A spider-shaped biohybrid robot is driven by natural impulses from a fungusCornell University Autonomous vehicles are often considered safer than human drivers, but would you feel comfortable with a mushroom in control? A new type of "biohybrid" robot is designed to move based on signals from a fungus's nervous system. A few decades of human engineering...
Credit: Depositphotos Scientists have developed a 'living plastic' that self-destructs when it starts to erode. During composting, this innovative material breaks down in just a month, whereas conventional plastics can take up to 55 days to decompose under similar conditions. This promising technology is inspired by plastic-degrading proteins, naturally produced by a type of bacteria discovered...
Scientists have discovered why humans no longer have tails© iStock About 25 million years ago, an evolutionary divergence happened between our ancestors—the early humans and apes—and monkeys, leading to the loss of tails in our lineage. The specific genetic mutation behind this change, however, has been unknown until recently. In a recent study published in Nature, scientists...
George Cove stands with his third solar array. From "Generating electricity by the sun's rays" Popular Electricity, volume 2, nr. 12, April 1910 "From a New York rooftop in the 1800s to their debut in space. From tales of kidnappings and bribery to a world-altering inkwell mishap… Solar panels stand as one of humanity's greatest inventions,...
Some parts of the brain tend to atrophy and deform in concert with other regions. Credit: Zephyr/SPL A comprehensive analysis of nearly 50,000 brain scans has identified five unique patterns of brain atrophy linked to aging and neurodegenerative diseases. The study also connected these patterns to lifestyle factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption, as...
Artist’s impression of an inhabited exoplanet. (NASA/Jay Freidlander) Given the Milky Way's age and size, we would expect to find intelligent civilizations scattered throughout. But where are they? A recent study suggests these civilizations might be so advanced that we simply can't detect them. Reevaluating the Detection of Extraterrestrial Life If extraterrestrials were observing Earth, they might...
This generative image illustrates the discovery that the brain stores memories in three parallel copies Similar to a computer system with built-in redundancies, a study has discovered that the brain uses three distinct sets of neurons to store a single memory. This finding might eventually aid in alleviating painful memories for those who have experienced...
The Finder TW2 can capture the cosmos in 48-megapixel photos or 4K video, with AI onboard to help keep things sharpBeaverlab Stargazing can be both complex and costly, but Beaverlab aims to simplify and reduce the expense with the Finder TW2, a user-friendly telescope that claims to be the world’s first AI-powered planetary camera. Beaverlab, known...
Credit: Pixabay The world's climate is at a critical juncture, with uncertain outcomes. A new climate model indicates that exceeding the Paris Agreement's primary target for global warming could trigger a chain of tipping points, making recovery extremely difficult, if not impossible. On our current climate path, there's up to a 45 percent chance of surpassing...
Selective serotonin releasing agent is not negated by 5-HT1A supersensitivity, resulting in a rapid onset of pro-serotonergic activity. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50394-x According to a new study in Nature Communications, increasing serotonin can alter how people learn from negative information and enhance their response to it. Researchers from the University of Oxford's Department of Psychiatry and...
