Heather Hall

Sandia National Laboratories, a cornerstone of U.S. national security engineering, has announced the appointment of Laura J. McGill as its 17th Laboratories Director. McGill, a seasoned leader with extensive experience in defense systems and nuclear deterrence, will assume the helm on May 1, 2025, succeeding James S. Peery, who will retire at the end of…

For decades, probing the electrical activity of living cells has been like listening to a symphony recorded with bulky, imprecise microphones — relying on invasive electrodes and sometimes disruptive dyes. Now, engineers at the University of California, San Diego, have unveiled a potentially life-changing invention: atom-thick semiconductors that can “hear” these faint cellular signals using…

As the global race for clean energy solutions intensifies, two prominent U.S. universities are uniting to promote a technology often overlooked in the electric vehicle revolution: hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines (ICEs). The University of Michigan and the University of California, Riverside, have announced the establishment of the Hydrogen Engine Alliance of North America (H2EA-NA), a…

As the nation grapples with semiconductor supply chains and seeks to regain its edge in microelectronics, Penn State University is ready to contribute to the cause with its new advanced semiconductor lab. Backed by $4.3 million in funding and strategic partnerships, the lab promises to train future engineers and drive innovation in critical areas like…

As NASA prepares to launch SPHEREx, another groundbreaking mission led by the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is set to hitch a ride. The Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere, or PUNCH, mission consists of four small, suitcase-sized spacecraft designed and built by SwRI. While SPHEREx embarks on a quest to map the universe and…

NASA is poised to embark on an ambitious mission by launching the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer, better known as SPHEREx. This high-tech space telescope is designed to conduct an unprecedented sky survey, offering a comprehensive look into the universe’s evolution and the potential for life beyond…

In the “Star Wars” universe, characters harness the power of light through iconic lightsabers. Here on Earth, researchers are tapping into a similarly transformative phenomenon, aiming to build technology that uses beams of light to perform ever-faster computing. A team co-led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), Columbia University, and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid…

Think about how a plastic lid on a take-out coffee cup can be molded into different shapes to fit snugly. Researchers at Pusan National University used a similar idea on a very tiny scale to make better “neural interfaces,” which are small devices that help doctors connect with nerves or parts of the brain. Their…

One of the primary challenges of nuclear power is disposing of its waste, which stays radioactive for extended periods and poses risks to human health and the environment. Researchers at Ohio State University have developed a battery capable of converting nuclear waste into electricity, potentially offering a method to repurpose this hazardous material. Turning radiation…

Each year, over 5 million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with heart valve disease, a condition that lacks long-term treatment options. When a heart valve is damaged due to a congenital defect, lifestyle choices, or aging, blood flow can become disrupted, potentially leading to life-threatening complications. Valve replacement and repair are the only treatments…

Ethylene oxide quietly underpins modern life, from the plastics in our homes to the disinfectants we rely on. But its production comes at a cost: millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions and a reliance on toxic chlorine. Researchers have found a way to make this essential chemical cleaner and safer. A research team led…

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego) and the French lab CEA-Leti unveiled a novel microactuator driving system at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) 2025. The system combines solid-state battery technology with integrated circuit designs for simultaneous energy storage and voltage boost conversion. The research, detailed in the paper “An Autonomous…

Norwegian robotics firm 1X recently introduced its latest humanoid prototype, Neo Gamma. This prototype evolved from its predecessor, Neo Beta, which debuted in August. Unlike the factory-focused humanoids emerging from competitors like Tesla, Agility, and Figure, 1X is developing a system specifically designed for home environments. The company has showcased images of Neo Gamma performing…

There’s not doubt about it. In an increasingly stressful world, immersive “escapes” via XR (Extended Reality) have undeniable appeal. Yet, headsets like Apple’s Vision Pro, Varjo’s XR-4, and Meta’s Quest Pro demonstrate that XR is evolving beyond entertainment. With designs emphasizing “look through” viewing (Apple) or modular flexibility (HTC), these tools are a compelling R&D…

A research collaboration between Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) uses machine vision algorithms to track how brain cells, or neurons, develop over time. The team aims to better understand brain cell behavior and identify new therapies for neurological disorders by monitoring how new neurons grow and integrate…

Microsoft has unveiled Majorana 1, a new quantum chip built on what the company calls its Topological Core architecture. Engineers say the design could lead to quantum machines with up to one million qubits, a size necessary to tackle complex problems in fields like chemistry, manufacturing, and environmental sustainability. Moving beyond conventional qubits At the…

Enfabrica Corporation has opened a new research and development facility in Hyderabad, India, marking its latest step in expanding global operations. The Hyderabad office will focus on building the company’s engineering team and scaling silicon and software product development. Enfabrica’s leadership views this move as a way to strengthen its capacity to design networking products…

When cell phones first became ubiquitous, they allowed people to call from previously inconceivable places — the park, the swimming pool, the car, and everywhere else — but calling on the Moon? That remained firmly in the realm of sci-fi fantasy… until now. Because while you were busy doomscrolling, something truly astronomical was happening. Nokia…

Unsurprisingly, a state with several of the country’s top higher education institutions, including one of the highest-ranked technology colleges in the U.S., would be the first to establish a central AI hub. This center is currently offering incentives for industry collaboration to stimulate innovation. MassTech has launched the Massachusetts AI Models Innovation Challenge, offering up…

The Cultivated B has discovered a chemical class of FGFR1 agonists intended to mimic the effects of basic fibroblast growth factors (bFGF) on cell proliferation, a critical component of cell-culture media. According to the company, these small molecules provide a stable, cost-effective alternative that could have wide-ranging implications for cultivated meat, biopharmaceuticals, regenerative medicine, and…

When you take your dog for a walk, does he stop to sniff every tree trunk and patch of grass he sees, leaving you to wonder what smells so enticing? Scientists have also wondered, although not the trivial lawn fodder, what pups’ sensitive noses pick up to help detect drugs or disease. Lawrence Livermore National…

We think of cars and factories as major contributors to carbon emissions, but buildings make up a large chunk of those emissions. A collaborative research initiative led by Peking University and the University of Southern Denmark has developed an advanced framework integrating deep learning with remote sensing to identify building materials. The technology has the…

ULVAC, a Tokyo-based vacuum technology company, has developed the EWK-030, a roll-to-roll lithium deposition system designed to create ultra-thin lithium films for next-generation batteries. The company claims this system will significantly improve battery performance, potentially leading to longer-range electric vehicles (EVs) and enhanced energy storage capabilities. The EWK-030 is slated for release in May 2025,…

Thermo Fisher Scientific introduced the Invitrogen EVOS S1000 Spatial Imaging System, designed to help researchers generate more efficient, high-quality, multiplexed images of tissue samples. The system uses advanced spectral technology to capture images of up to nine targets simultaneously, reducing the need for multiple imaging rounds and preserving tissue integrity. “Understanding tissue structure and function…

Picture a high-tech version of Silly Putty that generates electricity. It would be capable of speeding up wound healing, delivering medication through the skin, or even producing clean energy, among other inventive uses. Researchers at the University of Guelph (U of G) have developed a slime-like material that generates electricity when compressed. The material is…