Princeton University News - SciTechDaily

Rewriting Hominin History: New Discoveries Unveil Ancient Human-Neanderthal Connections

Princeton University — Sun, 14 Jul 2024 03:25:47 +0000

Geneticist Joshua Akey states that modern humans and Neanderthals interacted for a period of 200,000 years. New genetic research reveals extensive interbreeding and longstanding interactions between Neanderthals, Denisovans, and modern humans, suggesting a more integrated history than previously understood and supporting theories of Neanderthal assimilation into modern human populations. Since the discovery of the first [...]

Princeton Scientists Develop Passive Mechanism To Cool Buildings in the Summer and Warm Them in the Winter

Princeton University, Engineering School — Sun, 07 Jul 2024 08:26:54 +0000

Researchers have devised a passive thermal regulation mechanism using common materials that selectively manage radiant heat, providing a sustainable way to significantly improve building energy efficiency and comfort. Engineers at Princeton and UCLA have developed a passive mechanism to cool buildings in the summer and warm them in the winter. In an article recently published [...]

Princeton Engineers Develop New Cement That Is 17x More Crack-Resistant

Princeton University, Engineering School — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 05:16:08 +0000

Princeton engineers developed a new cement composite inspired by shell nacre, significantly enhancing its durability and flexibility. Engineers at Princeton University, drawing inspiration from the materials found in oyster and abalone shells, have developed a new cement composite. This innovative material is 17 times more resistant to cracking and 19 times more flexible and deformable [...]

Princeton’s AI Unlocks New Levels of Performance in Fusion Reactors

Colton Poore, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 00:18:43 +0000

A team from Princeton has developed a machine learning method to control plasma edge bursts in fusion reactors, achieving high performance without instabilities and reducing computation times dramatically for real-time system adjustments. Achieving a sustained fusion reaction is a complex, yet delicate balancing act. It requires a sea of moving parts to come together to [...]

Chilling Discoveries: Princeton Physicists Unlock Secrets of Kinetic Magnetism

Tom Garlinghouse, Princeton University Department of Physics — Wed, 15 May 2024 00:33:13 +0000

Physicists from Princeton University directly imaged the microscopic object responsible for this magnetism, an unusual type of polaron. Not all magnets are the same. When we think of magnetism, we usually think of magnets that stick to a refrigerator’s door. For these types of magnets, the electronic interactions that give rise to magnetism have been [...]

Cutting-Edge CRISPR: Princeton Researchers Develop a More Precise Gene-Editing Tool

Caitlin Sedwick, Princeton University — Sun, 05 May 2024 12:07:58 +0000

Princeton scientists make a major improvement to a CRISPR-based gene-editing tool called “prime editing.” Through years of engineering gene-editing systems, researchers have developed a suite of tools that enable the modification of genomes in living cells, akin to ‘genome surgery’. These tools, including ones based on a natural system known as CRISPR/Cas9, offer enormous potential [...]

Frozen Electrons Come to Life in Groundbreaking Princeton Study

Princeton University — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 12:29:40 +0000

Princeton University researchers detect a strange form of matter that has eluded direct detection for some 90 years. Electrons—these infinitesimally small particles that are known to zip around atoms—continue to amaze scientists despite the more than a century that scientists have studied them. Now, physicists at Princeton University have pushed the boundaries of our understanding [...]

Elemental Surprise: Physicists Discover a New Quantum State

Princeton University — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 10:25:21 +0000

A novel quantum state, “hybrid topology,” was discovered in arsenic crystals by Princeton scientists, merging edge and surface states in a unique quantum behavior. This groundbreaking finding, revealed through advanced imaging techniques, marks a significant leap in quantum materials research, with implications for developing new quantum devices and technologies. Physicists have observed a novel quantum [...]

Princeton Scientists Discover Exotic Quantum Interference Effect in a Topological Insulator Device

Princeton University — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 15:11:03 +0000

New research expands opportunities for advancements in quantum physics and spintronics. In a novel experiment, physicists have observed long-range quantum coherence effects due to Aharonov-Bohm interference in a topological insulator-based device. This finding opens up a new realm of possibilities for the future development of topological quantum physics and engineering. This finding could also affect [...]

Revolutionizing Computing: Inside Princeton’s Trailblazing AI Chip Technology

Scott Lyon, Princeton University, Engineering School — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 18:37:06 +0000

Princeton’s advanced AI chip project, backed by DARPA and EnCharge AI, promises significant improvements in energy efficiency and computing power, aiming to revolutionize AI’s accessibility and application. The Defense Department’s largest research organization has partnered with a Princeton-led effort to develop advanced microchips for artificial intelligence. The new hardware reimagines AI chips for modern workloads [...]

Unlocking Fusion Energy’s Future With Artificial Intelligence

Princeton University, Engineering School — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 08:17:16 +0000

A Princeton-led team has developed an AI model to predict and avert plasma instabilities in fusion reactors, showcasing real-time control improvements and setting the stage for more reliable fusion energy production. In the blink of an eye, the unruly, superheated plasma that drives a fusion reaction can lose its stability and escape the strong magnetic [...]

Princeton Study Uncovers Unseen Pitfalls of Popular Clean Energy Procurement Methods

Princeton University — Sun, 18 Feb 2024 14:29:21 +0000

In the pursuit of attaining a climate-neutral impact, numerous businesses are opting to purchase extra electricity from renewable energy sources. This strategy aims to counteract the emissions produced by relying on the current grid, which is currently predominantly powered by fossil fuels. Yet some of the most common strategies for purchasing clean energy have little [...]

Finding and Erasing Quantum Computing Errors in Real-Time

Princeton University, Engineering School — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 15:17:04 +0000

With a quick pulse of light, researchers can now find and erase errors in real time. Researchers have developed a method that can reveal the location of errors in quantum computers, making them up to ten times easier to correct. This will significantly accelerate progress towards large-scale quantum computers capable of tackling the world’s most [...]

Defying Current Theories of Superconductivity – “Sudden Death” of Quantum Fluctuations Stuns Scientists

Tom Garlinghouse, Princeton University — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 21:40:14 +0000

New research challenges the conventional wisdom regarding superconducting quantum transitions. Princeton physicists have discovered an abrupt change in quantum behavior while experimenting with a three-atom-thin insulator that can be easily switched into a superconductor. The research promises to enhance our understanding of quantum physics in solids in general and also propel the study of quantum [...]

Challenging Established Models – How a Worm Is Helping Scientists Unravel One of Science’s Great, Tantalizing Mysteries

Princeton University — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 11:11:26 +0000

A new study investigates the transfer of information between neurons. Do we really know how the brain works? In recent decades, significant advancements have been made in comprehending the intricate workings of the brain. Researchers have gained extensive knowledge about the cellular neurobiology of the brain and have uncovered a lot about its neural networks [...]

Einstein’s Twist: Princeton Astrophysicists Unravel the Mystery of Black Hole Jets and Galactic “Lightsabers”

Liz Fuller-Wright, Princeton University — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 03:13:45 +0000

A team of Princeton astrophysicists has now determined conclusively that energy close to black hole M87* is pushing outward, not inward, a longstanding debate within the field. The one thing everyone knows about black holes is that absolutely everything nearby gets sucked into them. Almost everything, it turns out. “Even though black holes are defined [...]

Quantum Leap: Princeton Physicists Successfully Entangle Individual Molecules for the First Time

Princeton University — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 21:08:02 +0000

In work that could lead to more robust quantum computing, Princeton researchers have succeeded in forcing molecules into quantum entanglement. For the first time, a team of Princeton physicists has been able to link together individual molecules into special states that are quantum mechanically “entangled.” In these bizarre states, the molecules remain correlated with each [...]

Princeton Scientists Discover Overlooked Parts of Proteins That Are Critical to Fundamental Functions of Life

Princeton University — Sat, 07 Oct 2023 18:23:36 +0000

Recent research shows that proteins’ intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) are critical for chromatin regulation and gene expression. Mutations in these IDRs affect cellular functions, especially in the human cBAF complex. According to textbooks, proteins work by folding into stable 3D shapes that, like Lego blocks, precisely fit with other biomolecules. However, this depiction of proteins, [...]

New Extraction Technique Revolutionizes Lithium Production

Princeton University — Mon, 11 Sep 2023 23:51:54 +0000

Lithium, an essential element in electric vehicle batteries and energy storage systems, holds promise for a greener future. However, its production carries notable environmental implications. Extracting lithium from saline water demands substantial land and time, with large operations running into the dozens of square miles and often requiring over a year to begin production. Now, [...]

Innovative Atomic Device Enables a Simpler Way To Connect Quantum Computers

Princeton University, Engineering School — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 17:51:59 +0000

A new atomic device sends high-fidelity quantum information over fiber optic networks. Researchers have unveiled a new way to connect quantum devices over long distances, a necessary step toward allowing the technology to play a role in future communications systems. While today’s classical data signals can get amplified across a city or an ocean, quantum [...]

Unlocking Quantum Secrets of Magic-Angle Twisted Bilayer Graphene With Unprecedented Visualizations of Interacting Electrons

Princeton University — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 09:49:35 +0000

New study captures the behavior of interacting electrons that give rise to insulating states, addressing a key unsolved puzzle in the field. Princeton-led researchers have unlocked mysteries of electron interactions in MATBG using advanced microscopy, paving the way for quantum technological advancements. A research team, led by scientists at Princeton University, has imaged the precise [...]

Salted Secrets: Drops of Seawater Contain Traces of an Ancient World

Binghamton University — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 21:26:04 +0000

A new study connects seawater chemical shifts to volcanic activity and climate. Sea salt hides a secret: tiny droplets of the seawater from which it came, preserving geologic history. Utilizing advanced equipment funded by the National Science Foundation grant, Dr. Mebrahtu Weldeghebriel, Ph.D. ’22, a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University, collaborated with Binghamton University’s Distinguished [...]

Microbial Espionage: How Eavesdropping Viruses Fight To Infect Us

Princeton University — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 17:23:05 +0000

Bonnie Bassler and her research team have discovered that a multitude of viruses respond to quorum sensing, as well as other bacterial chemical signals. Viruses, like movie villains, operate in one of two ways: chill or kill. They may choose to bide their time, silently breaching the body’s defense systems, or launch a full-scale assault, [...]

Cataclysm in the Cosmos: Princeton Researchers Unmask the Violent Origins of the Geminids Meteor Shower

Princeton University — Sat, 24 Jun 2023 12:13:01 +0000

Princeton researchers used data from NASA’s Parker Solar Probe to deduce that a catastrophic event likely created the prolific Geminids meteoroid stream. Unlike most meteor showers which originate from comets, the Geminids appear to stem from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon. The researchers modeled three potential formation scenarios and compared these to models developed from Earth-based [...]