ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• Scientists sketch aged star system using over a century of observations
• Astronomers have detected a moving supermassive black hole
• Controlled by light alone, new smart materials twist, bend and move
• Experts recreate a mechanical Cosmos for the world's first computer
• Unique Ag-hydrogel composite for soft bioelectronics created
• Polarization: From better sunglasses to a better way of looking at asteroid surfaces
• Contactless high performance power transmission
• 47 million year old fly found with a full belly
• Robots learn faster with quantum technology
• Large computer language models carry environmental, social risks

Scientists sketch aged star system using over a century of observations Posted: 12 Mar 2021 12:54 PM PST Astronomers have painted their best picture yet of an RV Tauri variable, a rare type of stellar binary where two stars - one approaching the end of its life - orbit within a sprawling disk of dust. Their 130-year dataset spans the widest range of light yet collected for one of these systems, from radio to X-rays.

Astronomers have detected a moving supermassive black hole Posted: 12 Mar 2021 09:13 AM PST Scientists have long theorized that supermassive black holes can wander through space -- but catching them in the act has proven difficult.

Controlled by light alone, new smart materials twist, bend and move Posted: 12 Mar 2021 05:47 AM PST Engineers created light-activated materials that execute precise movements and form complex shapes without the need for wires, motors or other energy sources. The research could lead to smart light-driven systems such as high-efficiency solar cells that automatically follow the sun's direction.

Experts recreate a mechanical Cosmos for the world's first computer Posted: 12 Mar 2021 05:47 AM PST Researchers have solved a major piece of the puzzle that makes up the ancient Greek astronomical calculator known as the Antikythera Mechanism, a hand-powered mechanical device that was used to predict astronomical events.

Unique Ag-hydrogel composite for soft bioelectronics created Posted: 11 Mar 2021 03:59 PM PST Researchers have developed a new silver-hydrogel composite for bioelectronics that combines high electrical conductivity with soft, stretchable biocompatibility.

Polarization: From better sunglasses to a better way of looking at asteroid surfaces Posted: 11 Mar 2021 12:28 PM PST Using the same principles that make polarized sunglasses possible, a team of researchers at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico have developed a technique that will help better defend against asteroids on a collision course with Earth. A new study in The Planetary Science Journal found a better way to interpret radar signals bounced off asteroids' surfaces.

Contactless high performance power transmission Posted: 11 Mar 2021 11:20 AM PST Physicists have developed a coil with superconducting wires capable of transmitting power in the range of more than five kilowatts contactless and with only small losses. The wide field of conceivable applications include autonomous industrial robots, medical equipment, vehicles and even aircraft.

47 million year old fly found with a full belly Posted: 11 Mar 2021 09:34 AM PST Scientists have found a previously unknown fossil fly species in old lake sediments of the Messel Pit, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Germany. In the stomach of the fossil insect, pollen from various plants could be detected, which allows rare insights into the feeding behavior, the ecology and the role of the fly as a pollinator.

Robots learn faster with quantum technology Posted: 11 Mar 2021 09:34 AM PST Artificial intelligence is part of our modern life. A crucial question for practical applications is how fast such intelligent machines can learn. An experiment has answered this question, showing that quantum technology enables a speed-up in the learning process. The physicists have achieved this result by using a quantum processor for single photons as a robot.

Large computer language models carry environmental, social risks Posted: 10 Mar 2021 12:04 PM PST Computer engineers at the world's largest companies and universities are using machines to scan through tomes of written material. The goal? Teach these machines the gift of language. Do that, some even claim, and computers will be able to mimic the human brain. But this impressive compute capability comes with real costs, including perpetuating racism and causing significant environmental damage, according to a new paper, ''On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots: Can Language Models Be Too Big? ?''

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