Our [recently published research](https://ojs.aaai.org/index.php/IASEAI/article/view/43031) finds that large language models (LLMs) may withdraw from conversations with users who are giving signals of suicide risk, which cuts against clinical best practice. We also showed that an LLM's alignment with other clinical best practices may vary over the course of a conversation, becoming more consistent in some ways but less consistent in others.

The Partnership for Assurance, Credibility & Trust on AI exists to catalyze and steward the AI assurance ecosystem, aligning assurance practices with real-world needs, advancing coherent policy, and creating the public goods trustworthy AI requires.

Wildfires are becoming larger and more destructive as they burn. Learn about Chemical Insights' studies on wildfire smoke and human health.

UL Research Institutes today announced that Chao-Yang Wang, Ph.D., an internationally recognized leader in battery science, electrochemical energy systems, and energy storage safety, has been app...

Researchers studied burning characteristics of EVs and gas vehicles; compared common suppression techniques; and measured air, surface, water, and fire equipment contamination

Considerations to keep in mind as both air quality and air pollution are back in the news as wildfires continue to burn.

Get evidence-based EV battery fire response tactics covering thermal runaway, toxic exposure, and reignition risks.

PDF | The accidental release of high-pressure hydrogen into air can result in spontaneous ignition without an external ignition source, presenting a... | Find, read and cite all the research you need ...

YouTube video by UL Research Institutes

A component-resolved lithium inventory framework quantitatively tracks Li redistribution across the cell in anode-free NMC622||Cu pouch cells throughout cycling. Three sequential degradation stages a...

YouTube video by UL Research Institutes

PDF | High-pressure hydrogen (H2) leaks can generate under-expanded jets that may remain unignited, ignite transiently, or develop into sustained jet... | Find, read and cite all the research you need...

Thermal runaway (TR) remains the most critical failure mode in commercial batteries, yet its initiation and propagation in large-format cells are not adequately captured by conventional material- and ...

Elizabeth Smith’s engineering career has spanned 40 years — from working for NASA’s Space Station Program to advancing safety science at UL Research Institutes.

<mode:delivery=breezy> Graduates! Members of the faculty. Graduates! Distinguished guests.

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) with lithium metal anodes promise to offer high energy densities, enabling applications such as long-range electric vehicles and electric aviation. While various challenges related to transport, chemomechanics, and interfacial morphology have been extensively investigated, the thermal stability of the underlying solid/solid interfaces still requires comprehensive assessment. In this Perspective, we present mechanistic insights into the coupled influence of electrode–electrolyte interactions, heterogeneities, and gas-evolution dynamics in governing distinct thermal instability pathways in inorganic SSBs. The critical role of interphase chemistry and lithium morphology in thermal runaway at the anode/solid electrolyte interface and cathode-driven phenomena such as oxygen release, state-of-charge effects, pressure buildup, and crosstalk reactions are discussed. We further examine how operating conditions including pressure, current density, temperature, and moisture exposure modulate thermo-kinetic pathways and the exothermic behavior of SSBs. Key scientific gaps are identified, providing a foundation for future research toward the development of thermally stable and safe SSBs.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are promising for large-scale energy storage, owing to their resource abundance and low cost. However, long-term stability is constrained by complex interfacial interactions and microstructural degradation. This study investigates the mechanistic coupling between anode composition, electrolyte chemistry, and solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) evolution in full-cell SIBs employing sodium vanadium phosphate (NVP) cathodes. Pure tin (Sn), hard carbon (HC), and Sn–HC composite anodes were systematically evaluated with carbonate ester- and ether-based electrolytes. Microscopic and spectroscopic analyses reveal that Sn-rich electrodes undergo significant pulverization and unstable SEI formation, whereas HC maintains structural integrity and forms kinetically stable SEI. On the other hand, the Sn–HC composite mitigates Sn’s mechanical degradation while enhancing capacity retention. Electrochemical analysis highlights the critical role of electrolyte choice in modulating redox reversibility and interfacial integrity. Accelerating rate calorimetry (ARC) links interphase behavior to distinct thermal decomposition pathways and self-heating rate. These findings provide mechanistic insights into the electro-chemo-mechanical degradation processes dictating the long-term stability and thermal safety of SIBs.

The 2026 ChicagoCIO ORBIE® Awards finalists have been named. Winners will be announced May 8 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown, honoring CIO leadership and innovation.

The 2026 ChicagoCIO ORBIE® Awards finalists have been named. Winners will be announced May 8 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown, honoring CIO leadership and innovation.

As lithium-ion batteries approach their theoretical capacity limits, lithium metal batteries (LMBs) have emerged as promising candidates for next-generation energy storage, offering substantially high...

What is the WUI? Learn 9 vital truths about how human activity and new materials are fueling increasingly destructive wildfires in the built environment.

How safe are the batteries in your e-bike or vape pen? Discover the risks of counterfeit lithium-ion cells and what you can do to stay safe.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are gaining traction as an emerging contender for sustainable and cost-effective energy storage, due to the abundance and low cost of sodium resources. Although notable adv...