Nature-inspired computers are shockingly good at math
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 3-Apr-2026 10:15 ET (3-Apr-2026 14:15 GMT/UTC)
A collaborative team led by Yougang Ke and Linzhou Zeng from Hunan Institute of Science and Technology and Xinxing Zhou from Hunan Normal University has proposed and constructed a reconfigurable optical computing platform based on a double-layer liquid crystal structure, with mechanical degrees of freedom as its core control mechanism. This work establishes a novel paradigm for multifunctional and switchable all-optical image processing, advancing the development of highly compact, low-power-consumption intelligent optical systems. It holds significant application potential in fields such as autonomous driving vision, biomedical imaging, augmented reality, and next-generation computer vision.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) launched a remote sensing experiment to sharpen artificial intelligence (AI) applications in hyperspectral imaging across the Department of the Navy and broader scientific community.
A review of more than 1,000 studies suggests that using technology to communicate with others is better than nothing – but still not as good as face-to-face interactions. Researchers found that people are less engaged and don’t have the same positive emotional responses when they use technology, like video calls or texting, to connect with others, compared to when they meet in person.
When oily plastic and glass, as well as rubber, washed onto Florida beaches in 2020, a community group shared the mystery online, attracting scientists’ attention. Working together, they linked the black residue-coated debris to a 2019 oil slick along Brazil’s coastline. Using ocean current models and chemical analysis, the team explains in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology how some of the oily material managed to travel over 5,200 miles (8,500 kilometers) by clinging to debris.