Power/Performance Bits: March 30


Harvesting body heat Researchers at University of Colorado Boulder, Harbin Institute of Technology, Southeast University, and Huazhong University of Science and Technology designed a stretchy thermoelectric generator that can be worn against the skin to power small wearable electronics using body heat. The stretchy material polyimine is used as the base of the device. A series of thin therm... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Jan. 5


Quiet qubits Researchers at the University of New South Wales Sydney recorded the lowest noise levels yet for a semiconductor qubit. Charge noise caused by material imperfections interferes with the information encoded on qubits, reducing accuracy. "The level of charge noise in semiconductor qubits has been a critical obstacle to achieving the accuracy levels we need for large-scale error-c... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Jan. 13


Plastic gold ETH Zurich has developed an 18-carat gold nugget based on plastic. Instead of traditional metallic alloy elements, ETH’s gold nugget consists of a matrix of plastic. Weighing five to ten times less than traditional gold, ETH’s plastic gold can be used in watches, jewelry, radiation shielding, catalysis and electronics. Gold is a chemical element used in a plethora of app... » read more