As Australia’s road toll continues to rise, with more than 1300 fatalities in 2024 marking an increase of 6% compared to 2023, a new study reveals the reasons why Australia won’t achieve its zero-fatalities vision by 2050.

Researchers at Tohoku University tested a strategy for developing single-atom catalysts that may help us develop more efficient methods for water purification.

University of Sydney researchers are developing a surface coating that could stop blood clotting in medical devices like catheters and stents.

The mission is called STARI—STarlight Acquisition and Reflection toward Interferometry—and will showcase the viability of a new technique for studying exoplanets, or planets outside of our solar system.

In the world of soft robotics and wearable technology, sheet-based fluidic devices are revolutionizing how lightweight, flexible and multifunctional systems are designed. But with innovation comes challenges, particularly in understanding and controlling failure in these devices. A new study by mechanical engineers at Rice University’s George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing explores how programmed failure in heat-sealable, sheet-based systems can be used to protect devices, enable complex sequencing of actions and even streamline control mechanisms.

Nine U.S. grain dust explosions in 2024 caused two injuries and no fatalities, according to a nationwide annual summary.

These numbers are similar to last year’s (nine explosions, 12 injuries and no fatalities) and on-par with the 10-year national average of 8.6 explosions. 

“Considering the reduced number of injuries, the grain dust explosions are of low magnitude. But look at the damage it can cause to the facility in terms of downtime, repair costs and litigations,” said Kingsly Ambrose, Purdue University professor of agricultural and biological engineering and the report’s author. 

The explosions occurred in four feed mills, three grain elevators, one ethanol plant and one corn processing plant.