The advancement of fibre electronics is crucial for developing wearable smart textiles. However, traditional single-function fibres are typically limited to basic sensing and data collection capabilities, lacking effective computational and multimodal signal processing abilities, thus significantly restricting their potential in human activity recognition. Recently, Gupta et al. introduced an innovative single-fibre computer embedding eight microelectronic devices, integrating sensing, communication, and computation into a single fibre. Establishing a distributed cooperative fibre network substantially enhanced human activity recognition accuracy from 67% (single-fibre scenario) to 95%. This novel approach effectively addresses the limitations of conventional smart fibres, paving the way for multi-point sensing, edge-based inference, and real-time human–computer interactions in future intelligent textiles.

Metamaterials with unique properties beyond natural materials are now being advanced through multi-material 4D printing, enabling thermo-, photo-, electro-, and magneto-responsive shape memory polymer composites. New research in IJEM allows for highly programmable, in-situ reconfigurable structures with customizable mechanical functions, encryption-enabled information carriers, and logic gate devices. These innovations pave the way for smart, adaptable manufacturing systems that integrate sensing, actuation, and decision-making in a single structure.

A new method for enhanced oil recovery proposed by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin is showing promising results in modeling studies — producing more oil, storing more carbon, and doing so more safely than conventional enhanced oil recovery methods.

Rapidly melting glaciers are surging water volume in at least 10% of rivers in High Mountain Asia, including large rivers like Yangtze, Amu Darya and Syr Darya, according to a comprehensive new study of the region published today in AGU Advances. In parts of upstream rivers, water flow nearly doubled over the course of a decade. Communities that depend on the rivers for power could benefit from the increase in river power, but additional sediment carried in the water may clog infrastructure.

New research led by the University of Washington provides clear evidence that highly walkable areas lead to significantly more walking. Authors compared the steps per day of 5,424 people who moved one or more times among 1,609 U.S. cities. Across all relocations, when the Walk Score rose or fell more than 48 points, average steps increased or decreased by about 1,100 per day.