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April 15^th 2025

💻 Technology

🇨🇭 Swiss researchers develop AR system that replaces tape measures and pencils in carpentry

Swiss scientists have created Augmented Carpentry, an open-source AR system that guides carpenters with on-screen overlays showing precise cut lines, angles, and depths—eliminating the need for manual measuring. Developed at EPFL and displayed on a tablet mounted to standard tools, the system scans wood pieces and overlays real-time visual instructions accurate to a fraction of a millimeter. This innovation empowers small construction firms to compete with high-tech factories while preserving human craftsmanship.

🤖 Artificial Intelligence

🇬🇧 UK researchers create AI tool to decode public opinion 380 times faster than humans

British scientists have developed DECOTA, an open-access AI tool that rapidly analyzes open-ended survey responses to uncover key public opinion themes with 92% human-level accuracy. Created at the University of Bath and detailed in Psychological Methods, DECOTA processes data 380 times faster and over 1,900 times more cheaply than human analysis, making it a powerful asset for policymakers seeking to include more public voices. The tool also highlights demographic trends in responses and is designed for transparency, with open-source code and customizable analysis stages.

🌎 Sustainability

🇨🇳 Chinese scientists create moss-based sponge to clean oil spills with 90% reuse efficiency

Chinese researchers have developed an oil-absorbing sponge made from modified sphagnum moss that repels water and retains over 90% of its oil absorption capacity after ten uses. The team at Guizhou Education University chemically treated the moss to enhance its oil-attracting properties, resulting in a cost-effective, biodegradable solution for cleaning up marine oil spills. The study, published in Scientific Reports, highlights the material’s potential to replace less sustainable absorbents and improve large-scale environmental cleanup efforts.

🇬🇧 UK startup uses AI-designed material to capture carbon using heat from data centers

UK-based Orbital Materials has developed an AI-designed sorbent that captures carbon dioxide efficiently using the waste heat from data centers. The technology, housed in portable units, could cut carbon capture costs from $1,000 to $200 per ton by leveraging a novel heat-tolerant molecule. Currently being piloted at a UK data center, this approach may turn energy-intensive AI infrastructure into tools for climate mitigation.

💊 Healthcare

🇺🇸 US scientists redesign LSD to treat schizophrenia without hallucinations or addiction risks

American researchers have modified LSD to create JRT, a compound that boosts brain plasticity without causing hallucinations, offering safer treatment options for schizophrenia and other mental illnesses. Developed at the University of California, Davis and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, JRT outperformed ketamine in preclinical tests while avoiding genes and behaviors linked to psychedelic side effects. The drug enhances cognitive function and neural repair, marking a major step toward psychedelic-inspired therapies that are both effective and clinically safe.

🇳🇿 New Zealand researchers combine AI and nanotech to detect oral cancer at earlier stages

New Zealand scientists have developed a groundbreaking method using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and AI to detect nanoscale changes in oral cancer cells, enabling earlier and more accurate diagnoses. Conducted at the University of Otago and published in ACS Nano, the technique reveals surface-level cell changes invisible to traditional methods, potentially transforming how oral and other cancers are diagnosed. The approach could lead to faster, more reliable screening and open new pathways for nanotechnology-based cancer treatments.

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See you soon,

Max

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