Tech

Sign up for our newsletter

We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Animals

    The teeth of ‘wandering meatloaf’ contain a rare mineral found only in rocks

    The hard, magnetic teeth of the world’s largest chiton contain nanoparticles of santabarbaraite, a mineral never seen before in biology.

    By
  2. Astronomy

    Watch this beautiful, high-resolution simulation of how stars are born

    The STARFORGE simulation follows a giant gas cloud as it collapses into new stars, accounting for all the phenomena thought to influence the outcome.

    By
  3. Neuroscience

    Brain implants turn imagined handwriting into text on a screen

    A person who was paralyzed from the neck down was able to communicate, thanks to brain-to-text technology.

    By
  4. Neuroscience

    Scientists remotely controlled the social behavior of mice with light

    New devices — worn as headsets and backpacks — rely on optogenetics, in which bursts of light toggle neurons, to control mouse brain activity.

    By
  5. Science & Society

    Videocalling needed more than a pandemic to finally take off. Will it last?

    Zoom and social distancing ushered in the futuristic videophone fantasy AT&T wanted and consumers rejected for decades.

    By
  6. Animals

    How researchers can keep birds safe as U.S. wind farms expand

    Tracking bald eagle abundance and migrating whooping cranes provides a clearer picture of where wind turbines could be safely built.

    By
  7. Tech

    ‘Pipe Dreams’ flushes out hope in an unexpected place: the toilet

    A new book shows how reimagined toilets will allow humans to use pee and poop as natural resources.

    By
  8. Tech

    A new laser-based random number generator is the fastest of its kind

    A new laser’s chaotic light beam lets the device generate multiple number sequences at once, similar to throwing multiple dice at a time.

    By
  9. Chemistry

    Chemists are reimagining recycling to keep plastics out of landfills

    Recycling plastics is really hard, and usually creates low-quality materials that aren’t good for much. Chemists are trying to change that.

    By
  10. Tech

    A robot arm toting a Venus flytrap can grab delicate objects

    By attaching electrodes to the plant’s leaves, researchers found a way to snap its traps shut on command.

    By
  11. Chemistry

    Zinc-air batteries are typically single-use. A new design could change that

    Swapping out the electrolyte in zinc-air batteries helps these next-gen power sources last longer.

    By
  12. Chemistry

    A new iron-based catalyst converts carbon dioxide into jet fuel

    Jet fuel made from carbon dioxide could one day reduce pollution from air travel.

    By