For the problem of finding ground-state energy of a local Hamiltonian, new complexity results help to bring more clarity to the boundary of quantum advantage.

Innovation in maritime propulsion has reached a significant milestone with the development of a revolutionary technology inspired by one of the ocean’s most elegant creatures. Swiss engineering giant ABB has successfully tested its biomimetic propulsion system that replicates the graceful swimming motion of whales, potentially transforming how vessels navigate our seas.

Biomimetic innovation transforms maritime propulsion

The marine industry stands at the threshold of a major breakthrough with ABB’s latest innovation. The ABB Dynafin propulsion system draws inspiration from the efficient swimming techniques of cetaceans, creating a mechanism that could significantly reduce energy consumption across various vessel types. This technology comes at a crucial time as detailed ocean mapping reveals new underwater features that challenge traditional navigation methods.

Astronomers may have uncovered a hidden population of galaxies that could rewrite what we know about the universe’s evolution.

These faint, dusty galaxies were discovered using the deepest far-infrared image ever created, thanks to data from the Herschel Space Observatory. Their collective light might explain a long-standing mystery about the universe’s energy output in the infrared spectrum. If confirmed, these galaxies would challenge current galaxy evolution models and reveal a previously unseen side of the cosmos—one shrouded in dust and only visible in longer wavelengths of light.

Unveiling hidden galaxies in the early universe.

Generation of hydrogen (H₂) by means of photocatalysis has been at the forefront of research since the 1970s because it can potentially fulfill the demand for this green fuel by employing abundant solar light as the only energy source. It encompasses mainly two approaches: overall water splitting and selective dehydrogenation of organic compounds.

Industrial farming practices often deplete the soil of important nutrients and minerals, leaving farmers to rely on artificial fertilizers to support plant growth. In fact, fertilizer use has more than quadrupled since the 1960s, but this comes with serious consequences. Fertilizer production consumes massive amounts of energy, and its use pollutes the water, air, and land.

Plant biologists at the Salk Institute are proposing a new solution to help kick this unsustainable fertilizer habit.

In a new study, the researchers identified a key molecule produced by plant roots, a small peptide called CLE16, that encourages plants and beneficial soil fungi to interact with each other. They say boosting this symbiotic relationship, in which the fungi provide mineral nutrients to the plants through CLE16 supplementation, could be a more natural and sustainable way to encourage crop growth without the use of harmful artificial fertilizers.

Si-based all-solid-state batteries face application challenges due to the requirement of high external pressure. Here, authors prepare a double-layered Si-based electrode by cold-pressing and electrochemical sintering that enables all-solid-state batteries operating free from external pressure.

Scientists from South Korea have advanced lithium-ion battery technology through nanotechnology and a new hybrid composite material.

Ukrainian startup SorbiForce said they’ve created the world’s first sustainable battery using four key ingredients: carbon, water, salt and agricultural waste.

“With the current way energy storage systems and batteries are designed, they have really big sustainability implications for the planet,” Kevin Drolet, SorbiForce’s CMO, told pv magazine USA. He explained that material scientist Serhii Kaminskyi, SorbiForce’s CEO and co-founder, had long been bothered by those environmental ramifications.

Kaminskyi pulled together a team of experts in the late 2010s to work on solving the problem. This ultimately landed them a spot in the University of Arizona Center for Innovation startup incubator following the start of the Russia-Ukraine war through the U.S. Department of State’s Global Innovation through Science and Technology initiative.

SorbiForce, a Ukrainian energy storage company now in Arizona, has developed metal-free organic batteries made entirely from agricultural waste.

Type One Energy just published a study outlining the first practical fusion power plant.

A novel paper led by Dr. Ulrich Brose of the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Friedrich Schiller University Jena is widening the understanding of how species interact within ecosystems via the so-called “Internet of Nature.”

Published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, the paper reveals that species not only exchange matter and energy but also share vital information that influences behavior, interactions, and ecosystem dynamics—revealing previously hidden characteristics of natural ecosystems.

Traditionally, ecological studies have concentrated on material interactions, such as feeding, pollination, and seed dispersal. However, this new paper shines a light on the essential role of information exchange between species.