SOFT BOT SQUAD Using an elastic, self-healing material, researchers created (from left to right) a robotic hand, gripper and muscle.
S. Terryn et al/Science Robotics 2017
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Magazine
In the Aug. 19 SN: Bulletins from the tick wars, roots of Rwandan genocide, spin-resistant spiders, making mums blue, tardigrade saga continues, HIV antibodies from cows, Maxwell’s demon aces memory test and more.
Math & Technology
Topic Image Rail
FIVE YEARS ON MARS Curiosity has done a lot more than take selfies in front of Gale crater, and with its mission extended through next fall, there’s still more science to come.
MSSS, JPL-Caltech/NASA
A new soft robot takes inspiration from natural growers. In the lab, researchers tasked it with navigating a maze, as well as other challenges.
E. Hawkes et al/Science Robotics 2017
Math & Technology
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Numbers
Film
Hidden Figures highlights three black women who were vital to the U.S. space program
"Hidden Figures" tells the untold story of the "human computers" who were essential to the launch of the U.S. space program.Screentime
Website tests predictive powers of the hive mind
Metaculus.com asks people to make predictions about the likelihood of future events. -
Computing
News
Winning against a computer isn’t in the cards for poker pros
Poker-playing computers beat professional players at heads-up no-limit Texas Hold’em.50 Years Ago
Speech recognition has come a long way in 50 years
Early versions of computer speech recognition relied on word sounds. Now, they add pattern recognition and a lot of statistics. -
Technology
The –est
The incredible shrinking transistor just got smaller
Tiniest transistor, made with carbon nanotubes, suggests computers aren’t done shrinking down.The –est
New video camera captures 5 trillion frames every second
A new camera’s record-breaking speed offers researchers a window into never-before-seen phenomena, such as combustion reactions. -
Robotics
News in Brief
Robot, heal thyself
Self-healing material is helping make more resilient robots.Science TickerThis robot grows like a plant
A new soft robot navigates its environment by growing in a manner inspired by plants.
