EurekAlert! In the Spotlight

This month, we’re focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), a topic that continues to capture attention everywhere. Here, you’ll find the latest research news, insights, and discoveries shaping how AI is being developed and used across the world.

AI is good at weather forecasting. Can it predict freak weather events?

University of Chicago
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study from scientists from the University of Chicago found that neural networks cannot forecast “gray swan” weather events, which might not appear in existing training data but could still happen—like 200-year floods or massive hurricanes.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Funder: Office of Naval Research, Army Research Office, U.S. National Science Foundation

22-May-2025

UT-Battelle, industry partners energize Oak Ridge High School STEM program with state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Business Announcement

UT-Battelle has contributed up to $475,000 for the purchase and installation of advanced manufacturing equipment to support a program at Tennessee’s Oak Ridge High School that gives students direct experience with the AI- and robotics-assisted workplace of the future.

22-May-2025

Breakthrough AI model could transform how we prepare for natural disasters

Universiteit van Amsterdam
Peer-Reviewed Publication

From deadly floods in Europe to intensifying tropical cyclones around the world, the climate crisis has made timely and precise forecasting more essential than ever. Yet traditional forecasting methods rely on highly complex numerical models developed over decades, requiring powerful supercomputers and large teams of experts. According to its developers, Aurora offers a powerful and efficient alternative using artificial intelligence.

Journal: Nature

22-May-2025

Understanding the divide: a deep dive into healthcare in Mongolia

Sophia University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Mongolia’s vast landscape, coupled with a Soviet-era healthcare legacy, has created sharp contrasts in healthcare between cities and rural areas. In a recent study, researchers from Japan explored the challenges and strengths of Mongolia’s healthcare, including topics, such as universal coverage, traditional medicine, and professional development. They also pointed to gaps in rural access and disease prevention strategies and proposed culturally aware, partnership-based solutions to help improve care across the country.

Journal: Journal of Global Health
Funder: Fogarty International Center, NIH/Fogarty International Center, NIH/National Institute of Mental Health

21-May-2025

Classifying older adults requiring long-term care into five groups and clarifying their prognosis

University of Tsukuba
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at University of Tsukuba have classified newly certified older adults (aged 65 and over) who have started using long-term care insurance services into five groups based on patterns of physical and cognitive functions, and have clarified the characteristics and prognoses of each group. This achievement is expected to support the evaluation and provision of optimal medical and long-term care services tailored to each group, by helping care recipients and providers better understand the characteristics of those in need of care.

Journal: Journal of the American Medical Directors Association

21-May-2025

Nanogenerators for intelligent and autonomous robotics

International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing
Peer-Reviewed Publication

How are nanogenerators transforming the capabilities of intelligent robotics?

Reasearchers from Tsinghua University showcase how triboelectric and piezoelectric nanogenerators support robot autonomy and operational efficiency by converting mechanical energy into electrical energy.

Their work contributes to the integration of self-powered sensing with AI and IoT, with potential applications in healthcare, smart homes, and industrial automation.

Journal: International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing

Welcome to In the Spotlight, where each month we shine a light on something exciting, timely, or simply fascinating from the world of science.

Latest News Releases

AI is good at weather forecasting. Can it predict freak weather events?

UT-Battelle, industry partners energize Oak Ridge High School STEM program with state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment

Breakthrough AI model could transform how we prepare for natural disasters

Understanding the divide: a deep dive into healthcare in Mongolia

Classifying older adults requiring long-term care into five groups and clarifying their prognosis

Nanogenerators for intelligent and autonomous robotics

Tiny genetic switch found to control brain balance and behavior