EERIE FEELING Making tactile sensations more realistic doesn’t necessarily improve users’ virtual reality experience.
C.C. Berger et al/Science Robotics 2018
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Magazine
In the April 14 SN: Killer heat, mass insect migrations, the latest Saturn updates, rethinking the Nobel Prize, tectonics on Venus, the science of mass shootings, ancient tool trends and more.
Math & Technology
Topic Image Rail
ROCKET BLOCKER The United States’ ground-based missile defense system, shown here in a test conducted at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, aims to protect the U.S. from ballistic missiles.
U.S. Missile Defense Agency
MATH GETS REAL Chaos theory explains why it’s so difficult to predict weather — a small change in conditions at any point in time can have a large effect on future conditions in, for example, a hurricane’s trajectory (Tropical Storm Harvey shown).
NASA
Math & Technology
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Numbers
Reviews & Previews
‘Weird Math’ aims to connect numbers and equations to the real world
The book Weird Math attempts to make chaos theory, higher dimensions and other concepts more relatable.Science & the PublicForget Pi Day. We should be celebrating Tau Day
Pi Day may be fun, but it’s based on a flawed mathematical constant. -
Computing
Science & the PublicAre computers better than people at predicting who will commit another crime?
If crime-predicting computer programs aren’t any more accurate than human guesswork, do they still have a place in the criminal justice system?Feature
Your phone is like a spy in your pocket
Smartphones’ powers of perception make them more user-friendly and efficient. But they also open new opportunities for privacy invasions. -
Technology
News
Why touch can be such a creepy sensation in VR
Touch sensation in VR can go from immersive to unnerving as the feeling gets more realistic, if you can’t see the source.News
The Facebook data debacle may not change internet behavior
In the wake of the Facebook data breach, personal privacy experts say there’s little individuals can do to control their personal information online. -
Robotics
News in Brief
A new soft bot mimics octopuses and inchworms to climb walls
A new soft robot that scales walls could help with surveillance or building inspections.News in Brief
Boy robot passes agility tests
Anatomically accurate humanlike robots pave the way for more sophisticated prosthetics and realistic crash-test dummies. -
Artificial Intelligence
News in Brief
AI bests humans at mapping the moon
AI does a more thorough job of counting craters than humans.News
In the future, an AI may diagnose eye problems
Artificial intelligence could help diagnose blinding eye diseases and other illnesses, speeding up medical care in areas where specialists might be scarce.
