When we think of a flock of flamingos, we usually picture their long pink legs standing in shallow water and their heads down as they feed. While it may seem calm, there’s actually a flurry of activity underwater. With their webbed feet and uniquely angled beaks, flamingos create swirling mini-tornadoes to trap prey. A recent […]
Flamingos Stir up Whirlpools with their Feet and Beaks to Catch Prey Read More »
If you’re looking for a reason to shut down your laptop for the weekend or cut back on overtime, here’s some scientific insight: working long hours can actually alter areas of the brain that are responsible for emotional regulation, working memory, and problem-solving. While the physical and mental toll of overworking is well known, the
Brain Structure Changes In People Who Work Long Hours Read More »
Researchers have been using fungi to create innovative materials, such as fire-resistant insulation for buildings and even 3D-printed batteries. A New Approach to Mycelium-Based Materials Now, one of the scientists involved in this line of research, Dr. Gustav Nyström, along with Ashutosh Sinha from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA), have
New Fungus-based Material is Biodegradable, Edible… and Alive Read More »
It weighs just 7 kilograms, but it’s powered by an AI trained with over 8,000 hours of professional tennis experience. The Tenniix robotic tennis coach adjusts to your skill level and reacts to your every move. You might remember when Deep Blue beat world chess champion Garry Kasparov — but forget that. In tennis, AI
Goodbye Human Coaches The Future of Tennis May Be in This Robot’s Hands Read More »
Researchers in the Netherlands have developed innovative mechanical structures that, surprisingly, contract — or more precisely, snap inward — rather than expand when pulled. The Science Behind the Phenomenon While it may sound counterintuitive, this unexpected behavior is the result of a creative approach that combines geometry and mechanics, devised by scientists at the AMOLF
Watch: New Structures Shrink Instead of Stretching When Pulled Read More »
While it’s easy to recognize when we’re under intense stress, identifying low-level, chronic stress that lingers in the background is much more challenging. To help with this, researchers at Tufts University have developed a new type of dental floss that can analyze your saliva and provide insight into your stress levels. The Biological Impact of
This Dental Floss Can Reveal Your Stress Levels Read More »
While soft-bodied robots are often simple and cost-effective, their movement typically relies on complex electronic systems. That’s not the case with a new model developed by researchers at the AMOLF institute in the Netherlands, which harnesses a physical principle to move its inflatable legs automatically. Innovative Design Using Inflatable Tubes The robot, created by Alberto
Air-powered Robot Uses Physics Instead Of Circuits To Walk On “Tube Legs” Read More »
Standing under 1.5 inches tall—about the height of a LEGO minifigure—the world’s smallest self-contained bipedal robot can start on its own, walk over half a mile per hour, turn, skip, and climb small steps using only its built-in battery, actuator, and control system. Nicknamed “Zippy” by its creators, the robot is the latest development from
Tiny self-Powered Robot Breaks Speed, Agility Record with Simple Design Read More »
After discovering the blood vessels responsible for finger wrinkles in water, young readers of The Conversation’s Curious Kids series had more questions for scientists: “Do the wrinkles always form the same way?” one reader asked. Curiosity Sparks a Scientific Investigation “I thought, ‘I haven’t the foggiest clue!‘” recalls Guy German, a biomedical engineer from Binghamton
Why Fingers Wrinkle in Water may Finally Have an Explanation Read More »
It may sound like science fiction, but it originates from a lab in Maryland. In 2018, Liangbing Hu, a materials scientist at the University of Maryland, developed a method to transform regular wood into a material stronger than steel. At first, it appeared to be another eye-catching discovery that might never leave the lab. “People
InventWood is on the Verge of Mass-Producing Wood Stronger than Steel Read More »