Author - Ana Kiesse Zeleme

A New Robotic System Evaluates Post-Stroke Mobility

Credit: Harvard GazetteStroke stands as a major contributor to long-term disability on a global scale. Annually, over 15 million individuals worldwide suffer strokes, with three-quarters of survivors encountering arm and hand impairments, weakness, or paralysis.Post-stroke, many rely predominantly on their stronger arm for everyday activities, even when their weaker arm could regain function. This...

Life Expectancy for Men in the US is Six Years Lower than for Women

Credit: NerwsnationNew research from UC San Francisco and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health highlights a widening gender gap in life expectancy in the United States. This trend, present for over a decade, grew notably due to factors like the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid crisis.Published in JAMA Internal Medicine on November...

Use of Cosmetic Ingredients for Battery Protection

Credit: UnsplashShielding Batteries with Cosmetics. Xanthan gum, sourced from plants like cabbage and renowned for its carbohydrate makeup, traditionally acts as a natural barrier in beauty products. In a recent innovation, this substance has been repurposed to create a protective layer for battery electrodes, deviating from its typical skincare application.Shielding Batteries with Cosmetics: a...

Low-Carbon Footprint Ammonia for Eco-Friendly Fertilizers

Credit: Yale E360Researchers at UNSW Sydney, alongside collaborators, have pioneered an eco-friendly technique enabling ammonia production directly on farms, revolutionizing the traditional high-energy methods.The innovation, highlighted in a recent Applied Catalysis B: Environmental publication, drastically improves energy efficiency, scaling up green ammonia synthesis at an industrial level.Formerly reliant on energy-intensive processes contributing significantly...

Dispelling the Mirage of Comprehension: MIT Reveals the Fallacy of AI’s Formal Specifications

MIT Lincoln Laboratory discovered that while formal specifications provide mathematical accuracy, they don't guarantee human comprehensibility. Participants faced challenges in confirming AI behaviors based on these specifications, exposing a gap between theoretical claims and practical interpretation. The study emphasizes the necessity for realistic evaluations of AI's interpretability.Despite high hopes, formal specifications don’t seem to...

Minimizing Food Waste in Europe Leads to Significant Environmental Footprint Reduction

Crédit: Science KURecent research indicates that European food consumption relies heavily on global resources, primarily imported from non-European countries. The food supply chain, starting from the primary agricultural sector, experiences food loss and waste until it reaches European consumers.Marianne Thomsen, a professor of sustainable food systems at the University of Copenhagen, suggests that halving...

Addressing the Climate Crisis Through Diet

Credit: mediumAgriculture proves to be one of the most challenging human activities to reduce carbon emissions, as it is an essential part of life, yet the land-use practices connected to crop cultivation contribute to approximately 25% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists from the University of California, Irvine, and other research institutions are...

Global Temperature Approaches 1.5°C Threshold

Land drought. Credit: Unsplash.The pace of climate change is increasing, and the global temperature is expected to surpass the 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) warming limit in the coming decade, as indicated by a study published recently.This research, which includes contributions from scientists at NASA and Columbia University, highlights the growing urgency of...

Unforeseen Actions in Active Particles

In the particles examined, the shape of the cluster depends on how strongly the orientation of the particles influences their propulsion speed. Credit: Physical Review Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.168203Physicists have demonstrated that the reliance of active particles' propulsion speed on their orientation leads to the formation of clusters in various shapes within multi-particle systems. This discovery...

Quantum Light’s Perception of Quantum Sound

Credit: azoquantum.comResearchers at the University of East Anglia have proposed a novel method for using quantum light to observe quantum sound. Their recent publication explores the quantum interaction between light particles (photons) and molecular vibrations. This discovery could deepen our understanding of molecular-level light-matter interactions and their relevance in applications, from quantum technologies to...