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The way light interacts with naturally occurring materials is well-understood in physics and materials science. But in recent decades, researchers have fabricated metamaterials that interact with light in new ways that go beyond the physical limits imposed on naturally occurring materials.

A metamaterial is composed of arrays of “meta-atoms,” which have been fabricated into desirable structures on the scale of about a hundred nanometers. The structure of arrays of meta-atoms facilitate precise light-matter interactions. However, the large size of meta-atoms relative to regular atoms, which are smaller than a nanometer, has limited the performance of metamaterials for practical applications.

Now, a collaborative research team led by Bo Zhen of the University of Pennsylvania has unveiled a new approach that directly engineers atomic structures of material by stacking the two-dimensional arrays in spiral formations to tap into novel light-matter interaction. This approach enables metamaterials to overcome the current technical limitations and paves the way for next-generation lasers, imaging, and quantum technologies. Their findings were published in the journal Nature Photonics.

OpenAI’s first DevDay was jam-packed with updates and announcements. But according to CEO Sam Altman, we’ve yet to scratch the AI surface.

Nan Zhong says his hands-off parenting style helped his son, Stanley Zhong, become a high-achieving student and Google software engineer at age 18. Here’s why.

The B-21 Raider took its first test flight on Friday, moving the futuristic warplane closer to becoming the nation’s next nuclear weapons stealth bomber.

The Raider flew in Palmdale, California, where it has been under testing and development by Northrop Grumman.

The Air Force is planning to build 100 of the warplanes, which have a flying wing shape much like their predecessor the B-2 Spirit but will incorporate advanced materials, propulsion and stealth technology to make them more survivable in a future conflict. The plane is planned to be produced in variants with and without pilots.

A team of researchers from the Italian Institute of Technology has created the first-ever rechargeable edible battery made out of gold foil, nori seaweed, and beeswax. A charger you can eat? Sounds good to us.

The Italian Institute of Technology has really brought innovation to the table at the Maker Faire in Rome. The team of researchers has created the first-ever rechargeable edible battery made out of gold foil, nori seaweed, and beeswax.

Continue reading “Edible electronics: The future of sustainable devices is in your food” »

There are examples of this type of design all over the city, some by private companies, and others by the city itself.

Ruby’s saga — ryan james carr // working for the man — aesyme.

Continue reading “‘Hostile Architecture’ has many purposes, but should it be used against NYC’s most vulnerable?” »

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Study investigates how maternal metabolic conditions like pregestational diabetes, gestational diabetes, and obesity mediate the risk of neurodevelopmental conditions in children. It highlights the significant role of obstetric and neonatal complications in this relationship, emphasizing the need for managing these complications to mitigate children’s risk of developing conditions like ADHD and autism.

You requested a video exploring the future of medical records, and your wish is our command!

We’re aware that administrative tasks are often the bane of a physician’s work, contributing significantly to burnout. So, let’s embark on a journey together to discover how the future might unfold, and whether artificial intelligence has the potential to lighten this heavy burden.

It started with a simple experiment that was all the rage in the early 20^th century. And as is usually the case, simple experiments often go on to change the world, leading Einstein himself to open the revolutionary door to the quantum world.

Here’s the setup. You take a piece of metal. You shine a light on it. You wait for the electrons in the metal to get enough energy from the light that they pop off the surface and go flying out. You point some electron-detector at the metal to measure the number and energy of the electrons.

Continue reading “How Einstein Unlocked the Quantum Universe and Created the Photon” »