Good Vibrations
Iceland's volcanoes are thickly sheathed in ice. Now, researchers have discovered how to unearth clues about when the volcanoes will erupt by analyzing vibrations from the ice, reports Rachel Berkowitz for Scientific American. Scientists are also coming up with new and creative ways to predict earthquakes from mathematical models of the "geological pinball," as Robin George Andrews covered for Quanta in 2020.
Chips on the Brain
Using soft and flexible materials, researchers are designing computer chips that mimic the processing capabilities of neurons in our brains. One day, they might even be able to link up directly with biological neurons, reports Kurt Kleiner for Knowable Magazine. Many of these new devices, called neuromorphic chips, aim to match the brain's ability to perform energy-efficient analog computing. In February, Allison Whitten reported for Quanta on a new technique that allowed researchers to overcome one large hurdle on the way to analog computing. | |
