Creating smarter, more accurate artificial intelligence systems requires a hybrid human-machine approach, according to researchers. In a new study, they present a new mathematical model that can improve performance by combining human and algorithmic predictions and confidence scores. «Humans and machine algorithms have complementary strengths and weaknesses. Each uses different sources of information and strategies…

By measuring iron isotopes, researchers have shown that our planet originally formed much faster than previously thought. This finding provides new insights on both planetary formation and the likelihood of water and life elsewhere in the universe. On an astronomical scale, this is extremely fast, the researchers explain. If you compare the solar system’s estimated…

A ‘macrogrid’ that increases the electricity moving between America’s Eastern and Western interconnections, two of the biggest power grids on the planet, would more than pay for itself, according to new research. Those seven threads (technically, they’re back-to-back, high-voltage, direct-current connections) join America’s Eastern and Western interconnections and have 1,320 megawatts of electric-power handling capacity.…

Researchers have used a novel method to replicate mussel-adhesive proteins, creating a stronger glue than the material they set out to mimic. Now, using a novel method to arrange molecules, researchers at Northwestern University have created a material that performs even better than the glue they were trying to mimic. Their findings, to be published…

A new testing protocol that uses existing, affordable water chemistry tests can help scientists and regulators detect sites showing evidence of new methane gas leaks caused by oil and gas drilling, according to researchers. The researchers took a testing protocol they had described in a paper last year in the Proceedings of the National Academy…

Researchers examined the outcome of an entangled bottlenose dolphin calf with monofilament fishing line wrapped tightly around its upper jaw. It was successfully disentangled and immediately released it back into its natural habitat. Surviving only two years, results showed long-term severe damage due to this entanglement including emaciation. There are about 1,000 bottlenose dolphins that…

Researchers explore the microstructure of the ground beetle exoskeleton using microscopy. Nature provides us with thousands of examples of effective materials that have already been finely tuned to exhibit a wide range of properties from color to strength. It therefore makes sense for researchers to study real samples as inspiration for new developments rather than…

Scientists have boosted the efficiency and scalability of perovskite solar cells by replacing their electron-transport layers with a thin layer of quantum dots. One of the obstacles facing the commercialization of perovskite solar cells is that their power-conversion efficiency and operational stability drop as they scale up, making it a challenge to maintain high performance…

Electric vehicles require power to be available anywhere and anytime without delay to recharge, but solar and wind are intermittent energy sources that are not available on demand. And the electricity they do generate needs to be stored for later use and not go to waste. New research reveals a more stable way to store…

A new machine learning system can predict the structure formed when two proteins dock, in a process that’s between 50 to 800 times faster than some software-based methods. This could help scientists better understand biological processes or speed the development of new therapies. To develop a successful synthetic antibody, researchers must understand exactly how that…