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Tech & Engineering

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 29-Oct-2026 00:16 ET (29-Oct-2026 04:16 GMT/UTC)

KAIST develops a soft, 3D-printed robotic hand that gently grips everything from eggs to a 1 kg water bottle

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

- A KAIST-KIST-SEOULTECH team uses AI to identify the optimal "material recipe," developing a 3D-printable material that stretches to more than six times its original length

- The robotic hand bends as gently as a human finger, stably grasping objects ranging from sturdy water bottles to fragile eggs

- This advance expected to expand the use of "soft 3D printing" in soft robotics, wearable devices, and custom medical devices

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resource, Ministry of Science and ICT

Even small amounts of ocean plastic can affect petrel chicks

University of California - Davis
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Plastic is accidentally on the menu for southern giant petrel chicks. Even small nibbles of it may affect these seabirds' growth, according to a study from the UC Davis and Argentina's CONICET.

Journal: Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Funder: Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, Wild Animal Health Fund

Artificial intelligence could help unlock smarter biochar strategies for acidic soils

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Soil acidification threatens agricultural productivity across large areas of the world, but predicting how well biochar can restore acidic soils remains difficult. A new review suggests that artificial intelligence could help scientists move from trial-and-error applications toward more precise, mechanism-guided biochar management, provided that researchers improve the quality and biological relevance of the data used to train AI models.

Journal: Biochar

Nano-biochar uses pH and superoxide radicals to transform toxic silver ions in water

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Silver ions are widely used in industrial and antimicrobial applications, but their high mobility and toxicity can create serious risks when they enter aquatic environments. A new study published in Biochar shows that nano-biochar can rapidly convert dissolved silver ions into silver nanoparticles under carefully controlled alkaline conditions, revealing a key role for superoxide radicals in the process.

Journal: Biochar

NEW HORIZON PRESS LIMITED strengthens global research connections at ACS Fall 2026

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Meeting Announcement

CHICAGO, August 27, 2026. NEW HORIZON PRESS LIMITED participated as an exhibitor at ACS Fall 2026, held from August 23 to 27 in Chicago, connecting with researchers, scholars, and students from around the world and introducing its academic journals and publishing initiatives to the international scientific community.

Study explores why some AI ads fail while others succeed

University of Mississippi
Peer-Reviewed Publication

When should marketers use artificial intelligence? Researchers recently studied cases where AI-powered ads succeeded and failed to give marketers insights into how to use the emerging technology.

Journal: Journal of Interactive Advertising

$8 million grant sparks ‘XTREME’ project to position Idaho as leader in resilient microelectronics

Boise State University
Grant and Award Announcement

With a new National Science Foundation award of nearly $8 million, Boise State University is charged with growing Idaho’s strategy and capacity around resilient microelectronics for extreme environments. This is the State of Idaho’s first E-RISE award, and it empowers Boise State to help organize a statewide strategy around research, workforce and jurisdictional development.

Media invitation: Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 2026

Europlanet
Meeting Announcement

The Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 2026 will be held in hybrid format at the Amare arts venue in The Hague, Netherlands, and online, from 6–11 September 2026. EPSC2026 covers the full spectrum of planetary research and technology across over 125 scientific sessions, keynotes, debates and community events. Around 1200 planetary scientists from over 40 countries in Europe and around the world are expected to attend the conference.

Meeting: Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 2026

A single fix reverses the case for rolling back vehicle emissions standards

Yale University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

YSE's Kenneth Gillingham and a team of economists find that the EPA has used inconsistent assumptions to justify both tightening and loosening vehicle emissions rules — assumptions that determine whether the rules' benefits outweigh their costs.

Journal: Science