The web is facing a deluge of AI-generated content, with an explosive 8,362% surge from November 2022 to March 2024, according to a study by Copyleaks. From Q1 2023 to Q1 2024, the volume of AI-detected content jumped 2,848% based on an analysis of more than a million web pages per period using data from…

For decades, structural biologists have sought to map the structures of proteins and other macromolecules within cells. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), whose early development traces back to the 1970s, emerged as a promising technique for visualizing cells in their natural, hydrated state. But the technology’s initial inability to produce sharp images was a stumbling block in…

After nearly a year of rumors surrounding OpenAI’s “Q*” (later “Strawberry“) project and its potential for advanced reasoning, the company has finally unveiled its new “o1” AI models that mirror humans’ ability to think before speaking. These models allocate more processing power to reasoning before generating output, significantly improving accuracy on complex tasks across science,…

Reviews are in for a beta version of Apple’s AI, following its iPhone 16 announcement. And experts are less than impressed. Vox called the tech “magically mediocre” after testing a developer beta. While AI Supremacy described Apple Intelligence as “late, unfinished & clumsy.” Critics point out that many of the touted AI features are not…

At Lubrizol, the quest for better skincare has taken a decidedly high-tech turn, culminating in the recent opening of a new Beauty Research Institute in Shanghai. This facility will serve as a global hub for in-vivo beauty testing. It will also aid the company in developing next-generation ingredients designed to cater to the specific needs…

[Updated on September 9, 2024 with new details] The current Biden-Harris administration and Project 2025, a potential blueprint for a second Trump term, offer starkly different visions for the future of American science. Harris. While vice president, Harris joined Biden in proposing substantial investments and reforms aimed at addressing major issues like climate change, public…

The 2011 Fukushima disaster sent shockwaves through the nuclear industry, sparking a global quest for safer reactor designs. At Argonne National Laboratory, scientists are tackling this challenge head-on by exploring the extreme behavior of nuclear fuels at unimaginable temperatures. Researchers at Argonne successfully measured and analyzed the structure of molten plutonium oxide (PuO2) at temperatures…

For millions suffering from chronic pain, relief often comes with a host of complications. But a new generation of spinal cord stimulators aims to change that. The medical device company BackStop Neural has won a two-year, $485k Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support the…

Parallel Bio’s head of technology shares a vision for faster, cheaper, and better biological research with human organoids. Ari Gesher, Parallel Bio’s new head of technology, may be new to biotech, but that’s not stopping him from thinking big about disrupting the status quo in biological research. The biotech startup is betting on automation and…

A team of scientists at the University of Adelaide has developed a novel polarization multiplexer for 6G communications. The researchers note that they succeeded in testing the ultra-wideband integrated terahertz polarization (de)multiplexer on a substrateless silicon base in the sub-terahertz J-band (220-330 GHz). The device shows significant potential for use in 6G and future communication…

The R&D World Index (RDWI) for the week ending August 23, 2024, closed at 3,947.43 for the 25 companies in the RDWI. The Index was up 1.78% (or 68.94 basis points). Twenty-two RDWI members gained value last week from 0.11% (Meta Platforms) to 7.23% (Ford Motor). Three RDWI members lost value the previous week from…

A new class of nanoscale materials that act like microscopic mood rings, changing color with temperature, could help measure temperature at the tiniest scales, with potential applications in electronics, biology, and beyond. Published in Advanced Materials, this research from scientists at the University of California, Irvine involves a one-dimensional nanoscale material known as indium selenium…

What if you could ask a large language model a research question and get back a definitive, contextually relevant answer with verifiable sources? Or trace a scientific claim back through a century of research to uncover the foundations of a modern theory? In a talk at the AI4 conference in Las Vegas, Daniel Schauer, an…

Peel apart a smartphone, fitness tracker, or virtual reality headset, and you’ll find a tiny motion sensor tracking its position and movement. Similar larger, more expensive versions exist that are about as big as a grapefruit and a thousand times more accurate. These devices aid GPS-assisted navigation in ships, airplanes, and other vehicles. Now imagine…

Berkeley-based advanced materials startup Thintronics has secured an undisclosed Series A Extension, led by Maverick Capital and Translink Capital, to accelerate its mission of revamping insulator technology for high-performance electronics. The round, which includes strategic investments from M Ventures (Merck KGaA’s corporate venture capital (CVC) arm) and TGVP (Toppan Holdings’ U.S. CVC arm), will fuel…

Can a machine truly understand? AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton, Ph.D. believes the answer is a firm yes when it comes to large language models (LLMs), and it’s precisely this understanding that has him deeply concerned. “It’s very clear that we understand language in much the same way as these large language models,” Hinton said in…

For six decades, the R&D 100 Awards have been a benchmark of achievement in science and technology, often referred to informally as “The Oscars of Innovation.” This year, we’re offering a new interactive experience, allowing you to explore the remarkable work of both winners and finalists across diverse fields. From advances in mechanical and material…

[Updated August 8, 2024] The global R&D map is being redrawn, caught between forces of nationalism and the undeniable pull of international collaboration. While the aftershocks of the pandemic and shifting political winds have led some nations to turn inward, the race for innovation is driving a surprising surge in cross-border investment. For instance, South…

R&D World has unveiled the winners of the 2024 R&D 100 Professional Awards. A panel of 56 prestigious industry experts from around the globe selected the honorees. The list of 2024 winners follows, along with highlights from their nomination letters. These winners will be formally awarded at the R&D 100 Awards Banquet at the Esmeralda…

NTT Research is playing the long game, tackling challenges that others shy away from. While many R&D labs focus on a relatively near-term ROI for research, NTT is more patient, taking a page from storied labs like Bell Labs and Xerox PARC that prioritize bigger, riskier but potentially more transformative bets. Its website declares: “Our…

Picture a gymnast like Simone Biles, who during a routine, performs a series of flips, twists, and complex maneuvers. Judges must capture every nuance of these routines — from the exact number of rotations to the subtle angle of a pointed toe — a task fraught with difficulty. Consistently interpreting the Code of Points, which…

Two teams of scientists have announced a breakthrough in fusion energy research, demonstrating for the first time the ability to simultaneously achieve high plasma density and confinement in a tokamak reactor. Derived from a Russian acronym, a tokamak is a donut-shaped experimental device that uses magnetic fields to make use of the energy of nuclear…

OpenAI, San Francisco, announced last week that it is launching a test version of their long-awaited search engine. SearchGPT will cite news sources such as News Corp. (publisher of the Wall Street Journal) and the Atlantic magazine (published by the Emerson Collective/publisher is Laurene Jobs — Steve Jobs’s widow). OpenAI has also struck partnerships with…

What began as a personal project by Ralph Rouhana to accelerate his own note-taking while studying computer and electrical electronics engineering at the University of Waterloo has blossomed into a Y Combinator–backed startup. Stempad, now part of the YC S24 batch, is developing an online text editor and platform designed for fast scientific writing and…

Silicon Valley is still where it’s at in terms of R&D. Yes, the region has cut roughly 45,000 tech jobs since 2022, but its dominance in research and development remains unchallenged, based on data from The 2023 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard. And despite the layoffs, many tech companies have reported significant revenue growth. NVIDIA…