New algae-based bioreactor can swallow carbon dioxide 400x faster than trees
A.I. startup Hypergiant Industries has developed a prototype algae bioreactor which promises to be 400 times more efficient than trees at sucking carbon dioxide out of the air. Here's why it could turn out to be such a game-changer when it comes to battling climate change.
The Karmic Oslo looks like an eibike Apple would design and build
Just launched on Kickstarter, the Karmic Oslo is an ebike/scooter hybrid that features very distinctive design elements that make it look like something Apple would build. The bike features a 250-watt motor, a 480 watt-hour battery, a range of 20 miles, integrated headlights and taillights, and other tech components.
Facebook hopes its new Ray-Ban smartglasses will replace your smartphone
Move over Snap Spectacles: Facebook is reportedly entering the smartglasses market with its version of augmented reality eyeware. According to reports, Facebook has partnered with Luxottica, Ray-Ban’s parent company, to develop a pair of glasses that would permanently replace smartphones.
FarmWise has built a robotic weeding machine that cuts out the chemicals
Killer robots are coming to a farm near you. Well, weed-killing robots, that is. Developed by autonomous farming robot startup FarmWise, these weed-killing machines have already removed weeds from more than 10 million plants. Now, the company has raised funds to grow its fleet.
Synthetic spider silk could help solve the world’s plastic pollution problems
Each year, Americans throw away some 35 billion plastic bottles. Could spider silk help? According to some new research carried out in Finland, it could. Researchers there have developed a new plastic alternative made of synthetic spider silk and wood fibers. Here's how it works.
Seventh person dies from vaping-related lung disease, health officials say
A seventh person has died from a vaping-related illness, authorities said, this time in California. The death comes as the Trump Administration has moved to ban flavored e-cigarettes and the CDC says that hundreds of people have contracted a lung disease linked to vaping.
NASA wins 2 Emmy Awards for InSight Lander, Demo-2 mission coverage
NASA just joined the ranks of Game of Thrones by winning two Emmy awards for its coverage of the InSight Lander and Demonstration Mission 1. NASA received the awards on Sunday from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in the Outstanding Original Interactive Program and Outstanding Interactive Program categories.
Ubco 2×2 review: Mountain goat
The Ubco 2x2 is a unique electric moped that combines high quality parts, off-road suspension, and lightweight design. The result is an approach, easy-to-ride electric steed that can handle both pavement and off-road terrain with ease. But is it worth its high MSRP?
Lime hits 100M rides globally as e-scooter services continue to expand
Scootersharing operator Lime revealed this week that it has now provided more than 100 million rides in around 120 cities globally since launching just two years ago. The app-based service, similar to ones provided by the likes of Bird, Skip, and Spin, is growing in popularity, though it doesn't come without issues.
This biotech startup wants to put your DNA in a vault on the moon
A new space and biotech startup called LifeShip wants to build a pyramid on the moon to store the DNA of every plant and creature on Earth -- yours included. Here's what you need to know about the latest audacious attempt to create a record of Earth's life as it exists today.
Watch this Rubik’s Cube solve itself while floating in mid-air
When it comes to the Rubik's Cube, the focus is usually on the time it takes to complete. But for something a little different, check out this amazing self-solving version that also happens to levitate. It won’t win any medals for speed, but surely takes gold for its sheer brilliance.
First images of mysterious interstellar comet Borisov show familiar features
Astronomers have gotten their first glimpse at an interstellar comet -- and it might be more similar to comets from our solar system than we had originally thought. The first images suggest C/2019 Q4 (Borisov) has a similar composition to comets found in our solar system.
The drones used in the Saudi Arabia oil attack were not ‘off the shelf’
Over the weekend, a fleet of 10 drones attacked a major oil processing facility and oil field in Saudi Arabia. But these aren't your everyday, off-the-shelf consumer unmanned aerial vehicles. Here's what we know about the kind of drones used by the forces responsible for the attack.
Scientists have found a way to use the cold of night to generate electricity
Scientists have discovered a way to power a light by using the cold of outer space, which could eventually be used to create the nighttime counterpart to solar energy. The radiative cooling process is able to generate enough electricity to power an LED light.
Astronomers have found the most massive neutron star ever detected
Astronomers at West Virginia University have found the most massive neutron star ever recorded, located about 4,600 light-years from Earth. The neutron star, which has been dubbed J0740+6620, is exceptionally dense -- it's about 2.17 times the mass of the sun packed into a sphere that's only 15 miles across.
New York will follow the Trump administration and ban flavored e-cigarettes
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday that he plans to pursue emergency regulations this week to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes. Michigan has also banned the flavored vaping products, and the Trump administration said it would enact a similar ban federally.
Team Rubicon revolutionizes disaster response. Microsoft wants to help
Coordinating a network of more than 100,000 volunteers is no easy feat -- Team Rubicon would know. Thankfully, as the disaster response non-profit grows and the toll of Hurricane Dorian continues to grow, Microsoft has a custom solution to make it all manageable.
Travel vloggers detained in Iran for flying a drone without permission
Two vloggers who gave up their jobs in Australia to travel the world have been detained in Iran for flying a drone without a permit, according to reports. Jolie King and Mark Firkin were detained a couple of months ago, though the news has only come to light in the last few days.
Drone pilot races a roller coaster for awesome action footage
Watch this amazing drone pilot skillfully keep up with a roller coaster, weaving in and out of its supporting structure while somehow managing not to crash. The stunt took place recently at the Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg, Sweden, with the full co-operation of the park’s operator.
Fake snow might be used to keep spectators cool at Tokyo Olympics
Japan’s summers are so oppressively hot that organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are considering using snow machines to keep spectators cool at outdoor events. The machines were tested on a crowd of volunteers in Tokyo on Friday, but the system clearly needs a bit of work.
The supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way is getting hungrier
Last month, we learned that the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy was flaring, although no one was sure why. Now, astronomers from the University of California, Los Angeles have revealed more about what they think may be driving this unprecedented event.
Astronomers puzzled by a flashing X-ray mystery in the Fireworks galaxy
Astronomers were looking at the Fireworks galaxy when they noticed something odd. There was an X-ray source that wasn't there in their first observations but was seen clearly in a second observation only ten days later. And then in the next set of observations, it was gone again.
NASA chooses a CubeSat project to test orbit route around the moon
NASA's ambitious Gateway program aims to send four astronauts to an outpost in orbit around the moon by 2025. But before this, a safe and stable orbit needs to be chosen. To that end, NASA has awarded a contract to the Advanced Space company to send a small satellite into the orbit planned for Gateway.
Titan’s lakes are formed by explosions of methane from beneath its surface
Other than Earth, there's only one body in our solar system which has liquid on its surface - Titan, one of the moons of Saturn, which has lakes of methane. Using data from the Cassini probe, scientists have a new theory for how these lakes were formed -- by explosions of nitrogen from deep underground.
Astronomers discover hungry black hole that demands three square meals a day
We all know we should be getting three square meals a day. And now astronomers have found a black hole which seems to share this preference -- it consumes material on a regular schedule once every nine hours. Researchers are wondering why it emits bursts of X-rays which repeat in a regular pattern.
The world’s most freakishly realistic text-generating A.I. just got gamified
What would an adventure game designed by the world’s most dangerous A.I. look like? A neuroscience grad student is here to help you find out. Welcome to the algorithmically generated GPT Adventure, a text adventure game that rewrites itself every time it is played by gamers.
Time is running out for India to establish contact with its lunar lander
Time is running out for engineers from the Indian space program to establish contact with the troubled Chandrayaan-2 lunar lander. Earlier this week, more details were revealed about what exactly went wrong as the Chandrayaan-2 lander descended towards the lunar surface.
Hubble scientists find new way to measure the age of star clusters
A new Hubble image shows a scene within the bounds of our galactic neighbor, the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy. This particular object, NGC 1466, is a type of star cluster called a globular cluster -- a group of stars that are held together by gravity and which move together through the edges of the LMC.
Spin me right round: Mars 2020 rover gets its balanced checked
NASA's Mars 2020 rover recently entered its final year of engineering before it is launched on its journey to the red planet, and it has been subjected to a battery of tests to ensure it is ready to touch down. The latest test was a spin on a rotating table to check its weight distribution.
GPS 3 is the future of navigation, and it’s set to roll out in 2023
After years and years of waiting, the next-generation GPS III satellites are finally being launched. When the global navigation system finally goes live, it will be a game-changer for civilian and military GPS devices.
5 ways that future A.I. assistants will take voice tech to the next level
Since Siri debuted on the iPhone 4s, voice assistants have gone from sci-fi gimmick to the basis for smart speaker technology found in one in six American homes. But what will it take to drive these A.I. assistants to the next level? Here are 5 challenges just waiting to be solved.
Tiny bubbles in your body could be better at fighting cancer than chemotherapy
New research suggests that tiny bubbles that already exist in our body might potentially be used to treat cancer — and work better than chemotherapy. Masamitsu Kanada of Michigan State University has improved a therapeutic approach to delivering genes, which could be a more effective way to fight cancer.
The hands on this clock are made from an experimental magnetic rocket fuel
New on Kickstarter, Ferrofluid Clock is an analog desk clock in which the hour and minute hands are made of an oily dark magnetic liquid, called ferrofluid. These are held in place by hidden magnets behind the face. Check it out in all its creepy alien symbiote goodness now.
3Doodler Create+ Leather Edition Review: Magic pen
The 3Doodler Create+ Leather Edition is being penned as the executive office pen meets 3D printing, with a particular focus on wood creations. Is it the one true 3D-printing pen to rule them all? We tested it out by tackling several projects and activities to uncover what makes it unique!