A new physics-informed machine-learning method could help researchers find two-dimensional materials with unusual electronic properties more quickly and with fewer calculations.

ETH Zurich physicist Yiwen Chu and her colleagues have developed a new approach to quantum computing. For the first time, it combines vibrating memory devices – known as mechanical resonators – with the central computing units; superconducting qubits. The computer architecture differs from previous quantum computing approaches. Information is stored in a working memory in the form of vibrations, thereby significantly increasing the system's storage capacity. Chu and her team also demonstrate that their approach can successfully perform both fundamental computational operations and more advanced quantum calculations. In so doing, they provide proof of feasibility and lay the groundwork for a fully programmable quantum computer that is, in principle, capable of carrying out any quantum computation. 

Ongoing research reveals that multifloral honey is a promising candidate for protecting human skin cells from premature ageing and cell damage caused by UV radiation, with the potential for developing future clinical and cosmetic applications.

Conventional catalyst research has mainly focused on incrementally improving catalysts for known reactions or optimizing reaction conditions for known catalysts. A new study demonstrated a new catalyst-catalysis co-exploration strategy that searches for catalysts and reaction conditions simultaneously, rather than optimizing catalysts for a predefined reaction. Using methane conversion as a test case, the team evaluated 200 catalysts, which revealed high-performance catalyst-catalysis combinations.

A research team at Saitama University has developed a concise method for synthesizing structurally defined ladder-type oligothiophenes, sulfur-containing molecular frameworks that are important in organic semiconductor research. By precisely controlling the orientation of thiophene rings, the team successfully synthesized all 14 target ladder-type regioisomers based on thienothiophene, dithienothiophene, and trithienothiophene frameworks, opening new possibilities for the molecular design of organic electronic materials.

A slowing Atlantic Ocean current is projected to reshape global rainfall patterns, intensifying powerful storms in California while reducing snowfall over Greenland, according to a new University of California, Riverside study.

An ongoing research project exploring the effects of rising levels of oceanic CO₂ on squid neurology reveals that exposure to future levels of ocean acidification could shrink their brain volume by around 50%. This severe brain shrinkage appears to be most pronounced in the areas that interpret visual information, correlating with significant reductions in normal feeding behaviours and suggesting serious consequences for the future of squid and other cephalopods.

MIT engineers developed a hydrogel that is both hydrated and aerated. The stretchy material can be worn for longer periods of time compared to conventional hydrogels, without causing skin irritation. It can also reduce sweat buildup, even during exercise.