French space agency unveils reusable rocket modeled after Falcon 9
The French space agency CNES working with European aerospace company Ariane Group, has unveiled a plan to create an "acceleration platform" called ArianeWords, which will begin with a first-stage rocket that is reusable for multiple launches. The first-stage rocket should make launches cheaper to implement.
Chinese government may have helped fund controversial CRISPR babies experiment
The controversial CRISPR babies experiment in China might have been carried out with the support of the Chinese government. According to a new report, three governmental institutions may have contributed funding to the gene-altering experiments, which were internationally criticized.
NASA lab re-creates the setting for the potential origin of life
New research from NASA has recreated the conditions thought to be where life originated on Earth - deep on the ocean floor 4 billion years ago. The study can provide insight not only into the development of life here, but also where else in the universe life could be found.
Modulate wants to bring voice skins to your favorite online games
Startup Modulate aims to change how your in-game characters are portrayed with "voice skin" neural network technology. The technology allows your voice to match your characters' appearance, or to make you sound like another person or even a celebrity. Steps are also being taken to avoid "voice fraud."
Ericsson wants to make 5G networking easier with packing tape
To simplify deployments of 5g networks, Ericsson researchers invented “Radio Stripes” – essentially packing tape with serialized radios every foot or so and linked by flexible wire. To deploy, simply unroll and affix. The company unveiled the tech at MWC, the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona.
This unique quadcopter helped a SWAT team nab an armed suspect
A unique quadcopter that can stay in the air for up to two hours on a single charge recently helped a California SWAT team nab an armed suspect. A cop involved in the case said the drone was able to provide the team with important intelligence that it previously couldn't access.
The best crowdfunding sites for 2019
Want to help an inventor create the next big thing in tech, or create a support page for someone close to you? Here are seven of our favorite crowdfunding sites, so you can bring your creation to life or back something you truly care about.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Boring Company
Elon Musk is changing how we build tunnels by developing new technologies to do the job quicker and more efficiently. And it's not just a idea anymore: Musk and company are already working toward several exciting new projects, including one that could connect some East Coast cities.
Meet the robot that will almost certainly steal your data entry job
For all the talk of paperless offices, go into just about any modern workplace and you’ll almost certainly find stacks of documents piled up on shelves. Ripcord is a robotics startup which has developed a machine for scanning documents at record-breaking speeds. Here's how it works.
Boaty McBoatface’s new Antarctic mission will be its toughest yet
Autonomous submarine Boaty McBoatface will undergo its third mission this fall. The goal? To explore the ocean cavity beneath Thwaites Glacier in western Antarctica. Data gathered during the mission will help to better forecast the effects of warming ocean waters on the glacier.
Makers of the AK-47 assault rifle have built a kamikaze drone as their sequel
Russian weapons manufacturer Kalashnikov, the company behind the world famous AK-47 assault rifle, has developed a smart kamikaze drone. Here's how the autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle works -- and how it could potentially change the face of modern warfare as we know it.
The future of self-driving cars
Self-driving cars are one of the tech world’s trendiest topics right now, but they’re more complicated than just “car” or “robot car.” There are degrees of automation, with each level turning over more responsibility to machines. Here’s where self-driving cars are now, and where they’re going.
SpaceX crew capsule will carry a mannequin on its first trip to space station
SpaceX is gearing up to send its Crew Dragon capsule on its first test mission to the International Space Station this weekend. There are no crew on board the Crew Dragon yet, but the spacecraft will gather important data using a sensor-laden mannequin, and also carry supplies for the ISS astronauts.
The best tech toys for kids
Hunting for the perfect gadget for your kid (or inner child)? There are ample to choose from, which is why we've rounded up some of our personal favorite favorites, whether your child is into joke-spewing dinosaurs or looking to build a custom gauntlet fit for Tony Stark.
The biggest bridges in the world
Humankind has built bridges for the better part of the last millenia, but in the 20th and 21st Century, we've taken bridge building to an entirely next level. These iconic structures are among some of the biggest, longest, tallest, and most innovative in the world.
3D printing snacks from food waste? Sounds gross, but it’s actually brilliant
A pair of entrepreneurs behind the startup Upprinting Food have come up with a way to help solve the world's food waste problem. They want to give old food a new lease of life by turning into a material which can be used for 3D printing new foodstuffs. Here's how it works.
South Korea is getting a world-class robot museum that will be built by robots
A new, cutting-edge history of robotics museum in Seoul, South Korea, is being built by robots. Here's how the Robot Science Museum is being constructed using machine intelligence -- and exactly when interested parties can expect to pay the finished location a visit in person.
ThisPersonDoesNotExist has spawned a host of amazing copycat sites
After the success of the face-generating website ThisPersonDoesNotExist.com, the same artificial intelligence tool is being used to create everything from imaginary Airbnb listings to creepy fake cats. Check them out in all their surreal, generative adversarial network greatness.
A New York man has been arrested after allegedly shooting down a Mavic drone
Two folks on Long Island were recently using a Mavic 2 Zoom quadcopter to help search for a missing dog. When the drone's signal went blank, they assumed a bird had attacked it mid-flight. But police there have now charged a man with using a shotgun to knock it out of the sky.
Microsoft unveils $3,500 HoloLens 2 at MWC 2019. Here’s what you need to know
The HoloLens 2 is Microsoft's upcoming next generation augmented reality headset. The company announced the new HoloLens at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019 in Barcelona. Here's everything we know so far.
New Horizons captures highest-resolution image yet of Ultima Thule
NASA researchers have managed to capture the highest resolution image yet of Ultima Thule, the oldest object ever explored by spacecraft. The new image was taken when the spacecraft was 4,109 miles (6,628 kilometers) from Ultima Thule and a staggering 4.1 billion miles from Earth.
Citizen scientist finds old white dwarf with dust rings, puzzling astronomers
A citizen scientist, astronomy enthusiast Melina Thévenot, working with NASA's Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project has made a remarkable discovery: the oldest known white dwarf star with multiple dust rings. This discovery calls into question conventional wisdom about how white dwarfs form.
NASA’s Juno craft captures beautiful swirling cloud formations on Jupiter
NASA's Juno spacecraft has captured a gorgeous image of Jupiter during its 18th flyby of the planet. It shows dramatic circling cloud formations which swirl around a jet stream known as Jet N6. The image was created by citizen scientist Kevin M. Gill who used data from the craft's JunoCam imager.
Think it’s cold here? Check out the weather report on Mars
Good news if you're planning a trip to Mars -- you can check a daily weather report on the planet. NASA's Insight lander uses a set of sensors called the Auxiliary Payload Subsystem to monitor temperature, wind, and air pressure and sends this information back to Earth to share on NASA's website.
Newly synthesized eight-part DNA could be the stuff aliens are made of
As far as we know, all life on Earth is based on DNA made of four nucleotides - adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine. But a new study has made a dramatic breakthrough in understanding molecular systems by synthesizing an eight-part molecular system which could be an alternative to DNA.
Space tourism company Virgin Galactic sends passenger into space for first time
Though SpaceX is the big name in the field, it's not the only company planning to make tourists trips into space a reality. Virgin Galactic has also been working on a project to take private passengers outside of Earth's atmosphere, and this week it sent its first passenger into sub-space.
Curiosity suffered a boot issue but is now back up and roving
The NASA team has been dealing with a small hiccup in the operations of the Curiosity rover since it went into safe mode last week. Now the problem has been fixed and the rover has booted up over 30 times without any further issues, so the rover can get back underway on its mission to explore Mars.
Blockchain could ensure the integrity of scientific research trials
Scientific misconduct is more than just a problem within academia. The falsifying of results can have real-world consequences and undermine the credibility of science. Now a group of researchers has proposed making research data more trustworthy and less susceptible to manipulation using blockchain.
Sick of fruits and veggies going bad? This second skin doubles their life spans
The world has a food spoilage problem. Could Apeel Sciences help with its concept of giving fresh produce a 'second skin' to keep it fresh for up to twice as long? Philanthropists including Bill and Melinda Gates certainly seem to think it can. Here's how Apeel's approach works.
Controversial CRISPR baby experiment may have resulted in brain enhancements
The ethical minefield that is China’s CRISPR baby saga continues to rage on. Scientists in the U.S. have now expressed concerns that the procedure may have also resulted in changes in the babies’ brains, which could affect cognition and memory. Here's what new research suggests.
Virgin Galactic completes another test flight, this time with a passenger
Virgin Galactic's chief astronaut instructor Beth Moses rode the company's spacecraft as a passenger on Friday, a key milestone towards commercial availability of the flights later this year. Moses rode along to test "cabin design elements," the company says.
Engineer turns his old Apple lle into an wheeled robot, and even gives it a sword
How do you breath new life into an unused 30-year-old computer? Software engineer Mike Kohn found a way by transforming his old Apple IIe into a wheeled robot that looks like the mutant offspring of a vintage computer and a Roomba. Check it out in all its 1980s era glory.
Kickstarter campaign aims to help make 3D-printed space habitats for Mars
Mars X-House sounds like kind of reality TV show pitched somewhere between astronaut training and Big Brother. In fact, it’s an ambitious project to create a prototype future Mars habitat using 3D printing. And, thanks to a Kickstarter campaign, you can help be a part of it.
Delivery drones: NASA to test advanced traffic control system for cities
NASA is organizing demonstrations of its advanced drone traffic management system designed for urban settings. The final phase of testing could be a big step forward for drone delivery services with companies such as Amazon keen to incorporate the technology into their shipping operations.