Hundreds of thousands of people undergo corrective eye surgeries each year, including the laser-assisted technique known as LASIK. But the procedure involves cutting away tissue, which can result in negative side effects, prompting researchers to develop a less invasive technique that takes the laser out of LASIK by remodeling cornea tissue, rather than removing it, in initial animal tissue tests. The researchers will present their results at ACS Fall 2025.

Finishing techniques used to make cotton fabric smooth, water-resistant and less prone to wrinkling can contain formaldehyde or PFAS and be detrimental to the environment and the wearer. Now, researchers at North Carolina State University propose a method for using cottonseed oil as a greener and safer alternative to formaldehyde and PFAS when finishing cotton fabrics to make them more water-resistant. They will present their results at ACS Fall 2025.

Ultrahigh frequency bandwidths are easily blocked by objects, so users can lose transmissions walking between rooms or even passing a bookcase. Now, researchers at Princeton engineering have developed a machine-learning system that could allow ultrahigh frequency transmissions to dodge those obstacles.

Researchers at the University of Basel have made a quantum bit faster and more robust at the same time. In the future, this could help in the development of quantum computers.

Radio-photovoltaic cells, as a kind of nuclear battery, have a high energy density but low energy conversion efficiency (ECE). Scientists in China have developed a high-efficiency RPVC using multilayer-stacked GAGG:Ce scintillation waveguides and ⁹⁰Sr radioisotopes, which achieves a record ECE of 2.96%. Remarkably, the cells retain 86.2% of its initial performance after exposure to 50 years of equivalent irradiation at a milliwatt-level output. This breakthrough provides a maintenance-free power solution for extreme environments such as deep-sea exploration and space missions.

A University of Queensland researcher has developed a new mathematical model to explain the evolution of the universe which for the first time includes collapsing regions of matter and expanding voids.