Data Digest: Top Trending News Headlines in the Field of Information Technology

In the realm of science and technology, researchers across the globe are pushing boundaries and making significant strides in various fields. Here are some of the latest developments that are making headlines.

Firstly, a team of theoretical chemists at Linköping University in Sweden have created a groundbreaking molecule capable of capturing and storing solar energy. This molecule, when perfected, could potentially revolutionise the renewable energy sector.

Across the pond, researchers from the University of Toronto in Canada and Carnegie Mellon University are leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to transform waste carbon into a commercially valuable product. By finding the quickest chemical catalyst to convert carbon dioxide to ethylene using a machine learning model, they aim to contribute to the fight against climate change.

In a separate study, researchers from the University of Cambridge, IBM Research, and EPFL used machine learning to understand the mysterious transformation of hydrogen inside giant planets. Under extreme pressure conditions, hydrogen changes smoothly and gradually into a dense metallic hydrogen, which behaves like an electrical conductor.

In the healthcare sector, researchers from Boston University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed two AI models to reduce hospital readmissions. One model predicts the likelihood of a patient being readmitted within a 30-day period, while the second model offers personalised treatment recommendations based on a patient's likelihood for readmission.

Meanwhile, the Road and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai is using AI and machine learning algorithms to plan bus routes that save time for riders. By analysing data from electronic ticketing cards used on public transport, the RTA was able to determine which bus stops were busy all-day, experienced peak hours, or were hardly used. Based on this analysis, the RTA created express bus routes that skipped or eliminated specific stops, saving 13 percent of the time that would have been wasted at unnecessary stops.

Lastly, the company named Medallia collaborates with the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs to improve the mental health of veterans using artificial intelligence. Although details about their work are not yet publicly available, it's clear that AI is playing an increasingly important role in addressing critical issues facing our society.

In a remarkable demonstration of the solar molecule's potential, researchers used a supercomputer to simulate the molecule undergoing chemical reactions and showed it absorbing energy from sunlight and remaining energy-rich and stable within 200 femtoseconds. This rapid response could make the molecule a promising candidate for solar energy storage.

As these developments show, AI and machine learning are transforming industries, from renewable energy to healthcare, transportation, and beyond. The future is undoubtedly exciting, and we can expect to see even more groundbreaking discoveries in the years to come.