In this week in AI research, OpenAI’s latest models impress in some STEM related tasks, especially in coding. Math is another strong point. In addition, Salesforce is making good on its promise to base its company on AI “agents” – autonomous entities handling customer service and scheduling. CEO Marc Benioff posits them as a scalable alternative…

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University have announced the generation of the world’s first high-quality, “footprint-free” feline induced pluripotent stem cells (fiPSCs). Publishing their research in Regenerative Therapy, the scientists created novel stem cells that are free from residual reprogramming genes. In other words, no trace of the genetic manipulation used to create them remains. These…

The STAR Collaboration, an international team of scientists using the STAR detector at Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), has announced the first observation of an antimatter hypernucleus, antihyperhydrogen-4. Published in Nature, the research describes the hypernucleus, the heaviest antimatter hypernucleus found to date. It is composed of an antiproton, two antineutrons, and…

It is becoming increasingly apparent that peak generative AI hype is in the rearview mirror. In June, Goldman Sachs published a report titled “Gen AI: Too Much Spend, Too Little Benefit?” A growing number of AI users on social media are lamenting about the quality of prominent genAI systems — or are complaining about the…

Scientists have engineered a promising new quantum defect using computational modeling. Published in Nature Communications, the research highlights how cobalt, a common metal, could be key to building future quantum computers. The team began by simulating more than 700 potential defects in tungsten disulfide (WS2), a material with desirable electronic properties. To sift through this…

Moore’s Law, which predicted the doubling of transistor density roughly every two years, is approaching fundamental physical limits. Yet, GPU technology continues to evolve rapidly, with innovations in architecture and specialized processing units driving consistent performance gains. Multi-chip modules, 3D chip stacking, and advanced cache hierarchies are pushing beyond monolithic die limitations. The first half…

The R&D World Index (RDWI) for the week ending May 10, 2024, closed at 3,563.72 for the 25 companies in the RDWI. The Index was up 1.51% (or 52.86 basis points). Eighteen RDWI members gained value last week from 0.18% (Stellantis NV) to 5.34% (Meta Platforms). Seven RDWI members lost value the previous week from…

By Mark Jones It is different. Still a little scary. I am now in my last day of COVID isolation. Fully vaccinated and boosted, I managed to catch COVID for a second time. Yep, I am a return customer, a double breakthrough case. There are some big differences. In May of 2021, I felt invincible.…

From the Department of Energy: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the selection of 93 early career scientists from across the country who will receive a combined $135 million in funding for research covering a wide range of topics, from artificial intelligence to astrophysics to fusion energy. The 2023 Early Career Research Program…

Schaeffler is expanding its global development activities for advanced mobility solutions. As part of this, the company has now opened a new state-of-the-art development center at its location in Kysuce, Slovakia. The center develops products and components for electromobility as well as chassis systems for applications such as automated driving. The global automotive and industrial…

The R&D World Index (RDWI) for the week ending April 14, 2023, closed at 2,623.97 for the 25 companies in the RDWI. The Index was up 0.04% (or 1.02 basis points). Fourteen of the 25 RDWI members gained value last week from 0.02% (AbbVie) to 6.86% (Stellantis NV). Eleven of the 25 RDWI members lost…

Fusion energy may be our planet’s best long-term solution to the existential threat of global warming. A recent breakthrough in fusion energy is raising renewed hopes that practical fusion power may be on the horizon. Controlled fusion, which produces no greenhouse gases, offers prospects for obviating the production of long-lived actinides and eliminating the threats…

The R&D World Index (RDWI) for the week ending July 22, 2022, closed at 2,493.56 for the 25 companies in the RDWI. The Index was down -0.54% (or -13.46 basis points) from the week ending July 15, 2022.  Thirteen of the 25 RDWI members gained value from 1.42% (Microsoft) to 7.91% (Ford Motor Co.). Thirteen…

R&D scientific software company Dotmatics announces it has been selected by Umicore Corporate Research and Development, which is part of global materials technology and recycling company Umicore, as informatics partner for its Corporate R&D (CRD) digitalization project. The strategic agreement to implement core elements of Dotmatics’ R&D innovation platform within CRD, including electronic laboratory notebook…

The 60th R&D 100 Awards program opens for submissions on March 1st, 2022. The program is open to corporate, government, and academic R&D organizations across the globe, and has been called “The Oscars of Innovation.” First established in 1963, the R&D 100 Awards is the only S&T (science and technology) awards competition that recognizes new commercial…

The first time Dan Arvizu thought about anything related to science or engineering was in the sixth grade. His teacher, John Price planted the seeds about a pathway that Arvizu hadn’t anticipated when he assigned the young student to write a paper on what matter was. Price was “one of the first people who gave…

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Dan Arvizu, the Chancellor of New Mexico State University. Arvizu also sits on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and was the first Hispanic to lead a DOE National Laboratory. One of the things we touched on what makes engineers…

By Aliyah Kovner, LBNL A technology developed by scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) shows great promise for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms arise, potentially changing the course of research and treatment for this condition, which affects millions of people worldwide and is estimated to be the sixth leading cause of death in…

The R&D World Index (RDWI) for the week ending October 1, 2021, closed at 5,308.12 for the 25 companies in the R&D World Index. The Index was down -2.47% (or -134.97 basis points) from the week ending September 24, 2021. The stock of seven R&D World Index members gained value from 1.39% (Roche Holdings) to…

From Sandia National Laboratories Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories and their collaborators have developed a new membrane, whose structure was inspired by a protein from algae, for electrodialysis that could be used to provide fresh water for farming and energy production. The team shared their membrane design in a paper published recently in the scientific…

While laser-based 3D printing techniques have revolutionized the production of metal parts by greatly expanding design complexity, the laser beams traditionally used in metal printing have drawbacks that can lead to defects and poor mechanical performance. Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are addressing the issue by exploring alternative shapes to the Gaussian beams commonly…

Gas chromatography (GC) is a common type of chromatography used in analytical chemistry for separating and analyzing compounds that can be vaporized without decomposition. These chemical compounds are usually organic molecules or gases. For the GC to be successful in their analysis, these compounds need to be volatile, usually with a molecular weight below 1250…

A polymer-based membrane could be used as a drug delivery platform. Developed by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, the membrane is made from threads of a polymer commonly used in vascular sutures. It can be loaded with therapeutic drugs and implanted in the body before mechanical forces activate its electric potential, slowly releasing…

By Chris Cogswell, Customer Consultant, Elsevier Aviation is one of the industries that stands to benefit most from advanced material development, particularly when it comes to new, lightweight materials. Currently the industry, like many others, is facing a very uncertain time as it navigates the COVID-19 crisis. However, this period could prove to be a…