research and development

Concrete underlies nearly every modern city’s infrastructure—from skyscrapers and highways to bridges and sidewalks. Yet its primary binding agent, Portland cement, accounts for an estimated 7–8 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. As governments, companies, and researchers pursue decarbonization strategies, reimagining concrete’s composition emerges as a critical frontier. A recent collaboration between the Olivetti Group and MIT’s Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSHub) has turned to artificial intelligence to tackle the vast search for alternative cementitious materials. Their results, published in Nature Communications Materials on May 17, outline a data-driven framework that combs through scientific literature and geochemical databases to identify viable replacements for cement. By pairing AI-powered text mining with experimental insights, the team has charted a path toward more sustainable, circular concrete that could dramatically cut emissions and costs—without compromising durability or strength.

Green hydrogen—hydrogen produced via water electrolysis powered by renewable energy—emerges as a cornerstone of a decarbonized future. It serves as both an energy carrier and a raw material, enabling industries to transition away from fossil fuels. By relying on electricity generated from solar or wind farms, green hydrogen production can be nearly climate-neutral. However, large-scale deployment faces a persistent challenge: the need for efficient, low-cost catalysts to drive the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at both electrodes of an electrolyzer. Until recently, precious metals such as iridium and platinum were the benchmarks for catalytic activity. Their scarcity and exorbitant cost impede the widespread adoption of green hydrogen. Consequently, research efforts have pivoted toward catalysts comprised of earth-abundant elements.

NASA engineers are testing a revolutionary ultralight antenna made from aerogel—one of the lightest solid materials on Earth—to improve satellite communications for future aircraft, drones, and air taxis.

A team of physicists from the Australian National University (ANU) has unveiled a novel device that could transform the future of high-precision rotation measurements and open new frontiers in the search for exotic physics, including dark matter.

High-performance computing (HPC) systems—advanced computing infrastructures that deliver massive processing power—are increasingly critical in fields such as scientific research, engineering, defense, and artificial intelligence (AI). However, technical challenges and geopolitical competition are shaping the future of HPC, according to a new Policy Forum published by Ewa Deelman and colleagues in the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).