Science

Brain Waves Transformed into Spoken Words in AI Breakthrough for Paralysis

Researchers from UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco connect their subject Ann's brain implant to the voice synthesizer computerNoah Berger / UC RegentsResearchers from California have created an AI-driven system that enables paralyzed individuals to speak naturally in real time, using their own voices.The innovative technology developed by teams from the University of California,...

Mudball Meteorite Spent 2 Million Years Dodging Collisions – Until Eart

This 146-gram (5.15-ounce) stone is on loan to the Buseck Center for Meteorite Studies from Michael FarmerArizona State University/SETI InstituteOne of the most extensively studied space rocks has recently surprised scientists once again. The "mudball meteorite" Aguas Zarcas, which spent two million years in orbit without colliding with any other objects (or sustaining any...

New ‘Fire-and-Ice’ Phase of Matter Discovered in a Magnet

Credit: PixabayA newly discovered state of matter has emerged within a previously identified exotic phase in a magnetic compound.In 2016, physicists Weiguo Yin, Christopher Roth, and Alexei Tsvelik from Brookhaven National Laboratory identified a unique "half-fire, half-ice" spin-state phase in Sr₃CuIrO₆, a compound of strontium, copper, iridium, and oxygen. Now, they have uncovered its...

Record-breaking Tiny Robot Offloads Electronics To Fly By Magnetism

This is claimed to be the world's smallest untethered flying robot – two minuscule magnets get inserted in the ring visible at the topAdam Lau/Berkeley EngineeringScientists claim to have developed the world’s smallest untethered flying robot, using a unique approach to its design. To minimize size and weight, they moved the robot’s power and...

Study Finds Chewing Gum Releases Hundreds of Microplastics in Your Mouth

(pixelshot/Canva)Chewing gum releases hundreds of plastic fragments into the mouth, researchers found, adding to concerns about microplastic exposure.A study analyzed saliva after chewing various gum brands, revealing each gram released around 100 microplastic fragments—some over 600. Frequent chewers could ingest up to 30,000 microplastics annually.However, lead researcher Sanjay Mohanty emphasized that chewing gum is...

Air-powered Hexapod Robot is 3D-printed in One Soft and Flexible Piece

Yichen Zhai and his six-legged creationDavid Baillot/University of California San DiegoWhile most people imagine robots as complex electronic devices, made up of several parts that need to be assembled in factories, a new experimental non-electronic robot has been designed to be 3D-printed in one single piece and is powered entirely by air.The soft-bodied robot...

Researchers Challenge Their Own Findings by Generating Power From Earth’s Rotation

Credit: PixabayResearchers harness tiny voltage from Earth's rotation, revealing a potential new energy source.The foundation for this research dates back to 2016 when Princeton astrophysicist Christopher Chyba and JPL planetary scientist Kevin Hand initially argued that such energy generation was impossible. However, as they revisited their own conclusions, they began to question the assumptions...

Drug For Rare Disease Turns Human Blood Into Mosquito Poison

Scientists have proposed an innovative approach to control mosquito populations and combat malaria: adding a drug to human blood that is toxic to insects, so that when mosquitoes feed on this blood, it marks their last meal.The drug in question is nitisinone, and a proof-of-concept study led by a team from the Liverpool School...

People in Japan Respect Robots and AI More Than Those in the West Societies

Credit: PixabayPicture an automated delivery vehicle racing to complete a grocery drop-off as you rush to meet friends for a long-anticipated dinner. You both reach a busy intersection simultaneously. Do you pause to let it navigate the turn, or do you expect it to yield, even if traffic rules suggest it should go first?Navigating...