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A fleet of humanoid, open-source robots could change robotics research

Science December 3, 2023 0 Comments

Immense strides in human-robot interactions have been made over the past few years. But, all of these robots tend to be quite different.  The lack of an affordable, generalized, modular robotic platform hampers many researchers’ progress, alongside their ability to share and compare findings. The National Science Foundation, an independent US government-funded agency supporting research and education, wants to accelerate advancements…

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Elon Musk says Twitter will delete inactive users’ accounts, which could include your dead relatives

Science December 2, 2023 0 Comments

On Monday, Twitter CEO Elon Musk announced plans to delete accounts that the company deems inactive. He also warned that users may see their number of followers drop as a result of the digital house cleaning. “We’re purging accounts that have had no activity at all for several years,” Musk tweeted via his personal account. The decision prompted swift criticism…

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NASA hopes its snake robot can search for alien life on Saturn’s moon Enceladus

Science November 29, 2023 0 Comments

At least 83 moons orbit Saturn, and experts believe its most reflective one could harbor life underneath its icy surface. To find out, NASA scientists hope to send a massive serpentine robot to scour Enceladus, both atop its frozen ground—and maybe even within a hidden ocean underneath. As CBS News highlighted on Monday, researchers and engineers are nearing completion of…

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Recycling plants spew a staggering amount of microplastics

Science November 29, 2023 0 Comments

An unsettling report released barely a year ago painted a grim picture of the plastics industry—only about 5 percent of the 46 million annual tons of plastic waste in the US makes it to recycling facilities. The number is even more depressing after realizing that is roughly half of experts’ previous estimates. But if all that wasn’t enough, new information…

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The right amount of online scrolling could decrease your risk of dementia

Science November 26, 2023 0 Comments

There are countless studies and copious amounts of research delving into how the internet can negatively impact your mind. But, new data indicates that there’s one way online time could actually benefit the brain. According to findings recently published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society from a team at NYU, it appears that regular internet usage may significantly…

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Researchers built a ‘SoftZoo’ to virtually test animal-inspired robots

Science November 25, 2023 0 Comments

There are so many animal-inspired soft robots out there at this point that you could easily pack an entire zoo with them. Although an adorable idea, it’s unlikely any such program will find its way into the real world soon—that said, a virtual zoo filled with digital soft robot prototypes will soon become available to researchers hoping to design and…

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US crypto firms might soon pay taxes for exorbitant energy use

Science November 23, 2023 0 Comments

The Biden administration wants cryptocurrency miners to pay up if they intend to continue consuming more electricity than every television in the US combined each year. On Tuesday, the White House announced its 2024 proposed budget featuring the Digital Asset Mining Energy (DAME) tax, which aims to slap a 30 percent surcharge on crypto firms’ power intake. “Currently, cryptomining firms…

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AI should never be able to launch nukes, US legislators say

Science November 22, 2023 0 Comments

Last week, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) introduced the Block Nuclear Launch by Autonomous Artificial Intelligence Act alongside Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) and numerous other bipartisan co-sponsors. The bill’s objective is as straightforward as its name: ensuring AI will never have a final say in American nuclear strategy. “While we all try to grapple with the pace at which AI is…

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A tiny patch can take images of muscles and cells underneath your skin

Science November 19, 2023 0 Comments

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have invented an adhesive, elastic patch capable of performing ultrasounds—but don’t expect any baby pictures just yet. Even without the social media fodder, the new wearable technology could soon provide an extremely useful tool for a wide array of medical monitoring procedures. As detailed in a paper published on Monday in Nature…

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Europe’s fourth biggest airport plans to ban private jets

Science November 18, 2023 0 Comments

Europe’s fourth busiest airport wants to ground private jet setters for good, making an unprecedented move that could set a new industry benchmark in tackling global travel emissions. In order to achieve the high-profile goal, however, Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport has a very bumpy journey ahead of it. Per Bloomberg, the Netherlands’ largest air hub first made headlines last month when…

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