Engineering household robots to have a little common sense
From wiping up spills to serving up food, robots are being taught to carry out increasingly complicated household tasks. Many such home-bot trainees are learning through imitation; they are programmed to copy the motions that a human physically guides them
Novel electrochemical sensor detects dangerous bacteria
Researchers at Goethe University Frankfurt and Kiel University have developed a novel sensor for the detection of bacteria. It is based on a chip with an innovative surface coating. This ensures that only very specific microorganisms adhere to the sensor
Research identifies characteristics of cities that would support young people’s mental health
As cities around the world continue to draw young people for work, education, and social opportunities, a new study identifies characteristics that would support young urban dwellers’ mental health. The findings, based on survey responses from a global panel that
More exposure to artificial, bright, outdoor night-time light linked to higher stroke risk
People continuously exposed to bright, artificial light at night may be at increased risk of developing conditions that affect blood flow to the brain and having a stroke, according to research published today in Stroke, the peer-reviewed scientific journal of
Seeing the forest for the trees: Species diversity is directly correlated with productivity in eastern U.S. forests
When scientists and policymakers make tough calls on which areas to prioritize for conservation, biodiversity is often their top consideration. Environments with more diversity support a greater number of species and provide more ecosystem services, making them the obvious choice.
Pairing crypto mining with green hydrogen offers clean energy boost
Pairing cryptocurrency mining — notable for its outsize consumption of carbon-based fuel — with green hydrogen could provide the foundation for wider deployment of renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, according to a new Cornell University study. “Since
With a new experimental technique, engineers probe the mechanisms of landslides and earthquakes
Granular materials, those made up of individual pieces, whether grains of sand or coffee beans or pebbles, are the most abundant form of solid matter on Earth. The way these materials move and react to external forces can determine when
Human brains are getting larger: That may be good news for dementia risk
A new study by researchers at UC Davis Health found human brains are getting larger. Study participants born in the 1970s had 6.6% larger brain volumes and almost 15% larger brain surface area than those born in the 1930s. The
2 in 3 parents say their adolescent or teen worries about how sick days may impact grades
Many parents struggle deciding whether their middle or high school aged child should stay home from school if they don’t feel well, a new national poll suggests. Among top factors: how their adolescent or teen is behaving due to symptoms
Semiconductors at scale: New processor achieves remarkable speed-up in problem solving
Annealing processors are designed specifically for addressing combinatorial optimization problems, where the task is to find the best solution from a finite set of possibilities. This holds implications for practical applications in logistics, resource allocation, and the discovery of drugs