Plastic Polymer Cables That Rival Fiber Optics
MIT scientists demonstrate a hair-like plastic polymer cable that can transmit data 10 times as fast as USB How fast does data flow? The answer: not fast enough. The search for more efficient data-transfer solutions to meet the ever-increasing.....»»
CenturyLink left customers without Internet for 39 days—until Ars stepped in
After over a month with no fix, service restored hours after Ars contacted ISP. Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images) When a severe winter storm hit Oregon on January 13, Nicholas Brown's CenturyLink fiber Inter.....»»
Could fiber optic cable help scientists probe the deep layers of the moon?
An increasing number of seismologists are using fiber optic cables to detect seismic waves on Earth—but how would this technology fare on the moon, and what would it tell us about the deep layers of our nearest neighbor in space?.....»»
Printing the future: Tailoring chemistry for inorganic 3D micro-optics
In a recent publication in the journal Trends in Chemistry, researchers from the University of Twente delve into the potential of 3D printing ceramics in micro-optics. These tiny ceramic structures can potentially be used to generate light and store.....»»
Microsoft partners with OpenAI-rival Mistral for AI models, drawing EU scrutiny
15M euro investment comes as Microsoft hosts Mistral's GPT-4 alternatives on Azure. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) On Monday, Microsoft announced plans to offer AI models from Mistral through its Azure cloud computing pl.....»»
Microsoft faces scrutiny from EU after partnership with OpenAI rival Mistral
15M euro investment comes as Microsoft hosts Mistral's GPT-4 alternatives on Azure. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) On Monday, Microsoft announced plans to offer AI models from Mistral through its Azure cloud computing pl.....»»
Plastic pellets blight Belgian town as EU weighs action
Buried in the soil, dotting riverbanks and bobbing along streams: a small Belgian town has waged a years-long fight against creeping pollution from plastic pellets—which the EU now has in its sights......»»
Argentina authorizes Starlink, rival Amazon Kuiper
Argentina on Monday gave authorization for the deployment of Starlink, the satellite internet service of Elon Musk—a fan of the South American country's self-styled new "anarcho-capitalist" President Javier Milei......»»
BYD’s new $233,450 EV supercar to rival Ferrari, Lamborghini
BYD Co. debuted its most expensive car on Sunday, a 1.68 million yuan ($233,450) high-performance electric supercar pitted against gas-guzzlers rivals such as Ferrari NV and Lamborghini offer......»»
Research into marine plastic pollution reveals bacterial enzymes actively degrading plastic
A new study led by researchers at the University of Stirling has uncovered the crucial roles of bacteria living on plastic debris. The research also identifies rare and understudied bacteria that could assist in plastic biodegradation, offering new i.....»»
A bug briefly makes Apple"s own App Store less convenient in EU [u]
In a bug in the iOS 17.4 beta, EU users face an extra security step when buying from Apple's App Store, to give them the same hurdle facing those who buy from the new rival stores.App Store iconFifteen years after the App Store first opened, users in.....»»
Apple makes its own App Store less convenient in EU
EU users will face an extra security step when buying from Apple's App Store, to give them the same hurdle facing those who buy from the new rival stores.App Store iconFifteen years after the App Store first opened, users in the European Union are go.....»»
Polymer-based tunable optical components allow for metasurfaces that can switched with light
A material coating, whose light refraction properties can be precisely switched between different states, has been developed by an interdisciplinary research team from the Chemistry and Physics departments at the University of Jena. The team, led by.....»»
California faces an uphill battle against plastic
Given its green bona fides, it's no surprise that California was the first state in the nation to ban single-use plastic bags 10 years ago. Many were hopeful that would make a dent in the plastic pollution crisis, one canvas tote bag at a time. But i.....»»
A New Startup Wants to Turn the Sugar You Eat Into Fiber
Americans eat too much sugar. Food tech company Zya is developing a substance to add to sweet foods that can convert some of that sugar into fiber in the digestive system......»»
Polymer science team develops additive that can "upcycle" a wide range of plastics
One doesn't need to be reminded that plastic production, and plastic pollution, have steadily increased over the years—the evidence is all around us. What if we were able to recycle plastic in a way that is truly sustainable?.....»»
Study: Replacing plastics with biodegradable alternatives would lead to significant carbon emissions reduction
Plastic pollution and its impact on the environment have become critical global issues in recent years. In response, the research teams have conducted a study to evaluate the carbon emissions associated with both traditional plastic products and biod.....»»
VPNVax: Crafting enhanced viral structure in vaccines through polymer restructuring
Generally speaking, the higher the degree of information restoration of a vaccine to a virus, the greater its potential efficacy. The virus itself is the most authentic vaccine, such as the varicella-zoster virus, which provides lifelong immunity aft.....»»
Coordination polymer crystals show promise as new generation of light sources for industry, medicine
New forms of the light-emitting materials called phosphors, with enhanced versatility relative to existing options, are being developed by researchers at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) in Japan, with colleagues at Tokyo Universit.....»»
SpaceX wants to take over a Florida launch pad from rival ULA
SpaceX now plans at least four Starship launch pads, two in Texas and two in Florida. Enlarge / SpaceX's fully-stacked Starship rocket and Super Heavy booster on a launch pad in South Texas. (credit: SpaceX) One of the l.....»»
Advanced artificial photosynthesis catalyst uses CO₂ more efficiently to create biodegradable plastics
Amid growing global concern over climate change and plastic pollution, researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University are making great strides in the sustainable production of fumaric acid—a component of biodegradable plastics such as polybutylene su.....»»