Year: 2025

In a groundbreaking development, researchers in China have engineered a cement-based material that doesn’t just provide structural support—it can also generate and store electricity. This innovation, developed by a team led by Professor Zhou Yang at Southeast University, could pave the way for self-powered infrastructure in the smart cities of tomorrow.

The new material is a cement-hydrogel composite inspired by the internal structure of plant stems. This bioinspired design allows the material to capture thermal energy and convert it into electricity using the ionic thermoelectric effect. In terms of performance, it sets a new benchmark: the composite boasts a Seebeck coefficient of −40.5 mV/K and a figure of merit (ZT) of 6.6×10⁻²—approximately ten and six times higher, respectively, than previous cement-based thermoelectric materials.

Like many mothers and daughters, Amy and Emily Dawson once filled their phone calls with everything from life’s biggest moments to the everyday details. But now, Amy speaks to Emily through a phone that isn’t connected to any line. After Emily passed away from a terminal illness in 2020 at the age of 25, Amy found solace in creating a “wind phone”—a quiet place where words float into the air, carried by the breeze to someone who can no longer answer.

The idea behind the wind phone isn’t new. For millennia, people have imagined the wind as a messenger. In ancient Greece, the god Zephyrus used it to communicate. In Christianity, the Holy Spirit moves through it. But the modern wind phone offers something tangible—an actual phone to hold and speak into, helping mourners process grief in a personal and symbolic way.

The humanoid robotics revolution is fast approaching. Across the globe, test models are already working side-by-side with humans in factories, while AI companies race to develop advanced foundation models that enable robots to perceive and interact with the world as naturally as people do. But while much attention is focused on the artificial intelligence driving these machines, their physical forms—the “bodies” that make movement possible—are just as critical.

At the core of these robotic bodies are mechanical components like motors, gears, bearings, and screws. Among them, screws play a vital role by converting the rotational energy of motors into the linear motion humanoids need to walk, lift, or perform delicate tasks. Traditionally, ball screws—which use a circulating track of small balls between a threaded shaft and nut—have been the standard. But that’s starting to change.

Chinese researchers have created a groundbreaking new material derived from moss that could significantly improve how we manage oil spills. A team from Guizhou Education University has modified sphagnum moss to absorb oil effectively while repelling water—offering a powerful new tool in environmental protection.

Oil spills, often caused by damaged oil rigs or burst pipelines, can devastate marine ecosystems and pose serious health risks to humans. Cleanup efforts can stretch over months or even years, underscoring the need for fast, efficient, and sustainable solutions.

Despite decades of research, the process of plant seed formation continues to surprise scientists. In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers from Nagoya University in Japan have identified an entirely new plant tissue—something that has remained undetected for over 160 years.

This newly discovered tissue, which resembles the shape of a rabbit, is the first of its kind to be identified since the mid-19th century. It plays a critical role in seed development, particularly in the transfer of nutrients after fertilization. At the center of this discovery is a structure now called the Kasahara Gateway, a crucial mechanism that regulates nutrient flow to the developing seed.

Tiny robots face two major hurdles: limited energy and navigating terrain that dwarfs their size. While walking robots perform well on smooth, flat surfaces, they stumble on rough ground. On the other hand, flying robots easily clear obstacles but burn through power quickly just to stay airborne.

Now, researchers at MIT have designed a new kind of robot that combines the best of both worlds—a miniature hopping robot that can traverse challenging environments with agility, stability, and exceptional energy efficiency.