EurekAlert! News by Subject: Tech & Engineering

Tech & Engineering

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 30-Oct-2026 11:16 ET (30-Oct-2026 15:16 GMT/UTC)

7-Jul-2026

A device that behaves like a single neuron

McGill University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

McGill University researchers have developed a light-detecting nanoscale structure that mimics how a neuron processes information. The neuron-like behaviour emerges from the materials themselves, reducing the energy demand associated with similar devices that rely on circuits or software.

Journal: Nanoscale
Funder: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Fonds de recherche du Québec

7-Jul-2026

Cleaning up clean energy

University of Delaware
Peer-Reviewed Publication

As demand for hydrogen-energy technologies grows, so does the need for iridium, a precious metal so scarce that only about eight tons are produced worldwide each year. University of Delaware researchers have developed a green recycling process that recovers iridium, platinum and the membranes used in hydrogen electrolyzers and fuel cells without relying on harsh chemicals or high-temperature burning. The work could help address a critical supply-chain challenge while reducing waste from clean-energy technologies. The technology is now being advanced toward commercialization through University of Delaware's Office of Economic Innovations and Partnerships.

Journal: International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

7-Jul-2026

They’re here: Biologists identify first established colonies of invasive clam in Northeastern US

University of Massachusetts Amherst
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A collaborative team of biologists led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, MIT Sea Grant at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Center for Coastal Studies has discovered that the invasive Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum, has established itself along the northwestern Atlantic coastline — the last place in the northern hemisphere to have remained Manila-clam free. The team’s findings, published in Biological Invasions, document an exceedingly rare moment when an invasive species first takes hold in a new environment and begins to spread.

Journal: Biological Invasions

7-Jul-2026

New autonomous monitor prevents drone crashes in real time

University of Houston
Peer-Reviewed Publication

University of Houston engineer Marzia Cescon has built a new safety monitor system for the operation of quadrotor drones that can keep them on course and out of danger in real time.

Journal: Journal of Dynamic Systems Measurement and Control

7-Jul-2026

Clinician support key to patient adoption of virtual reality therapies

JMIR Publications
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study published in JMIR XR and Spatial Computing demonstrates that the way virtual reality therapeutics (VRx) are introduced to patients is a critical factor in how successfully they adopt the technology.

Journal: JMIR XR and Spatial Computing

7-Jul-2026

From the lab to the moon: New research gets man one step to moon living

University of Delaware
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at the University of Delaware are advancing the future of lunar construction by developing building materials made from simulated moon dust. In a series of new studies, the team found that samples exposed to lunar environments outside the International Space Station remained durable, and in some cases became stronger. Complementary research used artificial intelligence to predict material performance and identified key processing characteristics for manufacturing on the moon. The findings support the potential for producing sustainable construction materials from local lunar resources for future space exploration.

Journal: Advances in Space Research

7-Jul-2026

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute increases investment in Giant Magellan Telescope

GMTO Corporation
Business Announcement

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute Increases Investment in Giant Magellan Telescope

7-Jul-2026

Asymmetric Zn-N4-S configuration enables ultralow polarization in aqueous zinc–sulfur batteries

Tsinghua University Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers have developed a sulfur host with asymmetric Zn-N₄-S single atom sites that improves the performance of the aqueous zinc–sulfur batteries with nearly theoretical value and record-low polarization. They propose to overcome sluggish solid-solid conversion kinetics using coordination microenvironment engineering.

Journal: Nano Research

7-Jul-2026

AI faces trusted more than faces of real people warn researchers

Lancaster University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Images of faces created by Artificial Intelligence (AI) are seen as more trustworthy than images of genuine faces say researchers, who warn of the risks of online fraud and other harms.

This is the first ever study to examine the trustworthiness of AI faces created by the latest diffusion technology and was led by Lancaster University with Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley.

Lead researcher Lex McGuire said: “As AI-generated images become more sophisticated and more accessible, as a society, we are increasingly exposed to artificially-generated faces—often in nefarious and exploitative scenarios, such as political disinformation, financial and identity fraud, and catfishing.”

Journal: Journal of Vision