A group of Rice University students has turned a single semester course project into a peer-reviewed research paper, demonstrating a new way to make high-performance composite materials both stronger and more resistant to catastrophic failure. The study, published in Composites Part B, introduces an architectural approach to improving carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites, materials widely used in aerospace for their strength and light weight but known for their vulnerability to sudden, brittle failure.

Mechanical engineers have designed a more effective and energy-efficient technology for cooling computer chips. Publishing May 7 in the Cell Press journal Cell Reports Physical Science, the researchers used a mathematical algorithm and advanced 3D printing method to produce pure copper cold plates that outperformed conventional cold plates and required less energy to run. If used to cool an entire data center, the technology would contribute only around 1.1% of the data center’s total energy usage compared to more than 30% for conventional air-cooling methods, the researchers estimate. 

A surprising breakthrough in anti-aging research raises hopes of delaying muscle aging and weakness by harnessing the potential of a garlic-derived compound, S-1-propenyl-L-cysteine (S1PC). Researchers identify a key role for S1PC in orchestrating a key inter-organ communication between fat tissue and the hypothalamus in the brain, thus supporting muscle function in aged mice. Elements of this signaling mechanism were also observed in humans, highlighting the potential of S1PC-based anti-aging interventions.

Circularly polarized luminescent materials emitting red to near-infrared light are of interest for technologies such as 3D displays and bioimaging. However, achieving high emission efficiency, stability, and durability simultaneously has remained a challenge. In a recent study, researchers at Kyushu University developed a new series of small luminescent radicals with exceptional photoluminescence efficiency and photostability. Their work demonstrates how a favorable electronic structure, chirality, and light emission can be achieved in a single molecular system.

Combating papermill activity is critical to protecting the integrity of the scientific record. An effective response to papermills — and to upholding research integrity more broadly — requires a multilayered approach.

Passive cooling systems for nuclear power plants operate without pumps or electricity: They rely solely on physical effects such as density differences to dissipate heat. Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have now experimentally investigated such systems for small modular reactors, collecting high-resolution measurement data for the first time. This provides an important basis for developing future generations of reactors.

A research paper by scientists from South China University of Technology designed a fabric-based ultrathin flexible microelectrode array with novel stimulation–inhibition electrode units that reduces current diffusion and improves focusing, improving tactile feedback accuracy and clarity.

The new research paper, published on Apr. 1 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems, proposed a fabric-based microelectrode array (FMA) incorporating a stimulation–inhibition electrode unit structure, aiming to improve the precision of tactile perception, especially for applications in VR environments.

A research paper by scientists from Peking University introduced an octopus-inspired underwater gripper with rapidly tunable stiffness, integrated into an upward transport robot designed for efficient underwater object manipulation.

The new research paper, published on Mar. 31 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems, unveil a soft robotic gripper that softens in 1.3 seconds and rigidifies in 0.8 seconds, enabling versatile grasping and silent vertical transport in cluttered underwater environments.

A study by TU Graz, financed by the Austrian Road Safety Fund (VSF), shows that women have a 60 per cent higher injury risk in car accidents compared to men. This is especially true for female passengers and older women. The findings suggest that the safety systems and legal test standards should be adjusted.