Technology

[Last updated on June 18, 2025] Amazon CEO Andy Jassy recently hinted that AI would result in jobs cuts across the e-commerce giant, declaring “we will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today” as the company accelerates development of over 1,000 generative AI applications. He counseled employees to begin…

A research team at Binghamton University, led by Professor Seokheun Choi, has developed a battery that dissolves safely in low pH environments. They published their findings in the journal Small.  About the battery The battery is powered by a 15-strain probiotic blend, which is harmless to humans and the environment. It is constructed with biodegradable…

A Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) team has built a myoelectric prosthetic hand that keeps weight down by driving the thumb’s two degrees of freedom: flex/extend and adduct/abduct. One small actuator enables that functionality while a linkage-wire hybrid system gives the fingers both firm pinch strength and shape-adaptive grip. This single-actuator control for…

The R&D World Index (RDWI) slid this week even as several companies rolled out big new R&D projects. For the week ending May 9, 2025, the index closed at 3,773.11, down 3.85% (–151.24 points). Sixteen of the 25 members fell. Eli Lilly & Co. was the biggest laggard (–10.81%) despite breaking ground on a huge…

Science inches forward on peer review and second thoughts; the news cycle stampedes on novelty and clicks. When those two tempos collide, a worst-case microplastic estimate becomes a story about consuming a “credit card” worth of microplastics each week. Or a speculative insect review morphs into an “apocalypse,” or a complex climate report becomes a…

Caltech researchers and collaborators have completed the first lab tests of quantum sensors designed for tomorrow’s high-energy particle colliders, the university announced April 24. The sensors could uncover data on high-energy particles that are smashed together in particle accelerators to produce novel particles unpredicted by the standard model of physics. The work, under the leadership…

[Updated on April 10, 2025 with additional details] The 2025 National Science Foundation (NSF) layoffs—stemming from budget freezes and aggressive federal downsizing—could reduce National Science Foundation staff by up to half, threatening the agency’s ability to fund critical research nationwide. Amid projections of a multibillion-dollar shortfall under the CHIPS and Science Act and a new…

Recent accounts from NASA veterans Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams reveal that their Boeing Starliner spacecraft experienced multiple, cascading thruster failures during its June 2024 docking attempt with the International Space Station (ISS). The problems brought the mission close to catastrophe and forced NASA to make a critical flight-rule waiver decision. This latest setback occurred…

This past week, Boeing secured a multi-billion dollar contract for the Next Generation Air Dominance fighter program last week, while tech rivals Anthropic and DataBricks formed a $100 million partnership as R&D stocks broadly declined amid market uncertainty. Meanwhile, there were mixed signals for the AI market, and the R&D World Index (RDWI) for the…

A deep learning system known as Aardvark Weather offers accurate weather forecasts that are orders of magnitude quicker to generate than existing systems. Described in a Nature article (currently posted as a preprint), the system can generate predictions on four NVIDIA A100 GPUs that would otherwise take roughly 1,000 node-hours on a traditional supercomputer system…

The U.S. R&D landscape as a whole looks fairly resilient. That’s the finding from an exploration of 10,000 scenarios in a simulation that aims to capture the interplay between federal and private-sector funding under economic strain. In any event, as 2025 unfolds amid economic uncertainty and budget cuts and a string of R&D related job…

The U.S. still leads the world in absolute R&D spending, now investing some trillion dollars annually in R&D each year. By 2027, the U.S. is on track to spend in the ballpark of $1.2 trillion on R&D. But its dominance isn’t secure. In 2025, America’s scientific enterprise faces significant headwinds, and other regions, particularly Asia,…

Each year, the European Commission publishes the EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard, an international compendium whose 2024 edition ranked 2,000 of the world’s top corporate spenders on research and development. Yet it consistently omits Amazon, arguably the single largest corporate R&D spender globally. Why? Because Amazon doesn’t explicitly report its R&D investment separately, instead grouping…

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…

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…

The R&D World Index saw a slight gain last week amidst a landscape of innovation and cost-cutting within global industries. Pharma giants Eli Lilly and Merck announced a partnership with Purdue University to launch the Young Institute Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Consortium, aimed at bolstering domestic pharmaceutical production. However, automotive supplier Continental AG revealed further job cuts…

Brain signals in, mechanical responses out—traditionally, that’s been the limit of many brain computer interfaces (BCIs). But in a sense, this BCI doesn’t just listen; it talks back. In a study published in Nature Electronics, a research team in China reported a two-way setup that not only efficiently decodes a user’s intentions  but also sends tailored…

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…

As renewable energy sources replace traditional mechanical generators, there is a growing need for accurate and cost-effective inertia monitoring to maintain power system stability. Low inertia in power systems can lead to severe frequency fluctuations, potentially causing blackouts. InertiaMeter, developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee Knoxville, addresses this challenge by…

The skills that fuel a cybercriminal’s success—systematic planning, relentless curiosity and precise execution—darkly mirror those driving breakthroughs in research and development. Yet in the wrong hands, that similar cunning can becomes a blueprint for infiltration rather than discovery. Just ask Hector Monsegur, the once LulzSec hacker who later became an FBI ally and was released…

Researchers Jerry Tang and Alex Huth at UT Austin have developed an AI tool that decodes brain activity into continuous text, even for those who struggle with language comprehension. Unlike previous methods that needed many hours of training and worked only for specific individuals, the technique can be adapted to new users in about an…

As cell therapy approvals continue to grow, new technologies and evolutions in cell therapy manufacturing are needed to get these therapies to patients. Despite the promises of the therapy class, many challenges remain within the manufacturing process that can potentially delay getting critical therapies for diseases such as cancer to needing patients. Current hurdles in…

Automotive coating company Axalta’s latest innovation, Primerless Consolidated Coating System, simplifies the traditional multi-layer painting process while enhancing both performance and sustainability. Axalta’s new system eliminates the need for a separate primer layer, achieving the desired color effects and coverage in a single basecoat application. This consolidated process streamlines the painting process, reducing cycle time…

Polartec Power Shield Pro, the latest iteration of the award-winning Polartec NeoShell (winner of the 2009 R&D 100 Award), is an expedition-grade waterproof, breathable fabric that uses non-PFAS, plant-based fiber technology. Power Shield Pro is the brand’s first “20/20” shell, boasting over 20,000 mm hydrostatic pressure (ISO 811) and over 20,000 g/m2/24 h breathability (JIS…

Selenium (Se) pollution, which harms aquatic ecosystems and wildlife and can be toxic in humans and animals, is found in natural water bodies worldwide. Current biological treatment to remove Se from wastewater is expensive, produces non-biodegradable sludges, has a large carbon footprint, and is sensitive to chemical and environmental limitations. Direct electrochemical reduction using gold…