he 67-mm-long (2.6-in) demonstrator robot, with a paper clip for scaleThe University of EdinburghSoft-bodied robots offer tremendous potential, but they’re often limited to small-scale, experimental production. A group of researchers from Scotland aims to change that by introducing a 3D-printed soft robot that is fabricated in a single, continuous process—and remarkably, walks off the...
Credit: DepositphotosPredicting volcanic eruptions is a crucial science that can save many lives, and recent research suggests that the color of tree leaves near volcanoes might serve as an early warning sign before an eruption occurs.Magma, Carbon Dioxide, and Greener LeavesAs volcanic activity intensifies and magma rises closer to the Earth’s surface, the amount...
Image Credits:gizmodoThere’s just something about robots that makes people want to kick them—whether it's for testing or just for fun. Sure, the kicking serves a technical purpose, but let’s face it, it’s the act itself that’s oddly satisfying. Still, constantly kicking and punching robots is exhausting—not to mention impractical. But it’s 2025 now, and...
Image Credits: RivrMost delivery automation ends at the curb, but Veho and Swiss robotics startup Rivr are tackling the more difficult final 100 yards—from the van to the doorstep.Austin Pilot to Test Rivr’s Stair-Climbing Delivery RobotLaunching this week in Austin, a pilot program will deploy Rivr’s four-wheeled, stair-climbing robot—described by CEO Marko Bjelonic as...
(NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Chris Smith)Binary star systems—two stars gravitationally bound and circling a shared center—are far from unusual, with over half the stars in our galaxy belonging to such pairs or multi-star groups.Diverse Duos with Dramatic InteractionsThese stellar duos often differ significantly in mass, luminosity, and size, and the gravitational dynamics between them...
Credit: DepositphotosTwo decades ago, the U.S. Congress tasked NASA with identifying 90% of near-Earth asteroids that could pose a threat. Since then, the agency has made progress tracking objects that orbit the Sun and pass within 1.3 astronomical units of Earth.A New Threat Emerging Near VenusHowever, a new area of concern is emerging: astronomers...
Dr. Luke Woodford (left) and Prof. Richard Quilliam, with a basket full o' caged microbeadsUniversity of StirlingAlthough people often associate microplastics with environmental hazards, researchers now propose that these particles can actually serve a useful role by helping detect sewage contamination in waterways.Turning a Weakness into a StrengthOne of the main concerns about microplastic...
Credit: DepositphotosThere are moments in life when you realize the world has changed — and you didn’t even notice. That moment came for me when I imagined what my grandmother, who passed away at 95, would say to a new kind of "companion": a half-meter-tall robot with LED eyes and a gentle voice reminding...
This footage capturing the rat scampering across a log over a stream is the first recording in existenceFrantišek Vejmělka/Biology Centre CAsA rare, large nocturnal rodent living in mountainous regions has been filmed and photographed for the first time — an impressive milestone for zoology, comparable to winning the scientific lottery. The animal had only...
Landmark treatment could not just manage spinal injury but repair itGenerated by DALL-EA major breakthrough in spinal cord injury treatment is on the horizon. For the first time, a regenerative stem cell therapy has been authorized to begin a Phase I clinical trial, with the potential to address a condition that has, until now,...
