‘Brainless’ robot can navigate complex obstacles
Researchers who created a soft robot that could navigate simple mazes without human or computer direction have now built on that work, creating a “brainless” soft robot that can navigate…
These worms have rhythm | ScienceDaily
There’s a rhythm to developing life. Growing from a tiny cell cluster into an adult organism takes precise timing and control. The right genes must turn on at the right…
Study hints at the existence of the closest black holes to Earth in the Hyades star cluster
A paper published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society hints at the existence of several black holes in the Hyades cluster — the closest open cluster…
Fiber from crustaceans, insects, and mushrooms promotes digestion
Who can forget the stomach-churning moments when “Survivor” contestants forced down crunchy insects, among other unappetizing edibles, for a chance to win $1 million? In daring culinary challenges, the TV…
Grasping entropy: Teachers and students investigate thermodynamics through a hands-on model
Though a cornerstone of thermodynamics, entropy remains one of the most vexing concepts to teach budding physicists in the classroom. As a result, many people oversimplify the concept as the…
Toddlers learn to reason logically before they learn to speak, study finds
How do we learn to speak during childhood or how do we acquire knowledge about the world around us? Toddlers’ social interactions in their social and family environment and in…
Atomic-scale spin-optical laser: New horizon of optoelectronic devices
Researchers at the Technion — Israel Institute of Technology have developed a coherent and controllable spin-optical laser based on a single atomic layer. This discovery is enabled by coherent spin-dependent…
Extreme El Niño weather saw South America’s forest carbon sink switch off
Hot and dry conditions resulted in increased tree death Evidence that most forest areas withstand periods of severe drought Greatest impact in forests with drier climates Tropical forests in South…
Di-isononyl phthalate disrupts pregnancy in mice, study finds
We are constantly exposed to phthalates in our environment through plastic products such as storage containers, medical devices, packages, fabrics, and toys. Specifically, di-isononyl phthalate is inevitably becoming a part…
Antarctic ice shelves thinner than previously thought
As global ice dams begin to weaken due to warming temperatures, a new study suggests that prior attempts to evaluate the mass of the huge floating ice shelves that line…