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Tech & Engineering

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 28-Oct-2026 14:16 ET (28-Oct-2026 18:16 GMT/UTC)

Hanyang University study proposes light-driven random number generator for image security

Hanyang University Research Strategy Planning Team
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Developing secure hardware capable of generating truly random numbers is becoming increasingly important as artificial intelligence-generated forgeries and cyber threats grow more sophisticated. Now, researchers have developed a light-driven true random number generator and demonstrated how these numbers can be embedded into images as hidden security signatures to detect tampering. The device could be integrated into image sensors, enabling hardware-based detection of image modifications.

Journal: Advanced Materials

3D-printable elastic polymer proves surprisingly strong

Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Peer-Reviewed Publication

EPFL researchers have discovered that a soft material originally optimized for 3D printing may solve a longstanding challenge in materials science: make 3D printable elastomers both tough and durable.

Journal: Science Advances

World’s first superconducting quantum heat engine offers path to larger quantum computers

Aalto University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Aalto University researchers have demonstrated the first cyclic quantum heat engine inside a superconducting circuit.

Journal: Nature Communications

Batteries lose lithium in the current collector

Ruhr-University Bochum
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Any loss of lithium reduces the capacity and service life of lithium batteries. After the latest research led to the assumption that lithium is lost to the current collector during charging, researchers at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, working with Professor Tong Li, the Helmholtz Institute Ulm, and a team led by Professor Dominic Bresser at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany, took a closer look at this hypothesis. By using atom probe tomography, they were able to verify that lithium are indeed incorporated into the copper current collector. This loss increases with the number of charging cycles. “Understanding these processes is crucial for anode-free batteries of the future,” says Li. The researchers report their findings in the journal Advanced Energy Materials from July 10, 2026.

Journal: Advanced Energy Materials
Funder: European Union

Global consortium launches AI tools to accelerate Alzheimer’s research, treatments

Washington University in St. Louis
Business Announcement

A global consortium co-founded by WashU Medicine and directed by neurologist Randall J. Bateman, MD, brings together members from academia, major pharmaceutical companies and philanthropic organizations. The consortium, C-BRAIN, is launching three open-source AI tools designed to accelerate Alzheimer’s research.

Microrobots move closer to precision medicine after two decades of progress

Journal Center of Harbin Institute of Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Over the past 20 years, microrobots have moved from scientific vision toward biomedical reality. A perspective article by Bradley J. Nelson from ETH Zurich reviews how microrobots, typically ranging from about a millimeter down to a few microns in size, are being developed as intelligent microscale machines for future precision medicine. Inspired by the motility and adaptability of microorganisms, these systems are designed to function in low-Reynolds-number environments, where viscous forces dominate and conventional macroscale actuation principles are no longer applicable. The article discusses the physical constraints of microscale locomotion, major propulsion mechanisms, fabrication and material strategies, embodied intelligence, biomedical applications, and remaining translational challenges. It further suggests that advances in biocompatible materials, high-resolution imaging, magnetic navigation, and AI-driven control may support the future transition of microrobots from laboratory prototypes to clinically relevant tools for next-generation precision medicine.

Journal: SmartBot
Funder: Swiss National Science Foundation, Multi-scale Medical Robotics Center

World’s most influential companies make nature promises, but most lack accountability

University of Oxford
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New research by the University of Oxford and the Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University has revealed that most biodiversity commitments made by large influential companies are not precise enough to enable society to evaluate whether they are making progress towards their commitments. The results have been published in One Earth.

Journal: One Earth

True human-level AI may be forever out of reach, prominent computer scientist argues

Taylor & Francis Group
Book Announcement

Alan Turing, the father of theoretical computer science, made a proposal that has put AI development on a flawed path for three-quarters of a century, a prominent computer scientist has argued.

Novel twisted cloverleaf U-tube boosts heat transfer for molten salt-based nanofluids

Higher Education Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Thermal energy storage systems rely on molten salt, but uneven flow and overheating often harm efficiency. A new study in Engineering introduces a twisted cloverleaf U‑tube paired with molten salt‑based nanofluids to improve heat transfer. Numerical tests show this design enhances fluid mixing and temperature uniformity. Optimized with Cu nanoparticles, it reaches a high performance criterion while controlling pressure drop, offering a practical upgrade for heat exchangers.

Journal: Engineering