New research found that the century-old yardstick used across many industries to estimate air-conditioning and refrigeration energy demand — called cooling degree days — is missing something fundamental. The study reports a new, physics-based version of the metric — effective cooling degree days — that captures how temperature and humidity together impact the actual work a cooling system is required to do. Applying it across North America, they found that cooling efficiency has been quietly declining by 2–4% per decade since 1971, and that the old temperature-only metric misjudges how much cooling is required in different regions, overstating demand in some places and understating it in others.

Two Rice University research teams have received Phase I awards through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission, a national initiative harnessing artificial intelligence and advanced computing to accelerate scientific discovery. The projects, led by computer scientist Anastasios Kyrillidis and bioscientist Caroline Ajo-Franklin, will explore how AI can overcome fundamental challenges in quantum computing and help engineer microbes to sustainably produce strategically important fuels, chemicals and materials.

RMIT University researchers developed a water treatment material that rapidly removes micro‑ and nano‑plastics and some PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), bringing the technology closer to real‑world use.

The invention builds on the team’s 2022 breakthrough in microplastics removal, extending performance to much smaller particles and more complex wastewater.

Microplastics are an increasing global concern, with growing evidence of their presence in water systems.

The researchers say the ability to remove micro‑ and nano‑plastics under practical conditions sets this work apart.