Science & Technology

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Controlling chemistry with sculpted light

Using state-of-the-art fabrication and imaging, researchers watched the consequences of adding sculpted light to a catalyst during a chemical transformation. This work could inform more efficient – and potentially new – forms of catalysis.

New state of matter in one-dimensional quantum gas

By adding some magnetic flair to an exotic quantum experiment, physicists produced an ultra-stable one-dimensional quantum gas with never-before-seen “scar” states – a feature that could someday be useful for securing quantum information.

Lead poisoning of children

A remediation and public education effort at an abandoned battery recycling facility in Bangladesh eliminated most lead soil contamination, but levels of the toxic metal in children living near the site did not decrease nearly as much. The discrepancy reveals the scope of other lead exposure sources and the challenge they present to public health.

Linking piped water, health and gender equality

New Stanford research finds installing piped water in rural Zambian homes frees up time in the daily lives of women and girls, while also promoting economic growth and food security – making an argument for piped water infrastructure investments across rural, low-income areas.

Research during the COVID-19 pandemic

After a devastating and demanding several months, research at Stanford remains limited but could offer glimpses into how lab life might operate in the future.

The shifting burden of wildfires in the United States

Wildfire smoke will be one of the most widely felt health impacts of climate change throughout the country, but U.S. clean air regulations are not equipped to deal with it. Stanford experts discuss the causes and impacts of wildfire activity and its rapid acceleration in the American west.

Stanford HAI —

How to build a likable chatbot

Consumers have consistent personality preferences for their online friends, new research shows.

Climate change caused one-third of historical flood damages

Flooding has caused hundreds of billions of dollars in damage in the U.S. over the past three decades. Researchers found that 36 percent of the costs of flooding in the U.S. from 1988 to 2017 were a result of intensifying precipitation, consistent with predictions of global warming.

Hybrid chips can run AI on battery-powered devices

In traditional electronics, separate chips process and store data, wasting energy as they toss data back and forth over what engineers call a “memory wall.” New algorithms combine several energy-efficient hybrid chips to create the illusion of one mega–AI chip.

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