Humans
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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Humans
Son of Furby
How Star Wars' robots catalyzed an MIT program to build companionable robots.
By Janet Raloff - Health & Medicine
High doses
Emergency room patients are exposed to high doses of radiation from CT scans and other nuclear medicine.
By Tia Ghose - Life
Tracing human roots
Using a new method of data analysis, researchers have found that the Americas were peopled in two different migrations.
By Tia Ghose - Climate
Already feeling the heat
Long-delayed U.S. government summary of climate change science sees effects on energy, transportation, farming, and water.
By Susan Milius - Agriculture
Vertical Agriculture
Instead of farming in the country, one Columbia University scientist would do it in the city, spanning floor upon floor of buildings--from basements to the tops of high rise structures.
By Janet Raloff - Archaeology
Domain of the dead
Researchers say that Stonehenge functioned as the largest cemetery of its time.
By Bruce Bower - Archaeology
Footprints in the ash
Humans may have been walking around what is now central Mexico 40,000 years ago.
By Sid Perkins - Health & Medicine
Reading minds … or at least brain scans
By analyzing brain activity, computers can tell what word is on your mind.
By Tia Ghose - Earth
Political Science
New York's mayor argues that science should not only inform action, but also prod it.
By Janet Raloff - Health & Medicine
Monkey think, robotic monkey arm do
In a step toward someday making brain-controlled prosthetic arms for people, scientists have trained monkeys to control a robotic arm with their thoughts. Click on the image to read the story and see the video.
- Humans
Kavli prizes announced
Perhaps Alfred Nobel has met his match. Or at least his coveted prize may have. Today, the NorwegianAcademy of Science and Letters announced its inaugural Kavli Prize laureates, named in honor of Fred Kavli. “The Kavli Prizes were created to recognize achievements in three exceptionally exciting fields, which we believe promise remarkable future discoveries and […]
- Humans
The Color of Science and Its Recorders
A very impressive group of science luminaries – including 10 Nobel laureates — turned up to kick around ideas and observations at today’s inaugural World Science Summit. And then there was this morning’s master of ceremonies: Alan Alda, an actor who clearly loves science and scientists. The real disappointment for me was who didn’t show […]
By Janet Raloff