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Beyond silicon: An indium selenide roadmap for ultra-low-power AI and quantum computing

A research team led by Prof. Seunguk Song from the Department of Energy Science at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), in collaboration with the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), the University of Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, has developed a comprehensive technical roadmap for two-dimensional (2D) indium selenides (InSe)—a key material for next-generation low-power and quantum computing.

The study, titled “Indium selenides for next-generation electronics and optoelectronics,” was published in Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering. This research provides a deep dive into the physical properties and device applications of 2D quantum semiconductors, which are viewed as a definitive alternative to silicon as it reaches its physical scaling limits.

As current silicon-based semiconductors shrink to the sub-nanometer scale, they face critical hurdles such as surging power consumption, overheating, and leakage current. To address these challenges, Professor Song’s team focused on InSe, an atomically thin material.

A perfectly balanced atom just broke one of nuclear physics’ biggest rules

Physicists have discovered a surprising new “Island of Inversion” in a place no one expected: among nuclei where the number of protons equals the number of neutrons. For decades, these strange regions—where atomic nuclei abandon their usual orderly structure and become strongly deformed—were thought to exist only in highly neutron-rich isotopes far from stability. But experiments on molybdenum isotopes revealed that molybdenum-84 behaves dramatically differently from its close neighbor molybdenum-86, even though they differ by just two neutrons.

Scientists Shocked to Find Two Hidden Species for Every One We Know

Scientists may have been dramatically undercounting the number of vertebrate species on Earth. A large analysis of more than 300 studies suggests that for every recognized species of fish, bird, mammal, reptile, or amphibian, there may be two additional “cryptic” species that look almost identica

Scientists have created a leather clothing alternative made entirely from mushrooms that looks and feels like the real thing

Austria’s scientists have created a leather made from mycelium. Growing mushrooms in low-oxygen chambers allows researchers to craft an alternative material that feels and looks like traditional leather. The finished textile is strong, flexible, and even fire-resistant.

Manufacturers grow the material instead of harvesting it from animals. After it reaches the desired thickness, they apply non-toxic enzymes to keep it fully biodegradable. The vegetative part of the fungus grows into a dense mat over a matter of days. Above all, it avoids the environmental impact of traditional leather production…

…This is not science fiction; fungal fabric has grown from a curiosity into reality. A 2025 report listed the benefits of mushroom leather as having a lower carbon footprint. It begins with a substantial reduction in water use. Growing mushrooms, compared to raising cattle, requires a fraction of the water.


Scientists created a mushroom leather made from mycelium that looks and feels like traditional leather. It’s grown in a matter of days.

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