{
  "id": 1931686,
  "title": "Tiny quantum engines reveal useful energy hiding in “waste heat”",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/tiny-quantum-engines-reveal-useful-energy-hiding-in-waste-heat",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-19T11:49:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ScienceDaily",
    "slug": "sciencedaily",
    "url": "https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260819041222.htm"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "A tiny machine made from just an atom and particles of light may sound impossibly simple, but it raises a surprisingly difficult question: what counts as heat, and what energy can still do useful work? University of Basel researchers have developed a theoretical framework that brings quantum physics and thermodynamics into better agreement for these microscopic “light engines.”",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}