), Google’s ambitious Gemini user goals, a big-ticket pharma acquisition, tighter U.S. chip controls, and more. Keep reading for the latest developments and…

Despite another solid national jobs report in December 2024—256,000 new payroll jobs and a steady 4.1% unemployment rate—companies in research-intensive fields have continued to trim their workforces in early 2025. While the broader economy shows gains in health care and retail, our tracking indicates that biotech, advanced software, and other R&D-driven sectors are strategically realigning.…