STEAM News Roundup: Electric Bandages, AI Cracks Physics, and a New Form of Ice

Summary: Researchers at Columbia Engineering have developed an “electric bandage” that uses a tiny, flexible battery to create an electric field over a wound. In animal tests, the device sped up healing by 30% by promoting new blood vessel formation and reducing inflammation. The low-cost design is simple enough for patients to use at home.
Source: Breakthroughs & Insights (via Columbia Engineering)
Link: https://www.engineering.columbia.edu/about/magazine/winter25/news-morningside-heights/breakthroughs-insights

Summary: A new AI framework named THOR (Tensors for High-dimensional Object Representation) has successfully solved a complex computational problem in statistical physics that has stumped scientists for decades. The AI can compute “configurational integrals” more than 400 times faster than the best previous simulations, opening the door for faster discoveries in materials science.
Source: AI Breakthrough Finally Cracks Century-Old Physics Problem (via SciTechDaily)
Link: https://scitechdaily.com/ai-breakthrough-finally-cracks-century-old-physics-problem/

Summary: By squeezing water between two diamonds and hitting it with ultra-fast X-rays, researchers have discovered a new, temporary phase of ice named “ice XXI.” This metastable form, which existed for only microseconds under immense pressure, reveals that water can freeze and crystallize in more ways than previously thought, impacting our understanding of water on icy planets and moons.
Source: Scientists just discovered a new kind of ice ‘XXI’ (via Times of India)
Link: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/science/scientists-just-discovered-a-new-kind-of-ice-xxi-and-its-nothing-like-the-one-in-your-freezer/articleshow/125171949.cms

Summary: Scientists have developed a bio-inspired gel that can successfully regenerate tooth enamel by mimicking the natural growth process. The fluoride-free material forms a new mineral-rich layer that restores the enamel’s original strength and structure, potentially offering a new way to prevent and reverse dental decay.
Source: Health & Medicine News (via ScienceDaily)
Link: https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/

Summary: In a significant development for the creative industry, a federal judge in California has blocked an attempt by several major AI companies to dismiss large portions of a copyright lawsuit. The case, brought by a group of artists, will now proceed, focusing on the claim that these companies infringed on copyrights by training their AI models on artists’ work without permission.
Source: Technology (via The Art Newspaper)
Link: https://www.theartnewspaper.com/art-and-tech

Summary: The third interstellar object ever identified, comet 3I/ATLAS, is currently hurtling through our solar system. China’s Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter captured rare images of the comet, which is following a hyperbolic orbit, meaning it is not bound by the Sun’s gravity and will eventually leave our system. Observations suggest it is composed of volatile materials altered by long-term exposure to interstellar radiation.
Source: ‘Alien’ 3I/ATLAS hurtling towards solar system (via Indian Express)
Link: https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/science/alien-3i-atlas-hurtling-towards-solar-system-what-we-know-about-the-interstellar-comet-that-has-piqued-curiosity-10351154/