Tech
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Computing
Now that computers connect us all, for better and worse, what’s next?
The digital revolution has brought chess-playing robots, self-driving cars, curated newsfeeds — and new ethical challenges.
- Computing
Core memory weavers and Navajo women made the Apollo missions possible
The stories of the women who assembled integrated circuits and wove core memory for the Apollo missions remain largely unknown.
- Computing
Artificial intelligence challenges what it means to be creative
Computer programs can mimic famous artworks, but struggle with originality and lack self-awareness.
- Planetary Science
50 years ago, Arecibo got an unprecedented view of Venus’ surface
Over its 57-year lifetime, Arecibo’s radar system measured the mountains around Venus’ middle, studied the textures of many rocky bodies in outer space and more.
- Tech
Materials of the last century shaped modern life, but at a price
From our homes and cities to our electronics and clothing, the stuff of daily life is dramatically different from decades ago.
- Artificial Intelligence
How AI can identify people even in anonymized datasets
A neural network identified a majority of anonymous mobile phone service subscribers using details about their weekly social interactions.
- Math
An elusive equation describing bird eggs of all shapes has been found at last
A new mathematical equation describes bird eggs of all shapes found in nature, and it could have applications in food and agricultural research.
- Earth
A WWII submarine-hunting device helped prove the theory of plate tectonics
With a boost from World War II, the fluxgate magnetometer became a portable and invaluable tool.
- Physics
An atomic clock that could revolutionize space travel just passed its first test
The most precise clock ever sent to space successfully operated in Earth’s orbit for over a year.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
