Battery-free biosensor patch measures your health by drinking your sweat
Researchers from Northwestern University have developed a soft skin patch that’s able to wirelessly gather data about the body by testing sweat components. It could be useful for everything from tracking sport performance to carrying out clinical work such as disease diagnosis.
Researchers find a way to create a renewable supply of cancer-fighting T cells
Researchers at UCLA have made a major advance in the battle against cancer by showing that it’s possible to create mature T cells with important cancer-killing receptors from pluripotent stem cells. The results could be off-the-shelf T cell cancer therapies for people who need them.
Once again, a drone has reportedly caused a shutdown at a major airport
Reported drone sightings near New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport forced flights to be halted early Tuesday evening. One drone reportedly came within 30 feet of an aircraft. The incident comes a month after drone sightings at one of the U.K.'s busiest airports led to a 36-hour shutdown.
Elon Musk offers to help dig CERN’s new particle collider tunnel
The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) plans to put the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to shame with its proposed, significantly larger Future Circular Collider -- and Elon Musk wants to help make it a reality. Because, you know, he's not busy enough these days.
The CRISPR baby saga continues as China confirms second gene-edited pregnancy
China’s official Xinhua news agency has confirmed that a second woman has become pregnant as part of a controversial experiment to create the world’s first genetically edited babies. The scientist responsible for the work has since been fired by the university he was working for.
Smart luggage does it all with wireless charger, built-in scale, GPS tracking
The SkyValet smart luggage, currently being funded on Kickstarter, offers solutions to many common travel struggles. With SkyValet, you no longer need separate portable chargers for different devices, a scale to weigh your bag, a lock, or a tracking device. It's all built right in to the luggage.
World’s biggest fleet of campus delivery robots now transporting student meals
The world’s largest fleet of delivery robots on a university campus is coming to Virginia’s George Mason University. Starting today, Mason’s 40,000 students, faculty, and staff can get everything from pizza to Starbucks coffee delivered directly to them by one of 25 robots.
Facebook hasn’t given up on the idea of building an internet drone
Facebook's efforts to provide internet connectivity from the skies using solar-powered drones suffered a blow last year when the company abandoned its "Aquila" drone project. But it clearly hasn't given up on the idea as it's now working with Airbus to attach internet technology to its Zephyr drone.
Coinstar machines will let you swap cash for Bitcoin at your local grocery store
Coinstar, the company which owns the cash exchange machines found at grocery stores and elsewhere, will soon let you easily buy Bitcoin with your money. Here's what the company recently announced -- and why this is potentially big news for the 10-year-old cryptocurrency.
A.I. finds non-infringing ways to copy drugs pharma spends billions developing
Drug companies spend billions developing and protecting their trademark pharmaceuticals. In a breakthrough, researchers have demonstrated an A.I. which can find new methods for producing existing drugs in a way that doesn’t infringe on existing patents. Here's how it works.
ANYmal dog robot can get back on its feet when someone pushes it over
Roboticists at ETH Zurich have demonstrated how their ANYmal four-legged robot is capable of taking a kicking and keeping on ticking -- or keeping on walking at least. If it does get pushed over, it's also capable of figuring out how to climb back to its feet. Check it out.
‘Tech vest’ prevents Amazon workers from colliding with robot co-workers
Amazon workers at the online shopping company's fulfillment centers are using "tech vests" to help protect them from accidental collisions with their robot co-workers. The robots already have obstacle avoidance sensors, but the tech belt offers another layer of safety.
Pilotless planes are on their way, but would you fly in one?
Airbus says advances in A.I. can help it build a plane capable of fully autonomous flight, though whether passengers can be persuaded to travel on one is another matter entirely. Airbus has been looking into the idea for some time, with the technology predicted to save the industry billions.
Scientists investigate how massive stars die in dramatic hypernova events
Our Sun will gradually fade before expanding into a red giant at the end of its life. But larger mass stars undergo extreme explosive events when they die which outshine their entire galaxies. Scientists have investigated the death of a high mass star and the dramatic events which occur in a hypernova.
Water-based fuel cell converts carbon emissions to electricity
Scientists from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology developed a system which can continuously produce electrical energy and hydrogen by dissolving carbon dioxide in an aqueous solution. The inspiration came from the fact that carbon dioxide produced by humans is absorbed by the ocean.
Saturn didn’t always have rings, according to new analysis of Cassini data
Saturn's rings are younger than previously believed, according to new data gathered from the Cassini mission. Cassini took a loop between the planet and its rings acting as a gravity probe and found that the rings are certainly less than 100 million years old and perhaps as young as 10 million years old.
Dinosaurs never stood a chance after asteroid impacts doubled 290M years ago
The number of asteroids pummeling the ancient Earth jumped dramatically around 290 million years ago, according to scientists studying the Moon. By looking at Moon craters they discovered that during this period the number of asteroid impacts on both Earth and the Moon increased by two to three times.
Tiny microbots fold like origami to travel through the human body
Tiny robots modeled after bacteria could be used to deliver drugs to hard to reach areas of the human body. Scientists at École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology have developed elastic microbots that can change shape depending on their environment.
Google’s radar-sensing tech could make any object smart
From counting cards to recognizing Lego models, computer scientists from the University of St Andrews in Scotland recently demonstrated how Google’s Soli sensor can be used to make dumb objects smart. Here's why radar could help finally make the dream of smart homes a reality.
How long is a day on Saturn? Scientists finally have an answer
How long is a day on Saturn? This figure was hard to calculate because the gas giant does not have a solid surface and a magnetic field makes the rate of rotation hard to see. But now scientists have used data from Cassini to pin down a final answer: a day is ten hours, 33 minutes, and 38 seconds long.
Tiny animals discovered in Antarctic lake deep beneath the ice
Scientists have made a surprising discovery in Antarctica: the carcasses of tiny animals were found in a lake that sits deep beneath one kilometer (0.6 miles) of Antarctic ice. The animals the team discovered in the underground lake included crustaceans and a tardigrade, also known as a water bear.
Scientists successfully grow human blood vessels in a Petri dish
A team of researchers has managed to grow picture-perfect human blood vessels in a Petri dish for the first time, and even to successfully implant them into live mice models. The results could be a game-changer for treating diabetes. Here's why it's such an exciting advance.
Too buzzed to drive? Don’t worry — this autonomous car-bar will drive to you
It might just be the best or the worst idea that we've ever heard: A self-driving robot bartender users can summon with a mobile app, which promises to mix you the perfect drink wherever you happen to be. Coming soon to a block party near you? Hey, we can dream, can't we?
Hexbot is a modular robot arm that does everything from drawing to playing chess
Who wouldn’t want their own personal desktop robot arm to do everything from laser engraving to competing against you in a game of chess? That’s what Hexbot promises to deliver with its modular attachments, which include a pen holder, soft gripper, suction cup, and more.
Meet Wiliot, a battery-less Bluetooth chip that pulls power from thin air
A tiny chip being developed by a semiconductor company called Wiliot could harvest the energy it needs out of thin air, the company claims. No battery needed. The paper-thin device pulls power from ambient radio frequencies like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cell signals.
Fears about kids’ screen use may have been overblown, Oxford researchers find
Many people take it as gospel that digital technologies are harmful to young people’s mental health. But is this actually the case? A recent study from the University of Oxford, which analyzed data from 350,000 subjects in the U.K and United States, thinks we're overstating things.
New brainwave reader tells teachers if students are concentrating
Massachusetts-based startup BrainCo has developed brainwave-reading headbands which can reportedly help reveal if students are concentrating in class. They'll even publicly rat you out if you stop paying attention. Here's how they're being used in the classroom.
Glowing space billboards could show ads in the night sky
Look up at the night sky in 2020 and you might see an ad for McDonald's floating among the stars. A startup is planning to use a constellation of tiny satellites to create glowing ads. The satellites would light up different messages for up to six minutes at a time at about 250 miles above Earth.
Robomart’s self-driving grocery store is like Amazon Go on wheels
Robomart's driverless vehicle is like an Amazon Go store on wheels. You summon the store to your home using an app, and then grab what you need from a range of everyday items. Sensors track your selections, with your purchases automatically charged to your account. A trial starts soon in Boston.
Forget fireworks. Japan will soon have artificial meteor showers on tap
Tokyo-based startup Astro Live Experiences is preparing to launch its first artificial meteor shower over Japan, serving as a showcase of its prowess in the space entertainment sector. Here's what you'll be able to expect from the event coming soon to a sky near, well, Japan.
CERN plans to build a massive particle collider that dwarfs the LHC
CERN already has the world's biggest particle accelerator. Now it wants to build a new one that's way, way bigger. Meet the 9 billion euro Future Circular Collider, which will allow physicists to extend their study of the universe and matter at the smallest level.
A Japanese hotel fires half its robot staff for being bad at their jobs
Japan’s oddball Henn na Hotel has fired half of its 243 robot staff. The reason? Because these labor-saving machines were causing more problems than they were solving -- and requiring humans to come in and fix things as a result. These are some of the robots that got the chop.
Want to know which drones are flying near you? There’s an app for that
Want to know what that mysterious drone buzzing over your head is up to? A new system developed by AirMap, Google Wing, and Kittyhawk.io could soon be able to tell you -- by showing you a map of all local drone activity on your smartphone. Here's how the technology works.
CES 2019 recap: All the trends, products, and gadgets you missed
CES 2019 didn’t just give us a taste of the future, it offered a five-course meal. From 8K and Micro LED televisions to smart toilets, the show delivered with all the amazing gadgetry you could ask for. Here’s a look at all the big trends, and when expect they’ll arrive.