What is the message? How strong is the message?
Saturday, September 26, 2026
How America’s Biggest Buffet Chain Golden Corral Cracked the Math of All You Can Eat
Headline of the day!
"To make the economics work for all you can eat meat and potatoes, executives with the Golden Corral buffet chain watch not only what their customers consume, but what they throw away. ..."
Unlocking sulfur's third electron boosts lithium-sulfur battery voltage and capacity
Good news! Sounds almost like very boring research! Like Thomas Alva Edison tested over 6000 different plant materials to find a better filament for the incandescent light bulb.
There were actually three related studies published around the same time.
"... The three studies were led by Distinguished University Professor Chunsheng Wang and received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. Together, they show how controlling reactions and transport at battery interfaces can enable more efficient use of sulfur, silicon and lithium metal. Each design addresses a different failure mechanism while advancing the shared goals of higher energy, faster charging and reliable operation under demanding conditions. ..."
"... Researchers ... recently introduced a new ionic liquid electrolyte that could improve the performance of lithium-sulfur batteries. This electrolyte, ... was found to increase both the voltage and energy storage of lithium-sulfur batteries. ...
As part of their study, the researchers tested various electrolytes with different proportions of lithium salt and an ionic liquid containing chloride. ... then ran computer simulations to model the movement and interactions of atoms and molecules in batteries with these electrolytes. Ultimately, the team identified the best-performing electrolyte and used it to design a lithium-sulfur battery with a different internal chemistry. ..."
From the abstract:
"Rechargeable lithium–sulfur batteries offer a promising route to high-energy storage using abundant sulfur, but their energy density is constrained by low operating voltage, sluggish redox kinetics and polysulfide shuttling.
Raising sulfur to higher oxidation states could increase cell voltage, yet reversible high-valence sulfur chemistry in lithium batteries remains difficult because chloride species bind Li+ and halogen-mediated reactions consume electrolyte. Here we show that a free-chloride-rich ionic liquid electrolyte enables a Li||S2Cl2 chemistry that addresses these limitations by reversibly converting Li2S to S2Cl2 through a three-electron sulfur redox process. The electrolyte functions as an ionic mediator with only a minor capacity contribution.
This chemistry increases the average operating voltage from 2.05 to 2.54 V at 25 °C and 0.2C, raises sulfur-specific capacity by 58% and delivers an electrode-level specific energy above 1,700 Wh kg−1 with cycling over 100 cycles."
University of Maryland Researchers Develop Three Materials Strategies for Higher-Energy Lithium Batteries (original news release 1)
UMD Researchers Develop Strategies for Higher-Energy Lithium Batteries (original news release 2)
New battery chemistry could help lithium-sulfur batteries store more energy (original news release 3)
Lithium–disulfur dichloride batteries (no public access)
Reversible three-electron sulfur redox enabled by phase-separated ionic-liquid electrolytes
SPARROW: Survival-POMCP for Adaptive Robot Routing, Observation, and Waiting
This might be an interesting new research paper by Nicholas Rhinehart and his team! It is about temporary obstacles.
From the abstract:
"Temporary obstacles that may block a robot's planned route create a sequential navigation problem: a robot must decide whether to wait for a blockage to clear, reroute, or acquire more information about the obstacle before acting.
We formulate graph navigation among temporary obstacles as a partially observable semi-Markov decision process and introduce SPARROW, a belief-space planner built on Partially Observable Monte Carlo Planning (POMCP). SPARROW searches over traversal, observation, and finite-duration waiting actions while maintaining a particle belief over latent obstacle classes and clearance times.
Class-conditioned survival models are learned online from both clearance observations and right-censored encounters where the robot reroutes before clearance is observed.
A generative model simulates obstacle arrivals and clearances as each action unfolds, so the planner can account for blockages that may occur along alternative routes.
We further introduce a value-of-learning criterion that trades the immediate cost of collecting labelled survival data against its expected reduction in future navigation regret. Across two simulation graphs and multiple obstacle-class settings, SPARROW reduces mean time-to-goal by 12-26% relative to OSCAR, a recent survival-based method for the same problem.
On a physical mobile robot, SPARROW reduces mean time-to-goal by 20.5% relative to OSCAR while selectively observing, waiting, and rerouting as environment conditions change."
Laser-generated muon particles allow scientists to see through walls
Amazing stuff!
"... After processing the data, a team at the Extreme Light Infrastructure Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP) in Romania has now released images: a shadow of a pile of lead blocks perched between the wall and the van.
For the first time, the researchers showed the images were created almost entirely by muons, high energy particles produced by the laser ...
Such on-demand muon beams could eventually be used to reveal objects that light cannot penetrate, from subsurface archaeological structures to concealed nuclear materials shipped across borders. ...
Muons are elementary particles similar to electrons but about 200 times heavier. Their high energies and masses allow them to penetrate thick and dense objects. As they pass through matter, they are absorbed and deflected in ways that can reveal the material’s density and structure. ..."
From the abstract:
"Artificially generated muon beams, with tunable parameters, are highly valuable in imaging objects that are opaque to any other scanning technique. Lower-energy muon beams are currently produced at accelerator facilities, while higher energies have only recently been observed as a result of the interaction of laser-wakefield-accelerated electrons and solid targets.
This work focuses on using muography imaging detectors to measure the profile of a muon beam generated via the Bethe-Heitler process and to perform muon imaging in an experimental setup extending up to 42 meters from the muon source. By comparing the data with Monte Carlo simulations, we confirm that the measured beam profile and object imaging are consistent with artificially produced muons of energy of a few GeV. To our knowledge, this represents the first demonstration of imaging dominated by an artificial, laser-driven muon beam."
Imaging with GeV muons produced via laser-wakefield-accelerated electrons (preprint, open access)
How a decade of emissions intensified Europe’s heat waves. Really!
Most likely a piece of junk science (published by Stanford University)!
Just the fact that this research is entirely based on training a generative AI model is suspicious enough!
This claim of human emissions is also at odds with the fact that the atmosphere has become much cleaner in recent decades.
"In brief
- Researchers trained a generative AI model to predict how extreme heat waves in Europe could unfold under different global emissions levels.
- The team found more than 99-in-100 odds that human-caused emissions from the last decade made the deadly 2025 European heat wave more intense.
- The study is an advance in linking subsets of emissions to climate change damages, and emphasizes the need to prepare for intensifying extreme weather alongside global emissions reductions.
..."
From the abstract:
"Understanding the consequences of continued greenhouse-gas emissions requires determining whether recent emissions can be robustly linked to changes in extreme weather events. However, current approaches have a limited ability to quantify changes in extreme weather caused by small subsets of anthropogenic emissions, particularly for individual events.
To address these limitations, we train a generative machine-learning model to predict spatially-explicit changes in daily surface temperature at different levels of cumulative emissions, conditional on the event's observed meteorological conditions.
Using this approach, we find strong evidence (>95% probability) that the combined effects of anthropogenic emissions released since the 2015 UN Paris Agreement have increased the intensity of Europe's summer temperature extremes since 2021. Additionally, our results suggest >99% probability that regional-mean temperature during Europe's high-impact June 2025 heatwave would have been lower (median estimate of 0.34°C) if the same large-scale meteorological conditions had occurred under 2015 levels of cumulative emissions."
Sex differences in attention are present at birth, study finds
Amazing stuff!
"... In this new study, infants were presented with side-by-side videos containing a social stimulus, namely a human face with natural movement, and a non-social object, namely a set of metallic balls swinging due to gravity and their mechanical properties (a Newton’s cradle).
The team found that, regardless of sex, newborn infants generally preferred to look at the social stimulus. However, on average, female infants spent a greater proportion of the time looking at the social stimulus compared to male infants, while male infants spent a greater proportion of time looking at the non-social stimulus compared to female infants. ..."
From the abstract:
"While sex differences in behaviour have attracted considerable scientific interest, their underlying causes are complex and remain poorly understood.
One approach to understand whether early biological factors might play a partial role is to study newborns, who have limited postnatal experiences.
Previous research on neonatal sex differences is extremely limited, and studies that do exist have yielded mixed results, raised methodological concerns, and are yet to be replicated.
To assess these gaps, the present study aimed to reevaluate sex differences in neonatal attention. 130 neonates (67 males, 63 females; mean age = 33 h) were presented with a video of a human face and a non-social object. When analysing percentage looking times, on average, females allocated a greater percentage of time looking at the face relative to males (d = 0.40).
When analysing absolute looking times, females showed a preference for the face compared to the non-social object, while males showed no preference for either. However, no differences were observed between males’ and females’ absolute looking times for the face or object, indicating that sex differences are most prominent in the relative allocation of attention.
Since sex differences in relative attentional patterns are present from the earliest days of life, one possible explanation for this effect may be due to contributions from prenatal factors (e.g., sex hormones). However, alternative explanations may be that these differences reflect general maturational differences between males and females or arise from low-level visual properties of the stimuli rather than their social versus non-social content."
Sex differences in face looking preferences at birth (open access)
A screen-clipping from the stimulus video depicting the dynamic face and object presented to infants
President Trump and President Xi strike a deal to cut tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods
Good news! Once more The Art of the Deal!
Yesterday, I was speculating here that perhaps "there is something in the pipeline".
However, this approach to negotiate favorable trade deals with individual countries is controversial.
"The White House announced that President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have reached a deal to cut tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods.
According to a White House fact sheet, China has agreed to import at least 10 million metric tons of coal from the U.S. in 2027 and 2028.
The agreement covers U.S. exports of agricultural goods, wood products, fish and seafood, cosmetics, and medical devices, the White House said.
The Chinese imports in the deal include small appliances, holiday decorations, toys as well as children’s car seats. ..."
Friday, September 25, 2026
The Commodores "Easy" 1978 (live)
Enjoy with some nice improvisations by Lionel Richie!
Pope Leo to visit French city of Lourdes known for medical MIRACLES
He would only be the third pope to do so! Very significant!
The first pope to visit Lourdes was none other than the great Polish Pope John Paul II in 1983 and 2004. The second pope was the German short term Pope Benedict XVI in 2026.
These biomedical advances will help people live longer, healthier lives
Recommendable overview article!
Autoindustrie: Der einstige Exportweltmeister Deutschland wird zum Absatzmarkt für China
Wahrscheinlich ist die Schlagzeile übertrieben, aber nicht völlig! Wie ernst ist die Situation?
Wie behauptet sich die deutsche Autoindustrie in anderen Ländern ausserhalb Europas?
"Jahrzehntelang war die Rollenverteilung klar: Deutschland baut Autos, China kauft sie. Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz und Porsche verdienten Milliarden im größten Automarkt der Welt. Deutsche Werke produzierten in erster Linie für den Export. Diese Ordnung zerfällt gerade. So schnell wie nie.
China ist inzwischen das wichtigste Herkunftsland für nach Deutschland importierte Neuwagen. Gleichzeitig brechen die deutschen Ausfuhren ein. Während chinesische Hersteller ihre gewaltigen Produktionskapazitäten mit immer mehr Exporten in den Rest der Welt drücken, bauen deutsche Autofirmen Jobs und Fabriken ab. Deutschland verliert China als Absatzmarkt und bekommt China dafür als Konkurrenten im Heimatmarkt. ...
Ein aus China importiertes Auto kann auch ein Modell eines deutschen oder europäischen Konzerns sein.
BMW lässt den elektrischen Mini in China fertigen. Der Cupra aus dem Volkswagen-Konzern kommt ebenfalls von dort. Smart produziert seine Fahrzeuge gemeinsam mit dem chinesischen Großaktionär Geely vollständig in China. ...
Noch deutlicher wird die Verschiebung auf europäischer Ebene. Im Jahr 2025 sanken die Ausfuhren von Autos und Fahrzeugteilen aus der EU nach China um 34 Prozent auf nur noch 16 Milliarden Euro. Gleichzeitig stiegen die entsprechenden Importe aus China um acht Prozent auf den Rekordwert von 22 Milliarden Euro. ..."
Starbucks is closing about 250 North American coffee houses or roughly 1% of its more than 18,000 stores
Update: It was also reported that Starbucks closed 627 stores in North America and Europe last year.
Is this only the beginning? Is this enough? Way too many stores and the coffee is expensive!
Competition has also become stronger over the years.
Supposedly, "There are approximately 13,882 McDonald's locations in the United States as of mid-2026." (Google Search)
Starbucks to close 250 stores: 'Difficult decision' "COO Mike Grams said the closures represent about 1% of the company's more than 18,000 North American stores"
Was the summit between President Trump and President Xi Jinping a dud?
It appears no announcements of major results were made. However, perhaps in coming weeks or months we may learn more. Maybe, there is something in the pipeline.
Xi Jinping has been the President of China for about 13 years. Maybe China needs a new president!
At least President Trump offered a very warm welcome to President Xi Jinping and his wife. Whatever that is worth!
Putin’s Reported Granddaughter Named Tikhonova, Despite Father’s Zelensky Surname
What an odd story!
"In brief: Investigative journalists say Vladimir Putin’s reported granddaughter is named Elsa Igorevna Tikhonova. Leaked Russian border records allegedly show that the child was given the assumed surname used by her mother, Katerina Tikhonova, rather than the surname of her father, ballet director Igor Zelensky."
Unmasking “zombie cells” in aging tissue with an AI-powered barcode
Amazing stuff!
"... researchers have developed a noninvasive way to detect biomarkers of senescence. Their method is based on Raman microscopy, which can reveal the biochemical composition of cells without harming them.
By combining Raman microscopy with gene expression data at single-cell resolution from the same cells, the researchers were able to identify unique “barcodes” that can be used to quickly identify senescent cells. This study was done in mouse cells, but the researchers are now working on adapting it for use with human tissue. ..."
From the abstract:
"Aging and tissue repair involve heterogeneous remodeling across transcriptional, biochemical and cellular dimensions, yet prevailing definitions rely on isolated molecular markers that obscure how these states co-evolve.
Here we present RamanOmics, a multimodal framework integrating label-free hyperspectral Raman imaging with single-nucleus RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics to link biochemical states with transcriptional programs at single-cell spatial resolution. Applied to young and old mouse lung and skin, RamanOmics reveals tissue-specific programs:
lung senescent cells are enriched for extracellular matrix remodeling and transforming growth factor-β signaling, whereas
skin senescence is dominated by epidermal differentiation genes (Krt10, Lor and Sbsn).
Across tissues, we identified a conserved lipid-linked Raman signature (1,131–1,135 cm−1) marking p21+ senescent cells and developed a machine learning-derived, multimodal barcode enabling nondestructive senescence identification in situ.
In a mouse wound-healing model, RamanOmics reveals reactivation of epidermal differentiation genes (Krt10, Lor and Sbsn) in senescent cells, alongside increased lipid-associated Raman signatures. Together, RamanOmics provides a tissue-agnostic framework for scalable, multimodal profiling of cellular states."
RamanOmics decodes the spatial vibrational–molecular architecture of senescence in aging and repair (open access)
Fig. 1: RamanOmics workflow and dynamics of gene regulation across ages and tissues.
Scientists develop a way to restore end of life EV batteries without breaking them down into raw materials
Good news!
"The big picture: Cornell University researchers have developed a way to recycle lithium-ion batteries without breaking them down into raw materials first. Their method, called Direct Electrode-to-Electrode Regeneration, or DEER, restores worn battery electrodes so they can be used again. The results suggest that some EV batteries could be refurbished at lower cost and with less energy than conventional recycling methods, though the process will not work for every degraded cell. ...
In the Cornell process, researchers take apart used cells and place the electrodes in an electrochemical bath containing 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone, or DMI. The treatment removes the thicker SEI layer without destroying the electrode itself. The renewed electrodes can then be used to build new battery cells.
The researchers reported that regenerated cells recovered up to 95% of their original capacity. They also found that treated batteries degraded more slowly than untreated ones. ...
Cornell estimates that DEER-recycled cells could cost $15.25 per kilogram, compared with $26.31 per kilogram for recycling through pyrometallurgy or hydrometallurgy. ..."
From the abstract:
"Lithium-ion battery recycling remains constrained by processes that recover metals at the expense of electrode integrity, while even direct recycling typically requires shredding to black mass followed by binder removal, separation, and full electrode refabrication.
Here, we introduce direct electrode-to-electrode regeneration (DEER), a simultaneous electrochemical regeneration of used NMC and graphite electrodes from end-of-life batteries in their intact form by dissolving the passivating electrode–electrolyte interphase (EEI).
DEER employs 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone (DMI), a high donor number solvent that creates a thermodynamic environment favorable for solubilizing redox inactive EEI components. DEER dissolves the thick EEI on both used electrodes while preserving electrode integrity, enabling up to 95% capacity regain and improved cycling stability with a residual LiF-rich interphase.
Operando Raman, operando IR, and post-mortem NMR directly track the electrochemically driven dissolution of carbonate-derived EEI species in the used DMI-based recycling electrolyte. Technoeconomic and life-cycle analyses show that DEER reduces the cost of recycled cell manufacturing by 56% relative to pyro- and hydrometallurgy, while lowering energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Overall, DEER establishes the first validated pathway to directly regenerate and reuse electrodes harvested from truly end-of-life batteries, converting the key interfacial bottleneck into a controllable dissolution process and opening a practical route toward electrode level circularity."
Electrochemical bath recycles critical minerals in batteries (original news release, dated 9/6/2026)
Direct electrode-to-electrode regeneration of end-of-life batteries via electrode–electrolyte interphase dissolution (open access)
Visual abstract
France to Deploy Forces to Protect Saudi Red Sea Oil Port
Good news! Finally, some European power is doing something about these terrorists!
"President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that France plans to send troops to Saudi Arabia to help protect a refinery and crude oil pipeline in the Red Sea port of Yanbu, ramping up France’s military efforts to contain the impact of the Iran war. ..."
Thursday, September 24, 2026
Watch China's Xi Laugh at 46th President's Autopen Portrait While on White House Tour with Trump
Yes, Xi Jinping had a good laugh!
Xi Jinping was probably praying every day for nothing to happen while the 46th President was in office!
India’s New Online Shopping Rules: What Changes for You? with Palki Sharma
Appears to be paternalistic overregulation or feel good measures! How much is enforceable and how much will be enforced!
Customers/shoppers are not that dumb!
Why Russia’s Election Results Were More Revealing than You Think
How much did Putin the Terrible rig the latest elections? By a lot!
Ukraine about to sign a landmark drone defense deal with the US and the Iran war
Good news!
"... U.S., which has already used Kyiv’s interceptor technology to protect American bases in the Iran war."
"Over the past year, the Department of Defense and its Ukrainian counterpart have developed a framework that would allow the two countries' militaries to expand testing and production of Ukrainian defense technology in the U.S.
The importance of expanding partnerships with Ukraine's defense industry has become increasingly clear to the U.S. and its allies throughout the war with Iran. During the first days of the war, Iran began targeting American military installations across the Middle East with Shahed one-way attack drones — the same type of drones Russia has used to attack Ukraine's cities. As the U.S. and the Gulf states initially lacked cost-effective means to intercept the drones, Kyiv sent drone interceptors and pilots to help.
Ukraine has since signed defense agreements with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, among other countries. The agreements match foreign financing with Ukraine's burgeoning defense manufacturing industry. Zelenskyy has said Ukraine aims to make 10 million drones this year. By comparison, the U.S. Army acquired roughly 50,000 in 2025, according to former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. ..."
President Trump's Board of Peace Unveils $2.45B Gaza Plan
Good news!
"President Trump’s Board of Peace unveiled a $2.45 billion plan Wednesday to rebuild Gaza over the next six months. Its 66 projects are meant to lay the groundwork for a new Palestinian administration.
About $1 billion would go to infrastructure, including $400 million for insulated temporary homes to move displaced families out of tents and $275 million to clear rubble and unexploded bombs.
Another $885 million covers security, including a base in Rafah for up to 5,000 international troops and a $20 million buyback program for weapons held by Hamas and other armed groups. ..."
Australia to investigate if OpenAI hack of government health website broke the law
Possible trouble for OpenAI from down under? We are learning more about how OpenAI may have obtained data.
"An OpenAI model hacked into an Australian government website, the country’s prime minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday, in the first publicly reported case of an AI model hacking into a government’s systems.
Albanese said that there would “obviously be legal consequences” following the breach, and that OpenAI faces a government investigation into how its unreleased models gained access to reams of bulk health data information. ..."
Meta introduces camera-free AI glasses. Really!
Can you tell whether these smartglasses are camera free or not?
Does it make you feel better to know that some smartglasses do not come with cameras?
I think, we have to learn to live with live cameras being almost everywhere now. Smile you are on camera! E.g. will individual be on better behavior knowing they might be filmed?
"Confirming earlier reports, Meta announced its first pair of camera-free AI glasses, the clunkily named Ray-Ban Meta Audio, at its Connect 2026 conference on Wednesday. Designed to combat criticism around the more malicious use cases for AI glasses, which saw them nicknamed “pervert glasses” by some, the new devices will be audio-only, offering the ability to listen to music and podcasts, take calls, translate speech, and communicate with Meta’s AI assistant, Muse. ..."
About 30% of adults would conceal loved ones' cancer. Really!
I am not sure how realistic this scenario is. Why would the patient not learn of his/her condition directly from the doctor?
This study seems to be odd if not contrived. Junk science?
What is here is the effect of cultural or religious factors? E.g. Buddhism?
Notice the difference is less than 10 percentage points. What is e.g. the margin of error in this case?
"Around 30% of adults in Thailand reported that if they were informed that a loved one had been diagnosed with cancer, they wouldn’t tell that person. The main reason for withholding the diagnosis was that they believed that receiving such bad news could worsen symptoms and cause fear of pain or death. The study surveyed more than 600 people, of whom around 80% were female. Previous studies have revealed similar trends in China, India and Saudi Arabia."
From the abstract:
"This study aimed to examine intentions to know one’s own cancer diagnosis and prognosis and intentions to allow family members to know the information.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among adults without a history of cancer diagnosis. Data were collected using a questionnaire capturing participant characteristics, intentions to know cancer diagnosis and prognosis, and intentions to allow loved ones to know cancer diagnosis and prognosis. The proportion reporting each intention was estimated. Factors related to not allow loved ones to know cancer diagnosis and prognosis were examined using univariate and multivariate regression analyses.
Of 607, most participants were female (80.2%), with a mean age of 43.1 ± 14.7 years.
Intentions to know one’s own cancer-related information were consistently higher than intentions to allow loved ones to know the information: cancer diagnosis (79.9% vs. 70.5%), prognosis regarding cancer stage and chance of cure (80.7% vs. 72.0%), and end-of-life prognosis (77.1% vs. 67.1%).
Participants who did not wish to know their own cancer prognosis had significantly higher odds of intending to not allow their loved ones to know cancer diagnosis and prognostic information.
Future research should focus on developing and evaluating approaches to assess preferences for cancer-related information disclosure."
Building a Durable Immigration Enforcement Network with 287(g) Agreements covering 39 states
Good news!
"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently reported a landmark milestone: the 287(g) program now has over 2,500 active Memorandums of Agreement covering 39 states and two U.S. territories.
These agreements authorize ICE “to delegate state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under ICE’s direction and oversight.”
This explosive expansion (up from 1,000 agreements just a year ago) is a harsh rebuke of the [46th President's] administration’s devastating open-border policies. Local governments across the country are recognizing that state and federal cooperation is essential to restoring public safety and the rule of law. ..."
Underwater Solar Cells Capture Energy 10 Meters Deep with high efficiency
Amazing stuff!
"... A new study suggests photovoltaics can also work below the ocean’s surface, generating useful amounts of electricity underwater even at depths of 10 meters. ...
To overcome this challenge, ... colleagues designed solar cells that could make full use of shorter wavelength sunlight. They fabricated perovskite solar cells that cover the spectrum of light that does filter through 5 to 10 meters of water, which consists mostly of blue-green 400- to 600-nm wavelengths.
The scientists found that while their photovoltaic cells attained a light-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 17.08 percent under the conditions usually found on land, they achieved 34.71 percent efficiency when given the spectrum of light one would expect submerged 10 meters underwater. Most standard land-based solar panels achieve an average efficiency between 20 and 25 percent. ..."
From the highlights & abstract:
"Context & scale
Underwater solar energy harvesting remains an unresolved challenge due to the strong spectral attenuation of sunlight in water. Herein, to address this challenge, wide-bandgap (∼1.96 eV) lead halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are employed, whose absorption is spectrally matched to the underwater solar spectrum at a depth of 10 m.
To achieve highly efficient and durable submerged PSCs (S-PSCs), polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (PHMG) is introduced for energy-level modulation, which enables the perovskites to convert from p- to n-type, facilitating electron extraction, suppressing halide ion migration, reducing defect density, and improving lattice stability.
Meanwhile, to rationally evaluate the device performance under the submerged spectra, an underwater solar simulator with customized optical filters is designed. Consequently, the S-PSC devices deliver a power conversion efficiency of 34.71% under the simulated spectrum at 10 m water depth, along with long-term stability.
Furthermore, large-area perovskite solar modules are fabricated, which exhibit outstanding performance in practical outdoor operation, successfully demonstrating power generation by charging lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and lighting up LEDs.
This work paves the way for the practical deployment of perovskite photovoltaics in underwater environments, offering a promising route toward self-sustained marine energy systems and autonomous underwater devices.
Highlights
• The ∼1.96-eV PSCs operate under real-world submerged conditions
• Highest PCEs of 17.08% (AM 1.5G) and 34.71% (simulated 10 m-deep light) were achieved
• Aging tests predict a T80 of ∼5.49 years under simulated 10 m underwater illumination
Summary
Underwater solar harvesting remains challenging due to the strong spectral attenuation of sunlight in water. Here, we demonstrate high-efficiency, durable submerged perovskite solar cells (S-PSCs) using wide-band-gap (∼1.96 eV) perovskites and engineered with polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (PHMG) as a crystallization additive. The PHMG-modified S-PSCs achieve power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 16.79% (certified) under AM 1.5G and 34.71% under simulated 10 m-deep illumination, matching the optimal spectrum at this depth. The additive enhances crystallinity, optimizes energy-level alignment, and suppresses interfacial non-radiative recombination. Accelerated tests predict a T80 lifetime of 48,094 h (∼5.49 years) at 25°C under simulated submerged conditions at a depth of 10 m. The large-area modules demonstrated real-world functionality by generating 324 mWh of electricity upon underwater illumination for 2 h at 10 m depth, sufficient to charge lithium-ion batteries and power LEDs. This work introduces a robust materials-and-device strategy for underwater solar harvesting, enabling autonomous marine power systems and submerged Internet-of-Things infrastructure."
Graphical abstract
Abgelehnte Asylbewerber bekommen weiter staatliche Leistungen
Wie schön! Was für eine verkehrte Welt in der Bananenrepublik D!
"... In Polen, Dänemark, Italien und vielen anderen Ländern sieht es übrigens auch nicht anders als in Frankreich aus: Der Ablehnung folgt der Mittelentzug auf dem Fuß. Null Euro für Antragsteller ohne Berechtigung im Lande. Das hat der wissenschaftliche Dienst des Bundestages herausgefunden. ..."
When humans were hunted as prey
Recommendable!
Carbon nanotube foams reveal a new kind of mechanical memory
Amazing stuff! More than a curiosity, I presume!
"... a foam made of carbon nanotubes that remembers exactly how hard it was squeezed, then returns to its original shape with no lasting damage. ...
To search for such a material, ... team turned to foams made of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes. They repeatedly compressed the foam until its response stabilized, then tracked how it behaved under partial unloading and reloading.
The foam displayed "return-point memory": When pushed partway, released, then pushed again, it returns to the exact mechanical state it was in before. ..."
From the abstract:
"Mechanical memory and computing are gaining significant traction as potential means to complement traditional electronics for robust and energy efficient performance in extreme environments.
However, progress has largely focused on bistable metamaterials, while traditional constitutive memory phenomena have been largely overlooked—primarily due to the absence of compelling experimental demonstrations in elastically recoverable materials.
Here, we report constitutive return point memory (RPM) in elastically recoverable, vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) foams, analogous to magnetic hysteresis-based RPM utilized in hard drives.
Unlike viscoelastic fading memory, VACNTs exhibit nonvolatile memory arising from rate-independent nanoscale friction. We find that the interplay between RPM and frictional dissipation enables independent tunability of the VACNTs’ dynamic modulus, allowing for both on-demand softening and stiffening.
We leverage this property to experimentally demonstrate tunable wave speed in a VACNT array with elastic interlayers, paving the way for novel shock limiters, elastodynamic lensing, and wave-based analog mechanical computing."
Nanotube Material Has Perfect Memory "A carbon nanotube foam springs back to its initial state, regardless of the speed of the compression, a property that could lead to a new type of shock absorber."
Perfect padding. Vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) foam can be synthesized into cushion-like cylinders that are roughly 5 mm wide (left). Microscope images of the foam reveal a “forest” of fibers, each of which consists of multiple carbon nanotubes (right).
Fig. 1 Fading memory and return point memory.
Total recoil. Researchers tested the stress response of VACNT foams when a compressive strain is applied. The results show that the material retains a mechanical memory that doesn’t fade.
Palette versus palate: Wine drinkers embrace a spectrum of wine colors
What a headline!
"... A study published Sept. 23 in the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture by researchers at Cornell Agritech and the Université Bourgogne Europe in Dijon, France, found that consumers showed no consistent bias against the color of wines made from hybrid grape varieties. When evaluated alongside pinot noirs from Burgundy, Oregon and the Finger Lakes, several hybrid wines ranked among the most visually appealing in the study – and color, regardless of variety, turned out to be a weak predictor of whether drinkers actually enjoyed what was in the glass. ..."
US seized a directed-energy weapon from a foreign adversary
How real is this? Why so secretive?
"U.S. intelligence has seized a directed energy weapon from an adversarial power and is studying the device, investigative journalist Catherine Herridge told “Katie Pavlich Tonight” on Tuesday.
Directed energy attacks have been linked with “Havana Syndrome” disorders that have plagued some federal employees. “My contacts don’t like to name names, but they all say the same thing, that this device really has the fingerprints all over it of a known foreign adversary,” Herridge says."
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
US President Trump personally welcomes Chinese President Xi and first lady Liyuan
I am not an expert on protocol or how close these two leaders are, but this seemed to be a warm welcome of Xi Jinping and his wife right after they disembarked from the plane.
Maybe Trump is up to something!
Russo-Ukraine War Disrupts Global Wheat Supplies since 2022
This is serious and much underreported stuff! The Ukraine is one the bread baskets of the world!
Cambodia and Global Scam Syndicates with Palki Sharma
Serious stuff!
Chinese criminal syndicates are also involved.
In 2025, Americans lost about $18 billion due to these scams.
Italy Overturns Post-Chernobyl Ban on Nuclear Energy, Clears Way to Build New Plants
Good news! Bravo Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni!
The Chernobyl disaster of 1986 (like the Three Mile Island incident of 1979) was very much abused in Western countries by the anti nuclear power lobby. The Chernobyl disaster was a rather harmless incident and it happened in the former communist Soviet Union!
"The measure cleared the upper house 81-51 with seven abstentions. It marks a major step in Premier Giorgia Meloni´s drive to bolster energy security and meet climate goals, even though the construction of possible new reactors is still years away."
DNA analysis strengthens evidence that Thomas Jefferson fathered children with Sally Hemings
What was actually the relationship between Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson besides slave and slave master? How much was Sally perhaps attracted to Thomas?
Was Thomas Jefferson a brutal or a caring slave owner? Google Search says his records is mixed.
Thomas Jefferson promised his dying wife Martha Wayles Skelton in 1782 that he would never remarry, a vow kept to the end of his life. (Google Search)
"Researchers sequenced president’s genome from a lock of hair taken shortly after his death, then compared his DNA with that of Hemings’s living descendants"
"Researchers from the Smithsonian Institution have sequenced Thomas Jefferson’s genome to substantiate the widely accepted idea that the third U.S. president fathered children with Sally Hemings, a Black woman he enslaved. But one of Hemings’s descendants has criticized the work and withdrawn her participation in the study. ...
A 1998 study in Nature looking at the Y chromosomes of male descendants had come to a similar conclusion. Because the Y chromosome is passed intact from father to son, if two individuals have identical DNA sequences this suggests they share a forefather. Indeed, the team found that the DNA from the Y chromosome of men Jefferson family descendants matched that of descendants of Hemings’s son Eston Hemings Jefferson. But it was still possible a different Jefferson man had fathered Hemings’s children. ...
The decision to publicize the research before it had been peer reviewed was criticized by Hemings’s oldest living descendant, Mary Brady-Atkins, a retired psychology professor. She told The Chronicle of Higher Education she had consequently withdrawn her consent to study her DNA sample and asked the Smithsonian to destroy it ..."
From the abstract:
"Allegations that Thomas Jefferson fathered the children of the enslaved Sally Hemings emerged in the context of U.S. presidential politics in the late 1700s and early 1800s and entailed strongly contested denials and affirmations by family members, biographers, and historians ever since.
Previous analysis of Y chromosome markers in contemporary members of the Jefferson and Hemings patrilines was consistent with the paternity hypothesis but rejected by those who pointed out that, absent Jefferson DNA and its direct comparison to the DNA of possible descendants, other Jefferson males could have fathered Sally Hemings children.
In this study, we developed an innovative technique to recover DNA from multiple rootless hair samples in a museum collection whose provenance, mitochondrial genomes, Y chromosome markers, and identity to each other indicate that these hairs and the DNA from them are from Thomas Jefferson.
Using these DNA data, we find clear evidence of Thomas Jefferson ancestry in descendants of both his wife Martha Wayles Jefferson and Sally Hemings.
We measured the amount of identical-by-descent DNA shared between Thomas Jefferson and his known and putative descendants. We find that the amount of shared Jefferson DNA is more likely under the model of direct Thomas Jefferson paternity than other proposed scenarios."
The DNA Legacy of Thomas Jefferson (preprint, open access)
An artificial-intelligence system called Virtual Biotech uses 37,000 AI agents and models a drug company
Amazing stuff! The future of drug development is here! This is only the beginning!
"The makers of an artificial-intelligence system called Virtual Biotech say that it has uncovered a molecular signal that could help to predict clinical-trial success. Virtual Biotech was modelled on a drug company, with up to 37,000 AI agents divided into divisions including target discovery, safety assessment, modality selection and clinical development that interacted with each other and reported to a chief agent ‘scientist’. With some human oversight, Virtual Biotech also identified a potential lung-cancer drug, although human scientists will need to validate the system’s prediction in lab-based studies."
"... The Virtual Biotech comprises as many as 37,000 agents — AI systems that autonomously interact with large language models (LLMs) or with each other and are capable of performing multistep tasks. It uncovered a molecular signal that could help to predict clinical-trial success. And with some human oversight, it identified a promising lung-cancer treatment. ..."
"... The idea ... was to build on the virtual lab, in which AI scientists emulate an academic research laboratory. They created an entire company with tens of thousands of AI agents, all trained to support the full pipeline of drug development. ..."
From the abstract:
"Drug development requires evidence integration across biological scales and modalities, but relevant tools are fragmented. We introduce the Virtual Biotech, an organization of artificial intelligence (AI) agents modeled on a drug-development company, with agentic divisions spanning target discovery, safety assessment, modality selection, and clinical development.
We demonstrate its utility at three drug-development decision points.
First, over 37,000 agents annotated outcomes from 55,984 trials and found that drugs targeting cell-type-specific genes were 48% more likely to reach market with 32% fewer adverse events.
First, over 37,000 agents annotated outcomes from 55,984 trials and found that drugs targeting cell-type-specific genes were 48% more likely to reach market with 32% fewer adverse events.
Second, it integrated multimodal evidence to propose a therapeutic strategy in lung cancer.
Third, it analyzed a terminated ulcerative colitis trial and inferred potential mechanisms of failure.
These results demonstrate that human-guided multi-agent systems can conduct transparent, multiscale analyses to inform therapeutic-development decisions."
How a team of AIs discovered a promising lung-cancer drug "Researchers developed a ‘virtual biotech’ made up of as many as 37,000 agents reporting to a ‘chief scientist’."
Virtual biotech company puts thousands of AI scientist agents to work on drug discovery (original news release)
The Virtual Biotech: A multi-agent AI framework for therapeutic discovery and development (no public access)
The Virtual Biotech: A Multi-Agent AI Framework for Therapeutic Discovery and Development (preprint, open access)
Fig. 1 Overview of the Virtual Biotech AI agents, tools, and orchestration.
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