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Science News goes to DragonCon

Bethany Brookshire and Tina Hesman Saey go to DragonCon

Science News goes to DragonCon

Each year, DragonCon hosts one of the world's largest convention of devotees of science fiction & fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music and film. This year, Science News writers Tina Hesman Saey and Bethany Brookshire (Scicurious) share the science behind great pop culture in a slate of terrific panels. We've assembled a fascinating collection of science journalism sure to inspire sci-fi and science enthusiasts alike. Science truly is sometimes stranger than fiction.

Follow Bethany and Tina's adventures at DragonCon on Twitter: @scicurious and @thsaey

The Wild Westworld of Robotics

Robotics

FEATURE ROBOTICS

F or robots, artificial intelligence gets physical

To work with humans, machines need to sense the world around them. READ MORE

Robotics

NEWS IN BRIEF ROBOTICS

Robot, heal thyself

Adding heat to soft bots’ rubbery material closes up lacerations. READ MORE

Robotics

SCIENCE TICKER ROBOTICS

This robot grows like a plant

Robots are branching out. A new prototype soft robot takes inspiration from plants by growing to explore its environment. READ MORE

Drones

THE SCIENCE LIFE ROBOTICS

Fleets of drones could pollinate future crops

A forgotten, failed experiment sent a robot airborne. READ MORE

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Zebra Finches and Fat

News ANIMALS

In drought, zebra finches wring water from their own fat

Deprived birds shown to rely less on stored proteins to quench thirst. READ MORE

Nurse Sharks

News ANIMALS

Slow-moving nurse sharks have a metabolism to match

For some animals — and people, too — lazy is the perfect lifestyle. Nurse sharks are a great example. READ MORE

Kangaroos

News ANIMALS

Kangaroo farts may not be so eco-friendly after all

Amount of methane emitted is linked to how fast food moves through the grazers’ guts, researchers suspect. READ MORE

Predators and Prey

News ANIMALS

Same math describes relationship between diverse predators and prey

Power law for animal abundances oddly matches '¾ rule' in physiology. READ MORE

Building a "Better" Human

human gene therapy

NEWS GENETICS

Human gene editing therapies are OK in certain cases, panel advises

Expert group recommends long-term tracking, other restrictions for germline tinkering.
READ MORE

CRISPR

NEWS GENETICS, CELLS,

Gene editing of human embryos gets rid of a mutation that causes heart failure

Success in correcting DNA defect inches use of CRISPR closer to clinical trial.
READ MORE

‘Three-parent babies’ explained

News GENETICS, CELLS

‘Three-parent babies' explained

IVF technique that led to recent birth of boy one of several. READ MORE

Faux womb keeps preemie lambs alive

News BIOMEDICINE

Faux womb keeps preemie lambs alive

Lungs, brain developed normally during four-week trial. READ MORE

Stranger Things in Physics and Astronomy

Quantum Physics

NEWS QUANTUM PHYSICS

Quantum tunneling takes time, new study shows

Experiments tested whether electrons could escape an atom instantaneously. READ MORE

Ice crystals

HOW BIZARRE PHYSICS

Scientists create the most cubic form of ice crystals yet

Lab-made solid could give clues to climate change. READ MORE

Planetary Science

TELEVISION PLANETARY SCIENCE

‘Death Dive to Saturn’ celebrates the Cassini probe’s accomplishments

Documentary gives spacecraft a proper send-off before its lethal leap. READ MORE

Potential ingredient for alien life found on Titan

NEWS ASTROBIOLOGY

Potential ingredient for alien life found on Titan

Vinyl cyanide on the Saturnian moon could form millions of cell-like balls in methane oceans.
READ MORE

Real Food, Real Science

Microbiology

SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC MICROBIOLOGY

Wild yeasts are brewing up batches of trendy beers

Using scavenged microbes for fermentation brings out the funky and sour flavors. READ MORE

Microbiology

THE SCIENCE LIFE MICROBIOLOGY

Studying cheese reveals how microbes interact

Microbiologist Rachel Dutton's work focuses on bacterial ecosystems in rinds. READ MORE

Psychology

SCICURIOUS PSYCHOLOGY

No, cheese is not just like crack

Headlines joked about cheese addiction, but the real science is far more complex. READ MORE

The cool science of hot peppers

NUTRITION HEALTH

The cool science of hot peppers

Chilies can make food safer, relieve pain and may even help people lose weight. READ MORE

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