Robots can’t replace guide dogs
On paper, few physical jobs seem as ripe for AI takeover as that of the loyal service dog. These four-legged assistants undergo years of intensive (and expensive) training to help…
Tech
It’s a bird! It’s a head! No, it’s a mummified foot.
Not every mummy is treated equally. While the traditional image conjures a well-preserved, carefully wrapped ancient Egyptian body inside an elaborately decorated tomb, there are many more examples of partial…
Meet the Quantum Kid
Scientists are often advised to explain their work in terms that a child can understand—a task that is particularly challenging when it comes to such complex topics as quantum mechanics.…
Visit a WWII destroyer without leaving your sofa
The USS Cassin Young at sea in 1944. Credit: CPhoM Paul Madden, USN / Navsource.org / Public Domain The heavily armed Fletcher-class destroyer is an iconic piece of United States…
DESI completes its 3D map of Universe right on schedule
Visualization shows how DESI built its 3D map of the Universe. Earth is at the center of the wedges, and every point is a galaxy. Credit: DESI/KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/R. Proctor In a…
What’s the deal with Alzheimer’s disease and amyloid?
At the end of last month, a scientific journal pulled a research paper on Alzheimer’s disease. The retraction came from Neurobiology of Aging, which removed a 2011 paper claiming to…
The skylines of the future will be made of wood
This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here. Picture yourself in a wind-swept forest. Leaves are rustling and trunks are creaking as trees sway…
How to refresh your phone without upgrading it
No matter how snappy your smartphone feels when you first buy it, it will inevitably slow down over time. When that happens, you have to decide when it’s time to…
3D-printed suitcase includes foldout table, cup holder, and a secret snack compartment
Air travel can be notoriously headache-inducing, even on the best days. While no single traveler can do much to lower outrageous prices on airport snacks or unnecessarily delayed security lines,…
Physicists think they’ve resolved the proton size puzzle
There has been considerable debate among physicists over the last 15 years about conflicting measurements of the charge radius of a hydrogen atom’s proton—some confirming the predictions of our strongest…