SMRTR Science & Engineering

Science & Engineering stories

Get hand-picked daily summaries of the best, most informative science and engineering articles from around the web. Browse recent summaries, then jump to the original source when you want the full article.

Latest story• Jun 19, 2025

100 billion tiny ‘seeds’ grow carbon nanotubes to beat heat in small devices

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Rutgers University received a $549,947 grant to study carbon nanotube formation for improved electronics. The team will focus on understanding and controlling the growth of alumina-supported iron nanoparticles, which seed carbon nanotube development. Using advanced microscopy and machine learning, they aim to address heat dissipation and connectivity challenges in...

Read summary Original source

Latest stories

Breakthrough system turns fossil fuels into plastics and medicine using only light

Researchers at Colorado State University created a visible-light method to convert fossil fuels into industrial chemicals, using a photoredox catalyst and two-photon approach to break molecular bonds at room temperature,...

Read summary Original

Mathematicians discover a completely new way to find prime numbers

Mathematicians have discovered a new approach to identifying prime numbers using integer partitions. This method offers infinite new criteria for determining primes, beyond traditional factoring techniques. The breakthrough,...

Read summary Original

Researchers develop low-carbon cement recipes 1,000 times faster with AI

AI-powered method developed by researchers combines neural networks and genetic algorithms to rapidly create and optimize low-carbon cement recipes, potentially reducing CO2 emissions from cement production while maintaining...

Read summary Original

Super magnet reveals nuclear fission secrets by testing 100 exotic atomic nuclei

Nuclear fission research on 100 exotic nuclei reveals surprising insights. Scientists at Chalmers University found that a specific number of protons (36) in the lighter fragment causes asymmetry in fission products. This...

Read summary Original

From spin glasses to quantum codes: Researchers develop optimal error correction algorithm

Scientists developed PLANAR, an exact algorithm for quantum error correction, achieving a 25% reduction in logical error rates when applied to Google's experimental data. This breakthrough revealed that a quarter of what was...

Read summary Original

SMRTR Science & Engineering

Get the next batch of curated stories in your inbox.

This archive is built from SMRTR newsletter stories. Subscribe for hand-picked stories without the extra noise.

More recent stories

Bill Gates-backed US nuclear energy firm gets Nvidia backing to electrify data centers

TerraPower, founded by Bill Gates, has secured a $650 million investment from Nvidia and others to develop advanced small modular reactors, addressing growing energy demands of data centers, especially for AI applications. The...

Read summary Original

Every fusion startup that has raised over $100M

Fusion power has advanced from a distant dream to a tangible technology attracting significant investment. Recent breakthroughs in computing, AI, and superconducting magnets have led to improved reactor designs and control...

Read summary Original

Lithium salt unleashes 93% retention breakthrough in sodium-ion battery tech

Adding lithium salt to sodium-ion battery electrolytes enhanced performance, with modified batteries retaining 92.7% capacity after 400 cycles, addressing cycle stability and capacity fade issues for potential large-scale energy...

Read summary Original

Starship rocket explodes in setback to Musk's Mars mission

SpaceX's Starship exploded during test preparations in Texas, caused by a failed nitrogen storage unit, showcasing the ongoing challenges in developing Elon Musk's ambitious Mars rocket program.

Read summary Original

Texas Instruments unveils $60 billion 'historic' plan to expand US chipmaking

Texas Instruments will invest over $60 billion to expand US semiconductor manufacturing, creating 60,000 jobs across seven plants in Texas and Utah. Focused on 300-millimeter analog and embedded processing chips, the initiative...

Read summary Original

Nuclear-powered submarines could soon start transporting gas via Arctic for Russia

Beneath the icy waters of the Arctic, a nuclear-powered revolution in gas transport is brewing. Russia is developing LNG-carrying submarines equipped with Rhythm-200 reactors to navigate the Northern Sea Route. These underwater...

Read summary Original

Indonesia's Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano erupts twice in 2 days, unleashing 6-mile-high ash cloud

Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in Indonesia erupted twice, spewing ash 6 miles high, causing evacuations, flight disruptions, and prompting officials to raise the alert level and deploy emergency teams to affected areas.

Read summary Original

World’s first twice-a-year HIV prevention shot approved by FDA after 99.9% success

The FDA has approved Yeztugo, the world's first twice-yearly HIV prevention shot developed by Gilead Sciences. This injectable PrEP medication showed 99.9% effectiveness in clinical trials, potentially transforming HIV prevention...

Read summary Original

Satellite coated in ultra-dark 'Vantablack' paint will launch into space next year to help combat major issue

The Jovian-1 cubesat, launching in 2026, will test if Vantablack coating can reduce reflections from satellite megaconstellations, which are increasingly disrupting astronomical observations due to light pollution.

Read summary Original

New gallium nitride chip breakthrough from US labs promises cheaper, stronger radars

GaN transistors can now be integrated onto silicon chips using a new method, making them more accessible and cost-effective, which could improve electronic devices like smartphone power amplifiers and impact various commercial...

Read summary Original

Bizarre radio signals that defy physics detected under Antarctica: 'It's one of these long-standing mysteries'

Scientists detected mysterious radio pulses from beneath Antarctica's ice that defy physics. The signals, coming from 30 degrees below the surface, seem to have passed through thousands of miles of rock without being absorbed....

Read summary Original

Scientists harness vacuum fluctuations to engineer quantum materials

Researchers have developed a new optical cavity design that selectively enhances quantum vacuum fluctuations of circularly polarized light in one direction, achieving chirality without strong magnetic fields. The team used...

Read summary Original

Mysterious Link between Earth’s Magnetism and Oxygen Baffles Scientists

A recent study uncovered a surprising correlation between Earth's magnetic field strength and atmospheric oxygen levels over the past 540 million years. Both measures have increased together, with major fluctuations occurring...

Read summary Original

Mini MARVEL: First US nuclear reactor in 50 years targets remote power and heat

The US Department of Energy's MARVEL project, a microreactor test bed, nears completion of its final design phase. This 85-kWth/20-kWe sodium-potassium cooled reactor at Idaho National Laboratory will allow integrated testing of...

Read summary Original

Color-changing skins inspired by squids created for robots to react without wires, screens

Researchers created stretchable synthetic skins that change color without electricity, mimicking sea creatures' chromatophores, potentially enabling flexible sensors and displays for robotics, interfaces, and underwater use.

Read summary Original

Next-gen robots get brain-like navigation to run for days using 90% less power

QUT researchers developed LENS, a revolutionary robot navigation system inspired by the human brain. Using neuromorphic computing and event cameras, it processes visual information efficiently, operating on less than 10% of the...

Read summary Original

US surgeons perform first full robotic heart transplant without chest incision

Surgeons at Houston's Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center conducted the first U.S. fully robotic heart transplant, replacing a failing heart without opening the chest. The procedure on a 45-year-old man with advanced heart failure...

Read summary Original

US scientists build new chip to power quantum computers, help in dark matter search

Researchers at MIT have developed a superconducting diode-based rectifier for efficient power delivery in ultra-cold quantum systems. This innovation converts AC to DC on a single chip, reducing wiring and electromagnetic noise...

Read summary Original

Back to all archives Load more stories