Credit: PixabayStimming, short for "self-stimulatory behavior," is a self-soothing activity often observed in autistic individuals. It includes repetitive movements, sounds, or actions and is typically classified in medical literature under "rigid and repetitive behavior."This perspective often portrays stimming negatively, leading health professionals, teachers, and even parents to try to prevent it. However, stimming is...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
(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...
If you ever find yourself in the time of dinosaurs, avoid touching flowers—they might be parasitic wasps in disguise. A study of wasps trapped in amber reveals that these insects ensnared hosts for their larvae using a Venus flytrap-like appendage.
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...
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...
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...
