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Tech & Engineering

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 2-Jan-2026 23:11 ET (3-Jan-2026 04:11 GMT/UTC)

Researchers test the trustworthiness of AI—by playing sudoku

University of Colorado at Boulder
Reports and Proceedings

A team of computer scientists discovered that some AI large language models can solve sudoku puzzles, but even the best ones struggle to explain how they did it.

Meeting: 63rd Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL 2025)

UNH faculty members secure a record six NSF CAREER awards

University of New Hampshire
Grant and Award Announcement

A record six UNH faculty members have received prestigious Faculty Early Development, or CAREER, awards from the National Science Foundation. CAREER grants are the NSF’s premier awards in support of “early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organizations.”

Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation

Hybrid crystal-glass materials from meteorites transform heat control

Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In research published on July 11 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Simoncelli and his collaborators Nicola Marzari from the Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Lausanne and Francesco Mauri from Sapienza University of Rome predicted the existence of a material with hybrid crystal-glass thermal properties, and a team of experimentalists led by Etienne Balan, Daniele Fournier, and Massimiliano Marangolo from the Sorbonne University in Paris confirmed it with measurements.

Funder: Swiss National Science Foundation, SNSF project

New system dramatically speeds the search for polymer materials

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

MIT researchers developed a fully autonomous platform that can identify, mix, and characterize novel polymer blends until it finds the optimal blend. This system could streamline the design of new composite materials for sustainable biocatalysis, better batteries, cheaper solar panels, and safer drug-delivery materials.

Journal: Matter
Funder: DOE/US Department of Energy, U.S. National Science Foundation, Class of 1947 Career Development Chair

Spotlight on technology to protect older Australians from respiratory infections

Flinders University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Simple technology that harnesses ultraviolet light to ‘zap’ airborne viruses has been shown to significantly lower the number of respiratory infections in aged care facilities, paving the way for smarter infection control. In a world-first trial, commercially-available GUV appliances in aged care facilities reduced rates of viral respiratory infections by more than 12%.

Journal: JAMA Internal Medicine
Funder: Medical Research Future Fund grant

Leaf-inspired design brings bioplastics to the big leagues

Washington University in St. Louis
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have optimized the strength and biodegradability of bioplastics that could replace petroleum based materials

Journal: Nature Communications

New USC haptic technology adds the sense of touch to virtual reality

University of Southern California
Reports and Proceedings

USC scientists have developed a wearable system that enables more natural and emotionally engaging interactions in shared digital spaces, opening new possibilities for remote work, education, health care and beyond.