Mold spores commonly found aboard the International Space Station (ISS) turn out to be radiation resistant enough to survive 200 times the X-ray dose needed to kill a human being, indicating that sterilizing interplanetary spacecraft may be much more difficult than previously tho … | Continue reading
A landmark study has described a new method to detect signs of consciousness in unresponsive brain-injured patients using a simple EEG scan. The research also suggests the EEG data can predict which patients have a high chance of regaining consciousness and recovering. | Continue reading
Potentially fatal to both animals and humans, blue-green algae blooms occur when overly-abundant cyanobacteria in the water produce harmful substances known as cyanotoxins. The sooner those toxins are detected, the better – which is where a new smartphone-connected device comes … | Continue reading
Ordinarily, when employers wish to assess the performance of employees, they have them fill out questionnaires or take part in interviews. A new (and perhaps somewhat Orwellian) system is claimed to be more objective and thus more accurate, however, by utilizing smartphones and … | Continue reading
A fascinating new study from scientists at the University of Chicago is offering the very first placebo-controlled clinical research testing the mood-altering, physiological and behavioral effects of tiny LSD microdoses. | Continue reading
A new study upends conventional thinking about the origins of Parkinson’s disease. The research reveals distinct changes in the brain’s serotonin system can be identified up to 20 years before any Parkinson’s symptoms appear, suggesting a new biomarker to detect the disease at it … | Continue reading
Early days it may be, but there are plenty of exciting things happening in electric aviation. Making its mark at the Paris Air Show this week is Eviation's Alice, which is a light nine-seater all-electric plane designed to service regional areas. | Continue reading
The ESA is working on a specially radiation-hardened computer to control its Hera deep-space probe on its task to observe the effects of the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission. | Continue reading
What would trucks look like if they didn’t need to accommodate a human driver? Volvo Trucks' Vera vehicle is an exploration of this idea and has just been assigned its first task delivering containers to a port terminal in Sweden. | Continue reading
The US Air Force's new hypersonic missile takes to the air for the first time as an AGM-183A ARRW went aloft strapped under the wing of a B-52, the engine-less prototype was not dropped, but was equipped with sensors to record drag and vibrations on the vehicle and the aircraft. | Continue reading
A study has revealed cannabis residue with high levels of THC in funerary incense burners found in western China. The discovery is the earliest evidence of marijuana being used burned for its psychoactive properties, as the THC levels found were higher than what is seen in wild t … | Continue reading
Scientists at TU Delft have developed what is claimed to be the smallest autonomous racing drone on the planet, a feat that involved some serious innovations in the algorithms that control its flight path. | Continue reading
New research from the University of Virginia suggests an unhealthy gut microbiome can actively promote the spread of breast cancer. Through a series of animal experiments the new study demonstrated how disruptions to gut bacterial populations can drive metastatic spread of tumor … | Continue reading
A couple of months after launching a fleet-ready reworking of its record-breaking Prime e-bike, Delfast has announced an update to its fastest model. The Top 2.0 has the same top speed as its predecessor, but has a much more powerful motor. | Continue reading
A couple of months after launching a fleet-ready reworking of its record-breaking Prime e-bike, Delfast has announced an update to its fastest model. The Top 2.0 has the same top speed as its predecessor, but has a much more powerful motor. | Continue reading
LA’s Ampaire has put into the air what it says is the largest hybrid-propulsion plane to ever take flight, with plans to kick off commercial operations in the next couple of years. | Continue reading
A new study has independently measured methane emissions from a number of ammonia fertilizer plants. The startling results suggest methane emissions are 100 times higher than industry estimates, and three times higher than the EPA’s estimate for all industry methane emissions in … | Continue reading
This is the story of the Apollo Guidance Computer that helped the Apollo astronauts safely navigate to the Moon. It was a computer that was so advanced that the engineers who created it said they probably wouldn't have tried to do so if they'd known what they were getting themsel … | Continue reading
How do you stop bullets using the lightest material possible? Researchers working on this problem have developed a new type of bulletproof material comparable in performance to conventional armor, but with just half the weight. | Continue reading
Michelin has teamed with General Motors to target a 2024 production goal for airless tires. The tires, called Uptis, will have several benefits over radial tubeless tires and will debut for testing on the Chevrolet Bolt electric car. | Continue reading
In recent years scientists have been able to correct genetic diseases by removing stem cells, editing their genomes and implanting them back into patients, but that adds complications. Now new research led by Harvard scientists has successfully edited the genes of stem cells whil … | Continue reading
Amongst the challenges faced by the deaf is what's known as the "cocktail party effect," in which they have difficulty discerning one speaker's voice from others in crowded, noisy environments. A new device could help, however – by buzzing two of their fingers. | Continue reading
Identifying one's fertility window is critical for many women trying to get pregnant – and those wanting to avoid it – but it can be a difficult, inaccurate process. Yono, an earbud-like device takes the data collection and analysis off your hands, while adding significant improv … | Continue reading
Fieldwork Robotics – a spinout company from the University of Plymouth in the UK – has announced the successful completion of early field trials of a raspberry-harvesting robot. If commercialized, the system could help make up for a shortage of human fruit pickers in the country. | Continue reading
In a huge global study hundreds of rivers around the world have been tested for levels of common antibiotics. It found 65 percent of all samples contained some concentration of antibiotics, with the worst cases showing levels more than 300 times higher than the generally accepted … | Continue reading
Superconductors can conduct electricity with absolutely no loss, so they could be revolutionary if not for one little problem: they only work if kept extremely cold. But now researchers at Max Planck have reported a new record high temperature for superconductivity, at a toasty - … | Continue reading
A statue so tiny that it cannot be seen by the naked eye has been produced using a new 3D printing technique. Measuring a picayune 20 x 80 x 100 microns, it's claimed the smallest sculpture of the human form ever created. | Continue reading
An incredible study has demonstrated the potential of a wound dressing that can fight bacterial infections using a weak electrical field. Offering a novel way to battle antibiotic-resistant infections, the dressing has been approved by the FDA and is currently being tested in hum … | Continue reading
Lilium first emerged in 2016 as an aviation startup with some very lofty ambitions, revealing plans to develop a five-seat electric aircraft. It has now taken a significant step toward achieving this aim, completing a flight of a full-scale prototype. | Continue reading
Ear infections are common, but conditions can be difficult to diagnose. Researchers from the University of Washington have stepped up with a mobile app that can detect fluid behind the eardrum using just a cone of paper and your phone. | Continue reading
An academic from the University of Bristol in the UK has reportedly cracked the codex behind the so-called Voynich code. The language used in the 200-page manuscript has remained a mystery since it came to light more than a century ago. | Continue reading
Charging almost instantly and offering massive power density, Nawa's innovative ultracapacitors are ready to make a mark across industries from automotive to power tools and aviation. And after raising more than US$10 million, this French company is going into mass production. | Continue reading
New Australian research is raising questions over the safety of a common food additive after mouse studies found titanium dioxide can induce gut microbiome changes associated with the development of several diseases, including colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease. | Continue reading
The hummingbird's ability to hover and make sharp turns could teach drones a thing or two. Now researchers at Purdue University have managed to do just that, building a hummingbird-inspired drone and teaching it to fly using algorithms trained on the birds’ natural flight pattern … | Continue reading
Transplanting any organ is a complicated process, but lungs are particularly vulnerable to damage. Now, researchers have developed a way to repair that damage, keeping the lungs of pigs alive outside the body for up to 36 hours and allowing them to bring the organ up to a transpl … | Continue reading
Today, we take it for granted that the Apollo lunar landing was possible, but at the time, no one had done anything remotely like it – let alone in a craft that had never been fully tested. | Continue reading
Arsenic is toxic to almost all life forms, but now researchers have discovered that some microbes in the Pacific Ocean actively breathe it. The discovery has implications for how life may adapt to a changing climate, as well as where we might find it on other planets. | Continue reading
Today, we take it for granted that the Apollo lunar landing was possible, but at the time, no one had done anything remotely like it – let alone in a craft that had never been fully tested. | Continue reading
New Mexico-based company, Desert Aerospace, has made a self-launching glider with a retractable jet engine. | Continue reading
Researchers have, for the first time, used a semiconductor laser to send and receive radio signals. The hybrid electronic-photonic device uses a laser to extract and transmit microwave signals, providing a data rate that may one day lead to ultra-high-speed Wi-Fi. | Continue reading
In an incredible milestone, scientists have for the first time created “universal” stem cells by using CRISPR gene-editing technology to produce pluripotent stem cells that can be transplanted into any patient without generating an immune system response. | Continue reading
Although smartphones perform many tasks on their own, they're also able to make devices such as drones, robots and cameras cheaper and/or more capable by acting as their "brains." One of the latest gadgets to receive such a treatment is the humble – and potentially treasure-findi … | Continue reading
Although they're commonly known as brown anoles, there are now four Anolis sagrei lizards at a University of Georgia lab that are actually pink. They're the result of the world's first successful attempt at producing a genetically modified reptile. The research could have implic … | Continue reading
Harvard researchers have come up with a toolkit for constructing metamaterials that flow from one shape and function into another, like very impressive origami. | Continue reading
Boeing's race to achieve safe, quiet, compact VTOL personal flight devices has narrowed its list down to five competitors, each of which get US$50,000 to help develop their prototypes. Meet the Phase II GoFly winners going on to compete for a US$1.6 million final round prize poo … | Continue reading
Jetpack Aviation has leap-frogged its own flying car project with the announcement that it's taking pre-orders now on a self-stabilizing, jet turbine-powered flying motorcycle capable of 150 mph speeds, 20 minute endurance and 15,000 ft altitudes. | Continue reading
The main risk factors for heart disease are lifestyle choices like a bad diet, smoking, lack of exercise – and poor sleep. That last point has gone relatively unstudied, but new research out of Harvard has found the chemical chain reaction that links disrupted sleep and cardiovas … | Continue reading
Anyone who has played a game of Jenga will know the delicate touch required to keep the tower of wooden blocks from crashing down, and it’s not the kind of finesse you’d associate with a typical robot. But MIT's robot arm can push and prod with the best of them. | Continue reading