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(Phys.org) —Fuel cells for decentralized energy production require oxygen ion conductors: materials that can store oxygen as ions, and then transport and release it. German researchers have now found an unusual compound that is the first metallic oxygen ion conductor of its kind, as well as the first one that is active at room temperature.

Viewers around the world preparing to watch the World Cup next month in Brazil are also to witness a special event where a paralyzed person, with the help of a robotic exoskeleton, will rise from a wheelchair, walk to the center of the field and kick a soccer ball. The mind-controlled exoskeleton is the work of an inspiring global collaboration among scientists, as part of the Walk Again Project.

Michael Lewis’s bestselling book “Flash Boys” describes how some brokers, engaging in high frequency trading, exploit fast telecommunications to gain fraction-of-a-second advantage in the buying and selling of stocks. But you don’t need to have billions of dollars riding on this-second securities transactions to appreciate the importance of fast signal processing

A new genetic study has revealed that populations of humpback whales in the oceans of the North Pacific, North Atlantic and Southern Hemisphere are much more distinct from each other than previously thought, and should be recognised as separate subspecies. Understanding how connected these populations are has important implications for the recovery of these charismatic animals that were once devastated by hunting.

(Phys.org) —A study by a pair of researchers with the University of Maine suggests that the northern coast of Peru may have been altered due to population shifts as a result of the Spanish conquest in the 1500’s. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Daniel Belknap and Daniel Sandweiss describe a field study they conducted in the area that suggested that Inca living on the coast prior to the Spanish conquest, may have inadvertently been supporting the existence of sand ridges by discarding mollusk shells.

(Phys.org) —After eluding scientists for nearly 80 years, the Clarion nightsnake (Hypsiglena ochrorhyncha unaocularus), a nocturnal reptilian species that was initially discovered in the first half of the 19th century and then struck from the scientific record, was rediscovered by National Museum of Natural History researcher Daniel Mulcahy. The new snake species is found exclusively on the Mexican island of Clarion and could have remained unknown to science if not for the team’s efforts to solve the case surrounding its disappearance.

(Phys.org) —Mainstream talk about the Internet of Things continues unabated, as more people become familiar with the concept of having connected devices in their homes and the communities. The talk is about smart devices connected to the Internet and to each other, from meters to washing machines to fitness-tracking wearables, to kitchen devices, to far more gadgets that go “on” and “off.” Depending on which analysts you talk to, forecasts range from estimates of seeing 25 billion to 50 billion connected devices worldwide by 2020, but IoT pundits also point to the challenges ahead in cost and energy use.

This week’s attention-getting version of a mind-controlled robotic device comes in the form of an Emotiv EPOC BCI headset controlling a robotic arm with a system smart enough to move the arm using simple movements such as a clenched jaw or wink of the eye. University of Toronto student Ryan Mintz and his team connected an Emotiv EPOC BCI headset to a robotic arm, which responded to the brainwaves captured by the headset

To quote the American cartoonist Gary Larson: all things play a role in nature, even the lowly worm—but perhaps never in such a visually stunning way as that presented in two papers published today in the open access journals GigaScience and PLOS ONE. The work and data presented here provide the first-ever comparative study of earthworm morphology and anatomy using a 3D non-invasive imaging technique called micro-computed tomography (or microCT), which digitizes worm structures.

Japanese power company, Power Japan Plus has announced the development of a new type of battery intended for use in automobiles and other applications, the Ryden or dual carbon battery. The company claims the battery charges 20 times faster than current lithium ion batteries, doesn’t heat up, so it doesn’t require cooling and is cost competitive with other current batteries used in cars and trucks