More than 200,000 candidate materials were virtually screened by the system at Osaka University in Japan. The team of researchers then synthesized one of the most promising, and found its properties were consistent with the system's predictions. Machine learning allows computers to make predictions about complex situations, as long as the algorithms are supplied with sufficient example data. This is especially useful for complicated problems in material science such as designing molecules for organic solar cells, the researchers said, as it can depend on a vast array of factors and unknown molecular structures. It could take humans years to sift data to find underlying patterns, and even longer to test all the possible candidate combinations of'donor' polymers and'acceptor' molecules that make up organic solar cells.

This listing marks 20 years since we started compiling an yearly choice of the year's most important technology. Some, for example mRNA vaccines, are already transforming our own lives, while some continue to be a couple of decades off. Below, you will get a brief description along with a link to a feature article that probes every technology in detail. We hope you will enjoy and research --taken collectively, we think this listing reflects a glimpse into our collective potential . Tech businesses have been shown to be poor stewards of their private information.

Imagine looking for the optimal configuration to build an organic solar cell made from different polymers. Does the active layer need to be very thick, or very thin? Does it need a large or a small amount of each polymer? Knowing how to predict the specific composition and cell design that would result in optimum performance is one of the greatest unresolved problems in materials science. This is, in part, due to the fact that the device performance depends on multiple factors.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a hot topic for a while now. While it might appear to be a fairly new concept, it's actually been around since the first computer was built back in the 1930s. The concept of AI involves machine learning. Computers could learn and act on data sets without any human programming. Essentially, AI is a computer mimicking the human brain.

In the first of our two AI-themed live online events, we invite four guest speakers working at the forefront of AI to share their exciting work. Learn about the vast applications of AI, the underlying innovative technologies and gain valuable insights on how you can build successful careers in this arena. Be inspired by their fascinating stories ranging from founding the company, product development, conducting research studies and seeking partnerships for the business. Our free-for-all event will include a presentation by our guest speakers followed by a Q&A session which will be led by SIU hosts. Please register via EventBrite to reserve a spot.

A pizza box sized solar panel in orbit is producing enough electricity to power an iPad, according to a succesful test of the technology by the US Navy. The Photovoltaic Radiofrequency Antenna Module (PRAM) was launched in May 2020 attached to a drone that loops around the Earth every 90 minutes and is designed to harness light from the sun to convert to electricity. The 12x12 inch panel is an early experiment for a technology that could one day harness solar radiation from the sun and beam it to anywhere on the Earth. It is designed to make the best use of light in space, which doesn't have to pass through the atmosphere where it loses energy before reaching the ground. The Pentagon one day envisages an array of panels in space that could send power to even the most remote parts of the planet and create a new global power grid.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a hot topic for a while now. While it might appear to be a fairly new concept, it's actually been around since the first computer was built back in the 1930s. The concept of AI involves machine learning. Computers could learn and act on data sets without any human programming. Essentially, AI is a computer mimicking the human brain.

Researchers from CeADAR, Ireland's national centre for Applied Data Analytics & AI, have developed a system which uses artificial intelligence to accurately predict the amount of renewable energy that will be produced at wind farms. The new tool, FREMI (Forecasting Renewable Energy with Machine Intelligence) is a collaborative project between CeADAR and SSE Airtricity. The €370,000 project took 18 months to complete and was funded by the SEAI National Energy Research Development and Demonstration (RD&D) programme. FREMI is accurate, scalable, reliable, and maintainable, and has already been deployed 21 SSE Airtricity wind farms around Ireland which are owned and operated by its sister company, SSE Renewables. FREMI will also allow energy traders to comply with new market rules imposed by the Integrated Single Electricity Market (ISEM), the wholesale electricity market for the island of Ireland.

IdentiFlight's smart cameras, which spot birds of prey such as eagles and then halt wind turbines to protect the birds, can result in a large percentage reduction of bird deaths, according to a new study published last week in the Journal of Applied Ecology. The study, titled, "Eagle fatalities are reduced by automated curtailment of wind turbines," tested the efficacy of IdentiFlight's camera system, which detects flying objects, classifies them, and decides whether to curtail individual turbines to avoid potential collision, at Duke Energy's Top of the World Windpower Facility in Wyoming. They compared the number of eagle fatalities observed at Top of the World with those at a control site without IdentiFlight nine miles (15 km) away. There was an 82% reduction in the fatality rate at Top of the World relative to the control site. This technology therefore has the potential to lessen the conflict between wind energy and raptor conservation.

Most of the ocean is unknown. Yet we know that the most challenging environments on the planet reside in it. Understanding the ocean in its totality is a key component for the sustainable development of human activities and for the mitigation of climate change, as proclaimed by the United Nations. We are glad to share our perspective about the role of soft robots in ocean exploration and offshore operations at the outset of the ocean decade (2021-2030). In this study of the Soft Systems Group (part of The School of Engineering at The University of Edinburgh), we focus on the two ends of the water column: the abyss and the surface.