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Lithium metal, chosen for battery anodes due to its superior energy density compared to other materials, is a smart choice. Yet, challenges arise at the interface between the electrode and the electrolyte, presenting opportunities for enhancement to achieve safer and more efficient performance in future applications.

Researchers from Tsinghua University are keen on replacing the graphite anode with a lithium metal anode to construct a battery system with higher energy density. However, the Li metal anode is unstable and readily reacts with electrolytes to form a solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI). Unfortunately, the natural SEI is brittle and fragile, resulting in poor lifespan and performance.

Here, the researchers have looked into a substitute for natural SEI, which could effectively mitigate the side reactions within the battery system. The answer is ASEI: artificial solid electrolyte interphase. ASEI corrects some of the issues plaguing the bare lithium metal anode to make a safer, more reliable, and even more powerful source of power that can be used with more confidence in electric vehicles and other similar applications.

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Broadband internet is so ubiquitous these days that one does not realize its importance until it becomes unavailable. From work to entertainment or staying in touch with family and friends, works on the backbone of high-speed internet delivered through a cable or wirelessly these days.

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, an international team, including astronomer Alexander de la Vega of the University of California, Riverside, has discovered the most distant barred spiral galaxy similar to the Milky Way that has been observed to date.

Until now it was believed that barred spiral galaxies like the Milky Way could not be observed before the universe, estimated to be 13.8 billion years old, reached half of its current age.

The research, published in Nature this week, was led by scientists at the Centro de Astrobiología in Spain.

Russia and China have both recently developed intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of dropping several nuclear bombs at once.

Grok is based on xAI’s proprietary “Grok” model, which Musk claims is one of the best in the market.

So it was eventually coming and now here it is. After initially announcing that Elon Musk’s xAI, an artificial intelligence company will release its new AI product. The company has surprised the AI community by launching its first AI model, named “Grok.” Grok is a chatbot that can converse with users on various topics using xAI’s proprietary “Grok” model. What makes Grok stand out from other language models, such as OpenAI’s GPT and Google’s PaLM, is its ability to access information from X, Musk’s popular social media platform (formerly known as Twitter), in real-time.

Elon Musk/X

Continue reading “Meet Grok: Elon Musk’s new AI chatbot that can access X” »

Understanding the orbital dance of three celestial objects has challenged mathematicians for centuries. Now, the game has changed.

Undeterred after three decades of looking, and with some assistance from a supercomputer, mathematicians have finally discovered a new example of a special integer called a Dedekind number.

Only the ninth of its kind, or D, it is calculated to equal 286 386 577 668 298 411 128 469 151 667 598 498 812 366, if you’re updating your own records. This 42 digit monster follows the 23-digit D discovered in 1991.

Grasping the concept of a Dedekind number is difficult for non-mathematicians, let alone working it out. In fact, the calculations involved are so complex and involve such huge numbers, it wasn’t certain that D would ever be discovered.

Engineers have combined the AI model powering ChatGPT with a humanoid bust to create a robot receptionist for the UK National Robotarium, a center for robotics and AI.

“We are exploring how to use and further develop the recent AI advances in LLMs to create more useful, usable, and compelling systems for collaboration between humans, robots, and AI systems in general,” researcher Oliver Lemon told Tech Xplore.

Continue reading “First-of-its-kind robot receptionist is like ChatGPT with a face” »

A dead star is still emitting powerful flares of blue light — a fascinating discovery offering a glimpse into a rare type of star death.