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Nature has spent millions of years perfecting vision. From the round pupils of humans to the slit-shaped eyes of cats and the panoramic vision of sheep, every eye has evolved to solve a specific environmental challenge. Inspired by this extraordinary diversity, scientists are now building artificial vision systems that do more than just “see.” They sense, adapt, and respond—much like living eyes. In a groundbreaking development, a research team from the University of North Carolina , led by Kun Liang , has introduced a bioinspired artificial vision system that can dynamically change its pupil shape and behavior. This innovation brings machines one step closer to human- and animal-like visual intelligence. Why Animal Eyes Matter in Artificial Vision Evolution has produced a wide range of eye designs, each suited to different environments: Human eyes use round pupils to balance clarity and light control. Cats have vertical slit pupils that improve depth perception and hunting ability ...

Artificial muscles are no longer science fiction. They are already helping soft robots move, wearable devices assist human motion, and future machines interact safely with people. Among the most promising technologies in this field are dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) —soft, rubber-like materials that move when electricity is applied. DEAs can stretch, contract, bend, or twist, just like real muscles. They are lightweight, fast, and capable of producing large movements. However, one major problem has slowed their real-world use: they usually need very high voltages—often thousands of volts—to work . This makes them unsafe, bulky, and unsuitable for portable or wearable systems. Now, researchers from Zhejiang University have made a major breakthrough . They have developed low-voltage, high-output dielectric elastomer actuators (LVHO-DEAs) that deliver powerful performance while operating at much safer voltages. This advance brings artificial muscles much closer to everyday applic...

In astronomy, a shadow is not just darkness. It is a powerful clue about how gravity works near extremely dense objects. When light passes close to a very strong gravitational field, its path bends. Some light escapes, and some gets trapped. To a distant observer, this creates a dark region called a shadow . In recent years, images from the Event Horizon Telescope have shown the shadows of supermassive black holes. These images confirmed many predictions of Einstein’s theory of gravity. But black holes are not the only objects that could cast shadows. Other strange objects, such as traversable wormholes , may also leave visible shadow patterns. In this article, we explain the work of Cheng, Xu, and Zhao. They studied the shadow of a rotating traversable wormhole and found new and surprising features—especially sharp points called cusps . These features could help scientists tell wormholes apart from black holes in the future. What Is a Traversable Wormhole? A wormhole is a theoreti...

Scientists have taken a major step toward understanding how the human brain works—without ever opening a human skull. A new shape-conforming 3D bioelectronic mesh can now wrap around lab-grown mini brains and record 91% of their electrical activity , something that was impossible until now. This breakthrough solves one of the biggest problems in brain organoid research: how to listen to signals from a three-dimensional living brain-like tissue using tools that were designed to be flat. Developed by researchers at Northwestern University and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab , the new device opens the door to deeper insights into brain development, neurological diseases, and drug testing. What Are Mini Brains and Why Do They Matter? Mini brains, formally known as human neural organoids , are tiny brain-like structures grown in laboratories from human stem cells. Though they are only a few millimeters wide, they contain: Living neurons Interconnected neural circuits Brain-like electrical rhyth...

 In a breakthrough that could redefine the future of electronics, a team of Chinese researchers has developed the world’s smallest ferroelectric transistor with a gate just 1 nanometer wide . This revolutionary “nanogate” transistor promises to drastically reduce the energy needed to move data in devices like AI chips, wearables, and edge computing systems. Bridging the Gap Between Memory and Logic Modern electronic devices rely on two main components: logic circuits , which perform calculations, and memory units , which store information. While logic chips operate efficiently at about 0.7 volts, conventional memory devices like NAND flash need 5 volts or more to write data. This mismatch forces chip designers to include extra circuits to step up voltage, which consumes valuable energy and space. Even previous ferroelectric field-effect transistors (FeFETs) , which promised low-power memory, needed over 1.5 volts to operate. In AI chips, this inefficiency is particularly pronounc...

Membranes are an important part of our daily life, even though we rarely see them. They help clean water, store energy, separate chemicals, and power devices like fuel cells and batteries. A membrane is like a smart filter—it allows some things to pass through while blocking others. However, making a membrane that is strong, flexible, durable, and selective at the same time has always been very difficult. Scientists usually have to compromise: if a membrane is very strong, it may not bend well; if it is flexible, it may not last long or resist chemicals. Now, a research team led by Zhuyuan Wang has developed a new and clever method to solve this problem. They used a concept called nanoconfinement , which controls chemical reactions inside extremely tiny spaces. This approach has opened the door to a new generation of high-performance polymer membranes. Why Traditional Membrane Making Has Limits Most polymer membranes are made using bulk-phase reactions . In simple words, this means a...

Building strong structures underwater has always been one of the toughest challenges in construction. Waves, currents, pressure, and limited access make even simple repairs expensive and time-consuming. Now, a groundbreaking innovation from Australia is changing this reality. Researchers have developed the world’s first underwater 3D-printed concrete system that can create stable structures beneath the water—without using chemical accelerators or complex multi-stage mixes. This breakthrough has the potential to reshape offshore wind farms, defense infrastructure, ports, and coastal construction , while also reducing environmental risks. Let’s explore what makes this technology so important and how it could redefine the future of underwater building. A Historic Innovation from Australia The technology was developed through a collaboration between researchers at University of Wollongong and Melbourne-based construction technology company LUYTEN 3D . Together, they created a new way to...