Tech

Sign up for our newsletter

We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Animals

    Help ornithologists develop bird photo ID tool

    Cornell ornithology lab’s computer identification of common North American avian species needs your photos.

    By
  2. Genetics

    Enormous quantities may soon be called ‘genomical’

    Genetic data may soon reach beyond astronomical proportions.

    By
  3. Tech

    Flame-finding pistols set off decades of blazing technology

    Researchers unveiled a gun-shaped flame detector in 1965

    By
  4. Tech

    3-D–printed body helps jumping robot land on its feet

    To launch itself into the air, a jumping robot relies on a 3-D–printed body made of a gradient of soft and stiff plastics.

    By
  5. Tech

    Plastic shell lets roach-bot squeeze through gaps

    An arched shell helps a six-legged robot shimmy past obstacles.

    By
  6. Science & Society

    Your photos reveal more than where you went on vacation

    By mining public databases of people’s photos, researchers can explore changing landscapes and tourist behavior.

    By
  7. Health & Medicine

    E-cigarette reports provide science that society craves

    Research on vaping fills a crucial need in science’s service to society: providing the best information possible in a timely manner, so people can make wise choices.

    By
  8. Earth

    Leap second helps us with the reality of time

    A leap second will be inserted at the end of the day on June 30.

    By
  9. Tech

    New app creates a searchable network of species worldwide

    A free new app compiles millions of records of species worldwide and allows users to add sightings.

    By
  10. Planetary Science

    50 years ago, Mariner 4 sent back first pictures from Mars

    On July 14, 1965, Mariner 4 became the first spacecraft to fly by Mars. The probe also sent back the first pictures of another planet taken from space.

    By
  11. Microbes

    Spore-powered engines zoom ahead

    Engines that run on the dehydration of bacterial spores can power a tiny car and an LED.

    By
  12. Tech

    Humanoid robot tops other bots in defense agency’s challenge

    A humanoid robot named DRC-HUBO won first place in DARPA’s Robotic Challenge, held June 5-6.

    By