To Make A Better Sensor, Just Add Noise Monday 7th September 2020 Penn State researchers made novel light sensor based on the 2D compound semiconductor material MoS 2 Adding noise to enhance a weak signal is a sensing phenomenon common in the animal world but unusual in manmade sensors. Now Penn State researchers have added a small amount of background noise to enhance very weak signals in a light source too dim to sense. In contrast to most sensors, for which noise is a problem that should be suppressed, they found that adding just the right amount of background noise can actually increase a signal too weak for sensing by normal sensors, to a level that can reach detectability. Although their sensor, based on the 2D compound semiconductor MoS 2 , detects light, the same principle can be used to detect other signals, and because it requires very little energy and space compared to conventional sensors, could find wide adaptation in the coming Internet of Things (IoT). IoT will dep...