SUTD researchers have found that older adults are most open to embracing social chatbots that feel authentic and socially engaging but not too human, offering clear lessons for designers of AI companions.

Living organisms constantly adjust their behavior according to what is happening inside their bodies. Hunger can shift attention toward food, while cold can make finding warmth more urgent. These internal signals remain meaningful even when the surrounding environment changes completely.

 

Artificial intelligence generally works differently. Most AI agents pursue objectives defined from the outside, and adapting those objectives or behaviors to changing conditions remains a major challenge.

A research team led by Associate Director WOO Choong-Wan of the Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) and Sungkyunkwan University, Professor HONG Seok Jun of Sungkyunkwan University, and Professor Karl J. FRISTON of University College London has proposed a new framework inspired by the way living organisms monitor and regulate their internal condition.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers conducted a scoping review to identify radiology studies validating commercially available medical AI products and to note reporting trends for sex, age, and ethnic demographic subgroups.

Light olefins, represented by ethylene, are key feedstocks in the petrochemical industry, but traditional production technologies suffer from high energy consumption and carbon emissions. Solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) have emerged as a promising high-temperature electrochemical platform for light alkane upgrading, offering a green and efficient alternative for ethylene production. This review systematically summarizes the research progress, reaction mechanisms, and advanced material systems of SOEC-driven conversion of light alkanes (mainly methane and ethane) to ethylene. SOECs operate at 600–900 °C, enabling precise regulation of oxygen species activity and flux or proton extraction via electrochemical means, thereby overcoming the inherent conversion–selectivity trade-off of conventional thermochemical processes. The technology encompasses two main routes: oxygen-ion-conducting SOECs for the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of ethane and oxidative coupling of methane (OCM), and proton-conducting SOECs for the non-ODH of ethane. Key reaction mechanisms involve the regulation of active oxygen species (e.g., lattice oxygen, peroxide, and superoxide) and proton transfer, while strategies such as in situ exsolution, elemental doping, and surface infiltration effectively enhance catalyst activity and selectivity. Advanced anode materials, including perovskites, metal–oxide heterointerfaces, and composite systems, have demonstrated remarkable performance. Ethane conversion rates of up to 80% with ethylene selectivity exceeding 85% have been achieved, comparable to those of conventional thermocatalytic routes, while highly stable systems capable of long-term operation have also been developed. For methane conversion, OCM technology achieves near-quantitative C₂ selectivity (> 99.5%) at moderate conversions, providing a foundation for further optimization. SOEC technology offers significant advantages such as low-carbon emissions, flexible feedstock adaptability, and compatibility with renewable energy. This review highlights the synergistic integration of material innovation, mechanism understanding, and system optimization in SOEC-driven alkane upgrading, providing a comprehensive reference for the development of low-carbon light olefin production technologies.

Researchers develop a new fabrication method for creating twisted microchannels inside polymer fibers, enabling efficient mixing of minute amounts of liquid. 

Now, in a Nature Communications study published on August 13, 2026, scientists at Scripps Research offer a blueprint for how to stabilize the various versions of influenza’s HA protein and use it to build nanoparticle vaccine candidates. Influenza is the latest target made compatible with the nanoparticle technology, specifically called self-assembling protein nanoparticles (SApNPs), which work by organizing many copies of viral proteins into clusters that the immune system can more easily recognize. This framework could eventually be applied to inform design of next-generation vaccines across diverse flu viruses.

University of Houston researchers are leading a multidisciplinary coalition leveraging artificial intelligence to design and manufacture next-generation permanent magnets, an effort aimed at securing the nation’s domestic supply chain for advanced energy and industrial technologies.