r/STEW_ScTecEngWorld

Learning to recognize thought patterns that lead to avoidance, and breaking tasks down into small parts, can help people overcome the mental barriers that often accompany ADHD.

The study introduces a new way to watch photocatalysts work in real time.

A U.S. research team has developed a method to observe sunlight-to-fuel conversion in real time at the nanoscale. The Yale University team can now track how a light-driven catalyst splits water into hydrogen and oxygen, and how electrons and holes move through the material. Lead researcher Shu Hu said the method reveals a photocatalyst “in action” with exceptional realism and resolution.

Study: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2527861123

A University of Sydney quantum physicist has developed a new approach to quantum error correction that could significantly reduce the number of physical qubits required to build large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers.

Study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-026-03220-8

Experts explain health, science and lifestyle impacts of time change.

High-definition video and data sent from the lunar vicinity to Earth will demonstrate the first use of laser communications on a crewed mission.

The MAScOT laser communications terminal developed by MIT Lincoln Laboratory in collaboration with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center launched aboard the Artemis II Orion spacecraft on April 1 from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Dutch research group TNO has developed the first perovskite solar roof tile, achieving 12.4% efficiency on curved surfaces and up to 13.8% for standalone cells. Created with ASAT BV, the tiles are flexible, lightweight, and glass-free, maintaining strong performance on standard curved roofs. The technology is designed for low-cost, large-scale roll-to-roll manufacturing and enables building-integrated solar on surfaces traditional panels cannot cover. TNO now aims to improve durability and scale production through its spinoff, Perovion Technologies, supporting Europe’s shift toward more adaptable solar solutions: https://www.tno.nl/en/newsroom/2026/04/perovskite-solar-roof-tile/

Nearly 2,000 internal files were briefly leaked after ‘human error’, raising fresh security questions at the AI company

The now extinct worm-like animal first lost paired eyes, then re-evolved them.

Study: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(23)00988-0

Researchers at ETH Zurich, working with Huawei Noah’s Ark Lab and the Technical University of Darmstadt, developed an open-source framework that lets robots follow natural language commands using LLMs integrated with ROS. The system translates everyday instructions into executable actions, breaks complex tasks into step-by-step processes, and improves over time through feedback and learning. Designed for real-time control and tested in various scenarios, it makes robots more accessible for non-experts to perform complex tasks.

Study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42256-026-01186-z

A new study pieces together existing data sources in order to develop a detailed, dynamic picture of auto emissions.

New work by MIT researchers shows how to generate nearly real-time vehicle emissions information — which can measure the effects of policy changes, such as New York City's congestion pricing: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-026-01797-9