Phys.org, Author at Spotlight Magazine

Amoeba-inspired method could enable energy-efficient hardware for complex optimization

Combinatorial optimization problems are ubiquitous, underpinning decision-making in a wide range of fields, including logistics, transportation, communication networks, drug discovery and materials science. However, these problems are computationally expensive, especially for conventional computing systems. As […]

No sick days? How remote work is changing the way we work when ill

Working from home and digital technology may be making it easier for employees to work while ill and blurring the boundaries between work and home, according to a new study.This post was originally published on […]

AI robot trains teachers to handle heated issues

Researchers at La Trobe University are using a robot driven by artificial intelligence (AI) to better prepare teachers to deal with challenging conversations in schools.This post was originally published on this site

Comet 220P McNaught puts on an encore performance

It has been a busy month for astronomy. In the midst of an eclipse season bookended by the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12 and the deep partial lunar eclipse coming up this week on […]

Parents are increasingly abusive toward teachers and principals. How can schools respond?

Some private schools have begun asking parents to sign a code of conduct to try to stop abusive behavior toward teachers.This post was originally published on this site

What has the return‑to‑office movement taught us? People, not technology, help companies get ahead

We like to believe that whatever ails a company can be fixed by digitizing it. And technology is easy to swap. Rip out the old system, bolt in the new one, declare yourself modern. But […]

Human rights expert explains why labor trafficking often hides in plain sight

It can happen in fields, restaurants, hotels and construction sites—a type of human trafficking often hiding in plain sight and receiving far less media coverage. Labor trafficking is a human rights violation in which individuals […]

Appropriated racial oppression shapes Black parents’ socialization of children

Black parents who experienced higher levels of appropriated racial oppression—defined as shaping one’s behavior and self-concept around dominant cultural norms of whiteness—were less likely to transmit positive, culturally protective messages that affirmed racial pride and […]

Support groups for parents halved violence against children in wartime Ukraine, trial finds

Ukrainian parents who joined a support group program called “Hope Groups,” designed for families living through the war, reported that violence against children was cut in half and that they had less than half the […]

Physics Ph.D. student develops AI tools to tackle industry ‘bottleneck’

Nonuniformities can be a big deal on a manufacturing line. But they can be tough to identify in materials measured on a nanometer scale, as Alex Bordovalos came to appreciate during an internship with a […]