Newswise: SciNews

Zero-Power Hydrogen Alarm: New Switch Wakes Up Only When Gas Leaks

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Mon, 25 May 2026 10:20:03 EST

A new hydrogen sensor consumes virtually no power until the moment it detects a leak, overcoming a fundamental inefficiency of conventional monitoring systems. While hydrogen offers a clean energy alternative, its colorless, odorless, and highly flammable nature demands continuous surveillance, which drains batteries and increases maintenance.

Chula Students Develop National Platform "PMUC Zero Burn to Earn" to Tackle PM 2.5

Chulalongkorn University — Mon, 25 May 2026 08:55:15 EST

Chulalongkorn University congratulates Mr. Phataradon Akarach, Mr. Ratanon Khamrong, and Mr. Settapun Laoaree, first-year students in the Computer Engineering and Digital Technology (CEDT) program at the Faculty of Engineering's Department of Computer Engineering. The team was selected to develop the national platform "PMUC Zero Burn to Earn," which has since been successfully launched and implemented in real-world applications.

Chula Students Develop Milk Pathogen Test Kit, Win TED Youth Startup Grant

Chulalongkorn University — Mon, 25 May 2026 08:55:07 EST

Inspired by the widely used and user-friendly COVID-19 strip test kits, a team of science students from Chulalongkorn University has developed a test kit for detecting pathogens in milk and dairy products. The team combined the LAMP technique with strip test technology to create a simple screening tool for harmful bacteria that can be easily used by the public.

Trace Lanthanum Unlocks Cleaner Phosphorus Removal

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Mon, 25 May 2026 05:05:49 EST

Excess phosphorus discharge remains a major cause of eutrophication, yet wastewater treatment plants often struggle to meet stricter discharge limits without heavy chemical use. A new study introduces a low-dose, slow-release lanthanum strategy that strengthens the biological engine already operating inside treatment reactors.

AI Learns Which Market Signals to Trust

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Mon, 25 May 2026 05:00:03 EST

A new study presents a neural-network method for building efficient portfolios while keeping the allocation process interpretable. Instead of treating asset correlations as a black box, the model learns how to clean noisy collective market patterns and respects the symmetries of covariance matrices.

A Clearer Path to Cleaner Water

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Mon, 25 May 2026 05:00:01 EST

Ozone-based water treatment is widely used to remove pollutants, odors, color, and pathogens, yet one of its most important chemical engines has remained uncertain: how efficiently ozone reactions generate hydroxyl radicals (*OH), the highly reactive species that drive advanced oxidation.

Mille Lacs Walleye Return to the Same Spawning 'Hotspots,' Highlighting Critical Need for Habitat Protection

Fri, 22 May 2026 18:45:12 EST

Walleye, known as Ogaawag in Ojibwe, are a beloved and culturally important species for recreational anglers and indigenous harvesters alike, and protecting this species is in everyone's best interests. But walleye populations in Mille Lacs Lake have declined over the last several decades, hitting an all-time low in 2016 and showing slight recovery since then.

Bear Breakdown: Mile High and Unseasonably Dry

University of Northern Colorado — Fri, 22 May 2026 18:40:45 EST

Bear Breakdown is an ongoing series where university experts share clear, thoughtful insights on today's most talked-about issues.

Single-QTF Dual-Gas LITES Sensor Using Mixed-Frequency Heterodyne Demodulation

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Fri, 22 May 2026 18:30:11 EST

A Harbin Institute of Technology team proposes a mixed-frequency heterodyne demodulation architecture for dual-gas LITES sensing using a single quartz tuning fork. The sensor achieves low-crosstalk simultaneous detection of methane and acetylene, simplifying system design for cost-effective industrial safety and environmental monitoring.

Online Age Checks Create a Pointless Privacy Risk

Georgia Institute of Technology — Fri, 22 May 2026 17:50:09 EST

New cybersecurity research indicates that one of the world's leading age verification providers collects and shares highly sensitive personal data--including facial photos and device fingerprints--with third parties.

Smarter Simulations for Moving Machines

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Fri, 22 May 2026 09:05:47 EST

Numerical simulation is essential for predicting how complex mechanical systems move, from robots and vehicles to deployable aerospace structures. Yet fast prediction often comes at a cost: traditional numerical methods can be accurate but time-consuming, while pure data-driven neural networks may lose reliability when facing strong nonlinear behavior.

Thai NuRA Project Targets Coastal Pollution in Thailand

Chulalongkorn University — Fri, 22 May 2026 08:55:15 EST

Chulalongkorn University, through Chula Unisearch, in collaboration with Thailand's Pollution Control Department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) via the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA), held an inception workshop to launch the "Thai NuRA" (Nutrient Reduction Action) project under the theme "Seeding a Nutrient Pollution Reduction Strategy for the Coastal Waters of Thailand" on May 7, 2026, at Skyview Hotel Bangkok.

Beyond Black: Research Explores the Feather Color of American Crows -- as Seen by Crows

Binghamton University, State University of New York — Fri, 22 May 2026 08:50:07 EST

Research recently published in the Journal of Avian Biology takes an in-depth look at how crows see each other.

The Fog Is Alive

Arizona State University (ASU) — Fri, 22 May 2026 06:35:00 EST

What if fog isn't just misty air, but a living ecosystem? This question intrigued researcher Thi Thuong Thuong Cao, who found the bacteria floating in tiny fog droplets are alive, growing and -- quite helpfully -- breaking down pollutants in the air.

Accelerating Discovery With AI

Georgia Institute of Technology — Thu, 21 May 2026 22:20:02 EST

New paper teams AI agents with microscopy tools to increase productivity in research processes.

Ocean Acidification Is Ruining Reef Fishes' Social Lives

Adelaide University — Thu, 21 May 2026 21:35:30 EST

A new study from Adelaide University has found that when ocean acidification makes reef habitat less complex, the fish living there gather in smaller shoals that offer less social protection.

Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission Announces More Than $12.6 Million in Awards to Advance Regenerative Medicine and Opens Applications for Next Funding Cycle

Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission — Thu, 21 May 2026 19:35:53 EST

The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission ("Commission") announced 38 new awards totaling $12,665,189 through the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund ("MSCRF" or the "Fund") to support cutting-edge stem cell and regenerative medicine research, technology development and commercialization across Maryland. MSCRF is an independent program within TEDCO.

When Neighborhoods Burn, the Smoke Carries More Than Soot

Rutgers University-New Brunswick — Thu, 21 May 2026 19:25:17 EST

A Rutgers-led study suggests standard air-quality readings may miss hazardous chemicals from fires that burn homes, cars and infrastructure.

La Nebulosa Bola de Cristal revela la luz emitida por una estrella moribunda de hace 1.500 anos

NSF's NOIRLab — Thu, 21 May 2026 19:15:58 EST

El telescopio Gemini Norte, de 8,1 metros y ubicado en la cima del Maunakea, en Hawai'i, capto a NGC 1514 --mas conocida como la Nebulosa Bola de Cristal-- con un nivel de detalle impresionante. Esta nebulosa, envuelta en un fascinante resplandor gaseoso, guarda pistas de una muerte estelar pasada, mientras que su envoltura asimetrica continua siendo moldeada por el sistema de estrellas binarias situado en su centro.

Gaze into the Crystal Ball Nebula and See the Light Emitted by a Dying Star 1500 Years Ago

NSF's NOIRLab — Thu, 21 May 2026 19:15:25 EST

The 8.1-meter Gemini North telescope, located on the summit of Maunakea in Hawai'i, has captured NGC 1514, nicknamed the Crystal Ball Nebula, in awe-inspiring detail. This nebula, with its mesmerizing glow of gas, harbors hints of a past stellar death, and its asymmetrical shell is now being shaped by the pair of binary stars that lie at its center.

UAH Researchers Find New Method to "Weigh" Neighboring Galaxies Using Pulsars as Ultra-Precise Gravitational Probes

University of Alabama Huntsville — Thu, 21 May 2026 19:00:37 EST

Researchers at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, have identified a promising new method for measuring the mass of galaxies orbiting the Milky Way by using pulsars, some of the universe's most precise natural clocks, to detect tiny gravitational effects across our galaxy.

Argonne and University of Illinois Chicago Launch New AI-Driven Research Collaborations

Argonne National Laboratory — Thu, 21 May 2026 18:30:34 EST

Argonne National Laboratory and University of Illinois Chicago have launched three new AI-driven research collaborations through the George Crabtree Institute for Discovery, advancing work in neuroscience, water quality and surgical innovation.

UAlbany Experts Available to Discuss Quantum Computing Following Landmark Federal Investments

University at Albany, State University of New York — Thu, 21 May 2026 18:20:56 EST

Complexity Isn't Subjective. The Right Amount Results in New Material Properties

University of Michigan — Thu, 21 May 2026 18:10:47 EST

Complexity may seem subjective, but a quantitative measure of the complexity of nanomaterials was recently developed by a team of researchers from the University of Michigan Engineering, the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

DUNE Will Use Liquid-Argon Time Projection Chamber Technology Both Near and Far

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) — Thu, 21 May 2026 18:00:37 EST

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment's innovative hybrid near detector will be a game changer. An active prototyping program over the last few years has been refining and validating the design of this smaller detector's key element, a liquid-argon time projection chamber, and the data analysis tools and methods that go with it.