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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Tech
Hopping robot powered by explosions
A soft-bodied robot that can jump with the help of an explosion could one day aid search-and-rescue operations.
By Meghan Rosen - Tech
Long after JFK assassination, gunshot forensics still limited
The Warren Commission Report included the results of a neutron activation analysis test of Lee Harvey Oswald. But even that high-tech analysis can't distinguish the type of weapon fired.
- Tech
Octobot uses webbed arms to swim faster
Octopus-inspired robot could one day help researchers observe underwater ecosystems.
By Meghan Rosen - Tech
Hydrogen made using sunlight, cheap materials
Photosynthesis-inspired fuel cell uses water to make hydrogen gas and could feature in next-generation cars.
By Sam Lemonick - Planetary Science
Spot on comet chosen for Rosetta mission lander
Philae, the Rosetta mission lander, will attempt to land on a spot called site J on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.
- Tech
‘Virtual Unreality’ chronicles dangers of digital deception
Journalist Charles Seife documents how the lies and misinformation that riddle the Internet are harming the real world.
By Janet Raloff - Tech
Space tourism’s price tag rockets upward
The “high price” of space tourism proposed in the 1960s is nowhere close to the astronomical price tag of trips today.
By Nsikan Akpan - Tech
To have a sound mind, a brain needs a body
Replicating human intelligence in robots requires the right materials for brain-body-environment interactions.
- Tech
Robot swarm takes many shapes
One Kilobot is not very smart. But 1,000 can follow simple instructions to assemble into multiple shapes without human intervention.
By Andrew Grant - Materials Science
Magnets get flipped by light
Controlling magnetism with lasers could lead to faster computer hard drives.
By Andrew Grant - Life
Malaria parasite’s invasion of blood cells tweezed apart
Tugging on malaria-causing parasite cells with laser optical tweezers suggest that the parasite cells interact only weakly with red blood cells and that the interactions could be disrupted with drugs or antibodies.
- Computing
Thousand-robot swarm self-assembles into complex shapes
A swarm of a thousand tiny robots can now self-assemble into complex shapes, suggesting scientists have taken a step forward in engineering collective artificial intelligence