July 2019 was the hottest month on record, says new report

July 2019 has been found to be the hottest month ever recorded, which is news that won’t surprise anybody who sweated through the heat wave that gripped Europe, North America and indeed much of the Northern Hemisphere this summer. This contin… Continue reading July 2019 was the hottest month on record, says new report

Virtual universes study suggests habitable Earth-like exoplanets are more common than we thought

Earth is – for now – the only place in the universe that we know hosts life, so it makes sense that astronomers focus the search for alien life on worlds that are the most like our own. But just how common are Earth-like planets orbiting at c… Continue reading Virtual universes study suggests habitable Earth-like exoplanets are more common than we thought

Tiny "glass bottles" deliver drugs on demand when heated

Cancer drugs are getting more effective at killing tumors, but there’s one big problem that may be holding them back from wide use: many work like a shotgun blast and harm healthy cells as well. Researchers from Georgia Tech have now develope… Continue reading Tiny "glass bottles" deliver drugs on demand when heated

An ancient planet, 10 times bigger than Earth, may have crashed into Jupiter

Jupiter is a gigantic ball of churning gas clouds, and that makes it hard to see what’s in the middle. It’s believed to be a relatively small, rocky core, but data from the Juno probe found that it’s less dense and more spread out than expect… Continue reading An ancient planet, 10 times bigger than Earth, may have crashed into Jupiter

Long-missing, potentially dangerous asteroid finally rediscovered – and it won't hit Earth

An artist's rendition of an asteroid swinging past Earth

Of all the things you don’t want to lose, an asteroid with a chance of striking Earth is pretty high up the list. A space rock called 2006 QV89 has been missing in action for 13 years, after it was discovered to be on an orbit that regularly brought it too close to Earth for comfort. Now astronomers have finally found it again, and ruled out an impact within the next century.

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Category: Space

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Robots compete in DARPA's Subterranean Challenge to prep for alien life hunt

One of team CoSTAR's cave-exploring robots, which will be participating in the DARPA Subterranean Challenge this ...

This week DARPA kicks off a competition called the Subterranean Challenge, where hordes of robots are unleashed into caves and tunnels to test how well they can autonomously navigate these environments. One team, headed up by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL), is entering a crew of bots that could inform future designs of spacefaring robots that explore caves and lava tubes on other planets and moons.

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Category: Robotics

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Yale simulations probe the unstable recipe behind "intergalactic pancakes"

Galaxies are well studied, but far less is known about the vast stretches of space between them. Though it seems empty, the intergalactic medium (IGM) actually contains more matter than galaxies do – it’s just hard to see because it’s not shi… Continue reading Yale simulations probe the unstable recipe behind "intergalactic pancakes"

Portable adapter helps the Nintendo Switch plug into displays on the go

We’ve been singing the praises of the Nintendo Switch since we first got our hands on it in 2017, but there are a couple of little things that could use some improvement. Now, a start-up called Human Things has unveiled a new accessory that f… Continue reading Portable adapter helps the Nintendo Switch plug into displays on the go

"MacGyver" robots learn to build new tools from everyday objects on hand

Robot arms are getting smarter and smarter all the time, and now a team from Georgia Tech has taught them how to make their own tools. These resourceful robots are first taught to match form and function, then let loose on a series of everyda… Continue reading "MacGyver" robots learn to build new tools from everyday objects on hand

Harvard hydrogel made by bacteria helps heal internal wounds

Slapping on a Band-Aid is the easiest way to help a cut on your skin heal, but things aren’t so simple for internal wounds. For one, it’s obviously much harder to reach that surface to put a dressing on it, but even when its open, say during … Continue reading Harvard hydrogel made by bacteria helps heal internal wounds