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Unlocking the mysteries of freezing in supercooled water droplets

“X-ray laser studies help researchers identify early steps in the freezing process to better understand how clouds make ice and their effect on climate. Clouds are a lot cooler than you might think. In fact, scientists might say they’re …

Using Pin Multiplexing to Reduce Pin Usage on 8-Bit Microcontrollers

“This post will cover two examples of using multiplexing on General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) pins to reduce a project’s pin usage. The first example uses the technique “Charlieplexing” and the second uses timing peripherals and interrupts to quickly …

A close look at the 8086 processor’s bus hold circuitry

“The Intel 8086 microprocessor (1978) revolutionized computing by founding the x86 architecture that continues to this day. One of the lesser-known features of the 8086 is the “hold” functionality, which allows an external device to temporarily take control of the …

A molecular additive enhances next-gen LEDs – but shortens their lifespans

“By tinkering with the material makeup of perovskite LEDs, a cheaper and more easily-made type of LED, Stanford researchers achieved leaps in brightness and efficiency – but saw their lights give out after a few minutes of use. Chances are, the …

A new type of quantum bit in semiconductor nanostructures

“Researchers have created a quantum superposition state in a semiconductor nanostructure that might serve as a basis for quantum computing. The trick: two optical laser pulses that act as a single terahertz laser pulse. A German-Chinese research team has successfully …

A Non-Covalent Bonding Experience

“Putting a suite of new materials synthesis and characterization methods to the test, a team of scientists from the University of Iowa and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory has developed 14 organic-inorganic hybrid materials …

A simpler method for learning to control a robot

“Researchers develop a machine-learning technique that can efficiently learn to control a robot, leading to better performance with fewer data. Researchers from MIT and Stanford University have devised a new machine-learning approach that could be used to control a robot …

A whole new dimension for 3D printing

“3D printing of complex objects typically takes a long time due to the printing process necessarily laying down a large number of 2D layers to build up the object. The process usually wastes a lot of material required to support …

AI Audio Classifier Recycle Bin

“Recycle Bin that sorts rubbish based on the sound of collision using Edge AI audio classification. According to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in NSW, it is predicted that about 50% of all waste could be recycled …

Aluminum Materials Show Promising Performance for Safer, Cheaper, More Powerful Batteries

“A good battery needs two things: high energy density to power devices, and stability, so it can be safely and reliably recharged thousands of times. For the past three decades, lithium-ion batteries have reigned supreme — proving their performance in smartphones …