Holograms that can be physically manipulated have made their way out of science fiction and into real life thanks to a breakthrough in mixed reality technology. In a new study uploaded March 6 to the HAL open archive, scientists explored how three-dimensional holograms could be grabbed and poked using elastic materials as a key component … Read more
A brain implant that uses artificial intelligence (AI) can almost instantaneously decode a person’s thoughts and stream them through a speaker, new research shows. This is the first time researchers have achieved near-synchronous brain-to-voice streaming. The experimental mind-reading technology is designed to give a synthetic voice to people with severe paralysis who cannot speak. It … Read more
Physicists have created a new type of time crystal that may help confirm some fundamental theories about quantum interactions. A standard time crystal is a new phase of matter that features perpetual motion without expending energy. According to Chong Zu, an assistant professor of physics at Washington University in St. Louis and one of the … Read more
A new kind of road-legal flying car is now a step closer to hitting the roads, and skies, after its maker Alef Aeronautics signed an agreement with aerospace companies PUCARA Aero and MYC to build it. The Alef Model A is designed to work as both a road vehicle and aircraft, with its aim being … Read more
The burning of fossil fuels — coal, oil and gas — propelled humanity into the industrial revolution, remaking civilization in its wake. Gasoline powers many of the cars we drive; coal and natural gas are central to global energy. But if aliens were building their own society, would they have to go down the same … Read more
A U.K. start-up has shocked the space exploration community after unveiling plans to use a novel nuclear fusion propulsion system to power an orbital fleet of reusable “alien-like” rockets, known as Sunbirds, which the company says could revolutionize how we explore the solar system — and beyond. The technology behind this ambitious project will begin … Read more
Scientists are developing artificial intelligence (AI) models that could help next-generation wireless networks such as 6G deliver faster and more reliable connections. In a study that featured in December 2024’s edition of IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, researchers detailed an AI system which reduces the amount of information that needs to be sent between a … Read more
Scientists have invented a smart fabric that converts light into heat and can raise temperatures by more than 54 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) after just 10 minutes in the sun. The new material could be used in clothing designed for very cold temperatures. Specialized nanoparticles that absorb sunlight and convert it to heat are … Read more
Chemists have invented a new material that could be the future of body armor — chainmail. But this isn’t the Middle Ages all over again; the new super-strong material is made of molecules that are interlocked on a nanoscale, scientists say. Researchers fused lines of molecules like links in a chain to create sheets of … Read more
Engineers have showcased a prototype electric vehicle (EV) that can drive for up to 40 miles (64 kilometers) per day using just solar power. The new solar-powered car, called the Aptera Launch Edition, also offers up to 400 miles (640 km) of range from a single charge via an electrical output, company representatives said in … Read more
