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IFAI

University of Rochester

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  1. ResearchReach 36

    Solar desalination turns ocean water into drinking water and battery metals

    University of Rochester researchers just developed a solar-thermal desalination technique using laser-etched black metal that purifies seawater without producing toxic brine waste. The superwicking surface leverages the coffee-ring effect to push salts aside as reusable solids rather than dumping them back into the sea. It opens up an energy-efficient path to fresh drinking water while harvesting battery-grade lithium directly from ocean salts.

  2. ResearchReach 33

    AI spots Parkinson's from a single sentence with 85.7% accuracy

    University of Rochester researchers just developed an AI system that detects Parkinson’s disease simply by listening to someone read "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." Combining three speech models via a web mic, it hit 85.7% accuracy—topping non-specialist doctors. While it could bring early screening to smart speakers, it still carries a 25% false negative rate and currently only supports English.