Locating people swept away

IIAMA - UPV has developed an innovative tool based on the hydraulic power of the current, which has aided in the search for people missing after the DANA and in emergency management

Universitat Politècnica de València

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A study led by Francisco Vallés Morán, a researcher at the Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (IIAMA) at the Universitat Politècnica de València, has analysed in detail the flooding caused by the DANA on 29 October 2024 in l'Horta Sud (Valencia) using advanced two-dimensional hydraulic modelling techniques.

The study, published in Cuadernos de Geografía of the University of Valencia, accurately reproduces the dynamics of the event, the extent of the flooding and the overflowing flows that caused serious material and human damage.

Using public information and open-access tools, the research has enabled the reconstruction of the hydraulic behaviour of the Poyo–Torrent and Poçalet–Saleta ravine systems, including extreme flow velocities, arrival times at the affected towns, and depths exceeding four metres in some urban areas.

'The results show the extraordinary speed and violence of the episode, with speeds of up to 8 m/s and response times of less than an hour between the headwaters and the most densely populated areas,' says the IIAMA Research.

Main conclusions

The study confirms that hydraulic modelling reproduces the reality observed during the storm with sufficient reliability, both in terms of the extent of flooding and water levels, as well as the temporal evolution of the process. In addition, it highlights the decisive role of certain transport infrastructures, such as the V-31 motorway, which generated backwater effects and contributed to worsening the flooding upstream.

'The results also show the consistency between the overtopping flows and the historical geomorphology of the territory, shaped by paleochannels and areas of natural water accumulation, which reinforces the robustness of the analysis carried out,' highlights Research Francisco Vallés.

Innovation: a tool for locating missing people

One of the main innovative elements of the work is the development of a tool based on the hydraulic power of the current as an indicator of its carrying capacity.

This approach enables the identification of the trajectories of the most energetic overtopping flows, specifically the areas where this energy is dissipated, which are the most likely to accumulate people or objects carried away by the flood.

"This methodology was applied during the October 2024 episode and proved useful to the emergency services, facilitating the search for missing people. The tool, which can be exported in georeferenced formats for direct use, represents a significant advance in the application of hydraulic knowledge to emergency management," says Professor Vallés.

Additionally, the results offer valuable insights for evaluating existing infrastructure and developing adaptation strategies in response to the increasingly frequent and intense events associated with climate change.

For all these reasons, the work demonstrates that applied hydraulic science can play a key role not only in flood risk planning and prevention but also in operational response during emergencies.

'The possibility of having reliable simulations in near real time opens up new avenues for improving decision-making, optimising the search for missing persons and, potentially, saving human lives in future extreme events,' he concludes.

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DOI

10.7203/CGUV.114-15.32121 

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Simulación hidráulica de la inundación y flujos desbordados en la DANA del 29 de octubre de 2024 en l’Horta Sud (Valencia)

 

Generative AI does not just hallucinate at us, it can hallucinate with us, study warns

University of Exeter

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When generative AI systems produce false information, this is often framed as AI “hallucinating at us”—generating errors that we might mistakenly accept as true.

But a new study argues we should pay attention to a more dynamic phenomenon: how we can come to hallucinate with AI.

Lucy Osler, from the University of Exeter, analyses troubling ways in which human-AI interactions can lead to inaccurate beliefs, distorted memories and self-narratives, and delusional thinking. Drawing on distributed cognition theory, the study analyses cases where users' false beliefs were actively affirmed by and built upon through interactions with AI as conversational partners.

Dr Osler said: “When we routinely rely on generative AI to help us think, remember, and narrate, we can hallucinate with AI. This can happen when AI introduces errors into the distributed cognitive process, but also happen when AI sustains, affirms, and elaborates on our own delusional thinking and self-narratives.

“By interacting with conversational AI, people's own false beliefs can not only be affirmed but can more substantially take root and grow as the AI builds upon them. This happens because Generative AI often takes our own interpretation of reality as the ground upon which conversation is built.

“Interacting with generative AI is having a real impact on people’s grasp of what is real or not. The combination of technological authority and social affirmation creates an ideal environment for delusions to not merely persist but to flourish”

The study identifies what Dr Osler calls the “dual function” of conversational AI. These systems operate both as cognitive tools that help us think and remember, and as apparent conversational partners who seem to share our world. This second function is significant: unlike a notebook or search engine which merely record our thoughts, chatbots can provide a sense of social validation of our realities.

Dr Osler said: “The conversational, companion-like nature of chatbots means they can provide a sense of social validation—making false beliefs feel shared with another, and thereby more real.”

Dr Osler analysed real cases where Generative AI system’s become a distributed part of the cognitive processes of someone clinically diagnosed with delusional thinking and hallucinations. Cases that are increasingly referred to as instances of “AI-induced psychosis”.

The study suggests that Generative AI offers distinctive features that make it concerning for sustaining delusional realities. AI companions are immediately accessible and are already designed to be ‘like-minded’ to their users through personalization algorithms and sycophantic tendencies. There is no need to seek out fringe communities or convince others of one's beliefs.

Unlike a person who might eventually express concern or set boundaries, an AI could provide validation for narratives of victimhood, entitlement, or revenge. Conspiracy theories could find fertile ground in which to grow, with AI companions that help users construct increasingly elaborate explanatory frameworks.

This may be particularly appealing for those who are lonely, socially isolated, or who feel unable to discuss certain experiences with others—AI companions offer a non-judgmental, emotionally responsive presence that can feel safer than human relationships.

Dr Osler said: “Through more sophisticated guard-railing, built-in fact-checking, and reduced sycophancy, AI systems could be designed to minimize the number of errors they introduce into conversations and to check and challenge user’s own inputs.

“However, a deeper worry is that AI systems are reliant on our own accounts of our lives. They simply lack the embodied experience and social embeddedness in the world to know when they should go along with us and when to push back.”

 

 

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Journal

Philosophy & Technology

DOI

10.1007/s13347-026-01034-3 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Hallucinating with AI: Distributed Delusions and “AI Psychosis”

Article Publication Date

11-Feb-2026

 

Cleaner solar manufacturing could cut global emissions by eight billion tonnes

Evidence for deploying next-generation solar panels at scale

University of Warwick

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Manufacturing next-generation solar panels could cut global carbon emissions by up to 8.2 billion tonnes by 2035, finds a new international study by researchers from the University of Warwick and Northumbria, Birmingham, and Oxford Universities.

Solar panels, known scientifically as photovoltaics (PV), convert sunlight directly into electricity and are central to global decarbonisation. But as countries race to deploy solar at multi-terawatt scale, the carbon footprint of manufacturing these devices is coming under increasing scrutiny.

At the same time, the industry is rapidly shifting from the current industry-standard design, passivated emitter rear cell (PERC), to a newer and more efficient architecture known as tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) photovoltaics. Until now, however, the full environmental implications of this transition have not been comprehensively assessed.

In new research, published in Nature Communications, the team compares the complete manufacturing lifecycle of both photovoltaic technologies to determine whether the newer TOPCon technology can reduce the environmental footprint of solar production as global deployment accelerates.

"Multi terawatt‑scale photovoltaic manufacturing demands a sharper focus on its full environmental footprint”, says Dr Nicholas Grant, Associate Professor, at University of Warwick. “Our paper shows how targeted improvements across the supply chain can deliver sustainable manufacturing at the terawatt-scale, avoiding twenty-five gigatonnes of manufacturing‑related CO₂ emissions if installed by 2035, while supporting rapid global deployment.”

Using life-cycle assessment modelling, the team found that producing the newer TOPCon panels has lower environmental impacts in fifteen out of sixteen categories as compared to the incumbent PERC technology. This includes a 6.5% reduction in climate-changing emissions per unit of electricity capacity, with increased silver consumption being the only downside as it depletes critical minerals.

The study also highlights the importance of manufacturing location for the future solar manufacturing. Producing photovoltaics using low-carbon electricity - such as in Europe - significantly reduces emissions compared with fossil-fuel-dependent grids.

Combining TOPCon adoption, manufacturing improvements, and grid decarbonisation was found to potentially reduce solar manufacturing emissions by up to 8.2 gigatonnes of CO₂ equivalent by 2035 — around 14% of current global annual emissions. In addition, photovoltaics installed between 2023 and 2035 are projected to avoid more than 25 gigatonnes of carbon emissions by replacing fossil fuel electricity.

“Solar photovoltaics is a critical technology that can be used globally now to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create energy security,” said senior author Professor Neil Beattie, Northumbria University. “This is especially important as our demand for electricity soars over the next decade driven by applications in transport, heating, and digital infrastructure for AI.

“Even when manufacturing impacts are considered, solar photovoltaics remains one of the lowest-impact and most sustainable electricity generation technologies available over its whole life cycle and we should concentrate on deploying it at scale, now.”

ENDS

The paper – ‘Maximising environmental savings from silicon photovoltaics manufacturing to 2035’ is published in nature communications. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69165-x

Notes to Editors

For more information please contact:

Matt Higgs, PhD | Media & Communications Officer (Warwick Press Office)

Email: Matt.Higgs@warwick.ac.uk | Phone: +44(0)7880 175403

Additional Quotes

Professor John Murphy, co-author and Chair of Electronic Materials at the University of Birmingham, said: “Silicon-based photovoltaic technologies have immediate relevance to the UK and already play a major role in our strive for Net Zero. This groundbreaking study originates from a new collaboration between four leading UK University research groups who intend to work on all aspects of sustainability in the photovoltaics supply chain from raw materials through to end-of-life.”

Sebastian Bonilla, Associate Professor of Materials Science at The University of Oxford and co-author, added: “We are at a critical moment where solar power is rapidly scaling to become a significant portion of global electricity generation. This work uniquely identifies the environmental impacts of the ongoing solar energy revolution, helping us guide the choices of materials, technologies, and manufacturing locations that will minimise harm while maximising the benefits of terawatt green electricity.”

About the University of Warwick

Founded in 1965, the University of Warwick is a world-leading institution known for its commitment to era-defining innovation across research and education. A connected ecosystem of staff, students and alumni, the University fosters transformative learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and bold industry partnerships across state-of-the-art facilities in the UK and global satellite hubs. Here, spirited thinkers push boundaries, experiment, and challenge convention to create a better world.

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Journal

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-026-69165-x 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Maximising environmental savings from silicon photovoltaics manufacturing to 2035

Article Publication Date

13-Feb-2026

 

Researchers want a better whiff of plant-based proteins

New system dramatically reduces reeking odors, study finds

Ohio State University

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Off-putting smells can make even the healthiest of foods unpalatable. 

In a new study, researchers have developed a way to remove unpleasant aromas from plant-based proteins to make them smell more appealing. They did so by designing a two-step fermentation process to counter the odors that typically form during cultivation and extraction. 

The study’s results showed that their approach could remove between 95 to 99% of key smells, significantly outperforming one-stage fermentation across all proteins. 

Ultimately, the work paves the way for consumers to embrace a wider variety of safe and nutritious food choices, said Sheryl Barringer, senior author of the study and a professor in food science and technology at The Ohio State University. 

“Plant-based proteins are becoming more and more popular, either as people become vegetarians or just want to reduce their meat consumption,” she said. “Consumers want that option, but they don't want to give up on the taste.” 

Most plant-based proteins, especially those produced as alternatives to milk and dairy products, naturally emit odors that can negatively affect their reception by consumers. Since smell greatly influences flavor perception, these scents, often described as beany, grassy, earthy, sulfurous or cereal-like, can make it difficult for consumers to choose healthier food alternatives. 

“Lots of factors all contribute to food preference, but it’s really hard to say I’m going to force myself to eat a product because it’s good for me, even if it tastes bad,” said Barringer. 

Still, as global demand shifts toward more sustainable, health-conscious and allergen-friendly foods, scientists are having to get creative about raising interest in plant-based proteins. Aside from their compatibility with vegan and lactose-intolerant diets, alternative proteins would likely also be beneficial for the long-term health of the global food supply, as well as help reduce the environmental impact of our food systems. 

The study was recently published in the journal Foods. 

Depending on the product, successful fermentation can take anywhere from a few hours to a whole day.. Adding the second step doesn’t overcomplicate this process, meaning that future plant-based proteins created using this team’s anti-smell method won’t cost consumers more or take longer to make, said Manpreet Kaur, lead author of the study and a PhD student in food science and technology at Ohio State. 

“We are using the same things that are used in the normal fermentation process,” said Kaur. “The only thing changed is how we utilize the bacteria.”

In the first stage of the experiment, researchers added a type of beneficial bacteria, Lactobacillus plantarum, to their microbial cultures, allowing it to ferment and begin breaking down the compounds responsible for foul smells. In stage two, they used a traditional yogurt culture containing a variety of common bacteria known for developing and modulating desirable aromas to complete the fermentation process. 

The team then applied this method to solutions containing eight different plant proteins: 9% soy, pea, chickpea, mung bean, faba bean, rice, barley-rice and hemp. In each test, human sensory evaluation results revealed consistent and often near-complete reductions in smells. 

Kaur and colleagues also found that adding certain ingredients could affect the outcome of the process. For example, while the natural sugar allulose could enhance Lactobacillus plantarum activity, strawberry preserves aided the performance of the bacteria in the yogurt. In contrast, non-fermentable additives, such as pectin, xanthan gum and oil, were introduced with only minimal effects on odor reduction.  

Overall, this work not only advances the field’s understanding of how fermentation can be used to mitigate unsavory sensory challenges, but also offers a practical solution for the development of flavorful plant-based dairy snack alternatives, the researchers say.

“There’s a real focus on people wanting to be healthier and more environmentally conscious, and a push for plant-based products instead of meat and dairy products,” said Barringer. “So I expect this area of research will absolutely continue to grow in the next many years.”

Charlotte Gray from Ohio State was also a co-author. 

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Journal

Foods

DOI

10.3390/foods15010039 

Article Title

Controlling Off-Odors in Plant Proteins Using Sequential Fermentation