Your Next Password Could Be a Piece of Plastic

via Gizmodo

Forget fingerprints or two factor authentication, scientists may have figured out a way to log into a computer with a synthetic molecule.

In the new study published in the Cell Press journal Chem, researchers were able to store and decode an 11-character password encoded in the molecular makeup of a piece of plastic. The technology could help us meet our growing demand for energy-intensive long term data storage, the scientists suggest.

“Molecules can store information for very long periods without needing power. Nature has given us the proof of principle that this works,” said study co-author Praveen Pasupathy, an electrical engineer at the University of Texas at Austin in a statement from Cell Press. “This is the first attempt to write information in a building block of a plastic that can then be read back using electrical signals, which takes us a step closer to storing information in an everyday material.”

Read the full story here: https://gizmodo.com/your-next-password-could-be-a-piece-of-plastic-2000602412

Why polymer solar cells deserve their place in the sun

via EurekAlert

Polymer solar cells may lag behind traditional silicon solar cells in longevity and efficiency, but could ultimately power autonomous remote sensors and wearable technology.

Unlike traditional silicon solar cells, organic polymer solar cells (PSCs) may never cover the hillsides of a megawatt solar farm. But, these lightweight, flexible cells show potential to provide solar power to remote microwatt sensors, wearable technology and the Wi-Fi-connected appliances constituting the “internet of things.”

Read the full story here: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/aiop-wps021618.php