Scientists used machine learning to reveal new scientific knowledge hidden in old research papers.

Using just the language in millions of old scientific papers, a machine learning algorithm was able to make completely new scientific discoveries.

In a study published in Nature on July 3, researchers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory used an algorithm called Word2Vec sift through scientific papers for connections humans had missed. Their algorithm then spit out predictions for possible thermoelectric materials, which convert heat to energy and are used in many heating and cooling applications.