Warm ski beanie instantly hardens into a head-protecting helmet upon impact
Beanies and wool hats are a whole lot more comfortable than hard ski helmets. You know what they're not? Safer. That could change, however, thanks to an innovative new ski beanie which instantly shifts from soft to head-protecting hard when an impact takes place. Here's how it works.
Makerbot is back with a new 3D printer that’s faster and more precise than ever
MakerBot's new Method 3D printer aims to bridge the gap between home 3D printers and more industrial 3D printing. It promises some of the features that were previously available exclusively to industrial printers for a price that’s more in line with what consumers would expect to pay.
An A.I. cracks the internet’s squiggly letter bot test in 0.5 seconds
How do you prove you’re a human on the internet? The answer used to be by solving a CAPTCHA puzzle. But maybe not for too much longer. That's because researchers from China and the U.K. have developed a deep learning A.I. that's capable of cracking CAPTCHAs in 0.5 seconds.
Transplanted pig hearts show promise in baboon trials. Are humans next?
Using animal organs for transplants could be one possible way to end transplant waiting lists for good. While that's still a way off, researchers from Germany recently showed that it is possible to successfully transplant modified pig hearts into baboons. Here's what happened.
Intel wants its fleet of drones to monitor America’s aging, unsafe bridges
Intel has signed a deal with the Minnesota Department of Transportation and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to use its Falcon 8+ drones to carry out bridge inspections. The hope is that these drones will be useful in spotting potential problems before they become serious.
Early-detection system for wildfires could save many states from big burns
When it comes to dealing with the growing problem of raging wildfires, a new wireless smart sensor system could help spot burgeoning blazes before they rage out of control. The system was developed by three engineers in a startup incubator. Here's what they have created -- and how it might help.
This exotic new material somehow gets thicker when stretched
Stretch just about any material and what happens to it? It gets thinner of course. It turns out that this isn’t a universal rule, however. Scientists at the U.K.’s University of Leeds have discovered a new synthetic material which actually gets thicker the more it’s stretched.
This implant goes beyond pacemakers, helps aging hearts beat more vigorously
The Food and Drug Administration's advisory committee has voted to recommend an innovative pacemaker-style gadget be approved in the United States. The Optimizer Smart Implantable Pulse Generator boosts the performance, strength, and pumping ability of weakened heart chambers.
First baby born using a womb transplanted from a deceased donor
In a world first, doctors have confirmed the birth of a healthy baby girl in Brazil using a womb transplanted from a deceased donor. This achievement opens up new possibilities for women with uterine infertility, since it greatly expands the number of potentially available uteruses.
SpaceX’s ISS mission was a success — but the landing didn’t go as planned
Two days after its most recent launch, SpaceX launched another Falcon 9 rocket today from Cape Canaveral. It was intended to carry supplies to the orbiting International Space Station. However, while the launch went well, the landing had some issues. Here's what happened.
Nvidia’s new A.I. creates entire virtual cities by watching dash cam videos
Creating virtual versions of real cities for video games takes thousands of hours. Technology unveiled by Nvidia could make it much easier, however. Its new machine learning tech can generate a convincing virtual city simply by showing it car dashcam videos. Here's how.
The U.S. Army could acquire a fleet of 3,000 bomb-defusing scorpion robots
It sounds like something out a science fiction movie, but it’s not: The U.S. Army may be well on its way to acquiring a 3,000 strong fleet of battlefield-ready scorpion robots. The robots are small enough to be carried in a backpack and can be powered up in less than a minute.
The robot waiters in this Japanese cafe are controlled by people with paralysis
A new Japanese popup cafe that's staffed by robot waiters sounds unusual enough. However, the robots in this cafe aren't autonomous bots: They're operated remotely by paralyzed individuals, who can control the robots from their own homes. Here's everything you need to know.
The world’s most accurate clock will lose just one second every 14 billion years
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorad,o have built an atomic clock capable of telling the time with an astonishing 18 digits of precision. It's the most accurate clock ever created. This is why it could turn out to be extremely useful.
Israeli startup believes it mastered the art of vegan steaks
Do you love meat, but worry about the impact that it is having on our planet? A new Israeli startup, Jet-Eat, has created technology for 3D printing its own vegan beef steaks. No animal death required. Here's when you can expect to get it on your local supermarket shelves.
Wearable device spots signs of an opioid overdose, automatically calls for help
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University have developed a wearable device that’s capable of detecting an opioid overdose and sending out an alert to medical personnel. With the scale of opioid addiction hitting crisis levels in the United States, this could be a major lifesaver.
Breakthrough male contraceptive gel is nearly ready for the bedroom
A new male contraceptive gel is absorbed through the skin, and promises to temporarily reduce sperm count in order to avoid pregnancy. Researchers from the UW School of Medicine are currently seeking out participants to take part in a clinical trial. Here's how you can get involved.
Soon you can immortalize yourself as an A.I. chatbot. But should you?
Until technology allows us to upload our consciousness to a computer when our bodies start failing, death is going to remain a real thing. But could tech provide other ways of letting us continue talking to deceased loved ones? A growing number of people seem to think so.
Russia goes all-in on buzzwords, builds solar-powered blockchain drone boat
A new Russian solar-powered drone boat is designed to take smart sensor readings and save them to the Ethereum blockchain. That might sound like buzzword bingo, but it's doing it for a good reason: To keep tabs on water pollution in one of the world's largest reservoirs.
ANYbotics’ creepy, dog-like robot patrols, monitors offshore energy platform
A Swiss-made quadruped robot recently spent a week carrying out autonomous inspection tasks on one of the world's largest offshore power distribution platforms in the North Sea. This involved covering a total of inspection points, including checking gauges, levers, and more.
Australian ‘virtual fence’ halves roadkill on one deadly stretch of road
Researchers in Australia think they may have cracked the roadkill problem. In the state of Tasmania, home to one of the highest roadkill rates in the world, a 'virtual fence' system has halved animal fatalities on one particular stretch of road. Here's how the technology works.
Microsoft’s $480M contract with U.S. military will equip soldiers with Hololens
Microsoft recently won a $480 million contract to equip American soldiers with up to 100,000 of its augmented reality Hololens headsets. Here's what we know so far about the deal -- and how it could provide the United States military with some new cutting-edge technology.
Meet the robot that trains employees by acting like an awful customer
Trying to train your employees to answer questions from customers with a variety of different needs? What you’re looking for may be a slightly creepy robot bust with a swappable face. Meet Furhat: the social robot designed by a Swedish startup with the goal of human interaction.
Take your vinyl on a high-tech spin with this 3D-printable record player
Want to really prove your hipster credentials? Check out the Lenco-MD, the world’s first 3D-printed record player. Boasting a module design, users can upgrade their turntables by adding features like speakers and Bluetooth wireless streaming. Here's how you can get your hands on one.
If Tony Stark designed motorcycle helmets, they’d probably look like this
Are you a motorbike rider in want of a bit of added Iron Man tech? If so, check out the pair of new smart helmets created by Jarvish. Offering everything from an AR head-up display to an in-built A.I. assistant, this is closest you'll get to being Tony Stark while riding to work.
Who needs a robodog when you can build a canine centaur robot?
Ever dreamed of owning your very own centaur robot? Soon you'll be able to by combining Italian startup Youbionic’s new pair of robotic arms with Boston Dynamics' SpotMini robot. What you do next with your fearsome two armed canine robots will be up to you. But we suspect it will be awesome.
A Fitbit for chickens? Sounds silly, but it could revolutionize poultry farms
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, have developed a wearable device for chickens that gathers data on their behavior and has a more than 85 percent accuracy rate. It could help reveal to farmers when there has been an outbreak of mites among chicken broods.
Underwater jumping robot showcases amazing nature-inspired leaping abilities
Inspired by leaping aquatic animals such as dolphins and whales, researchers from Cornell University have developed a breaching robot that’s able to pull off similarly dazzling vertical leaps in a tank of water. Here's how it works -- and how it might one day be employed.
24-karat discovery: Scientists figure out how to melt gold at room temperature
Researchers at Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology have demonstrated how gold can be made to melt at room temperature. This was achieved by applying an extremely high electric field to a cone-shaped gold object, causing the outermost two to three atomic layers to become molten.
Chinese doctors have reportedly delivered the world’s first gene-edited babies
Scientists in China are reportedly using CRISPR gene-editing technology to try and create the world’s first children whose DNA has been altered through the use of gene editing. By doing so, they hope to create babies resistant to potentially fatal diseases such as HIV, smallpox, and cholera.
Skip the sutures. ‘Game-changing ‘superglue’ could heal serious knee injuries
A groundbreaking new superglue-style material could help revolutionize treatments such as knee surgery by adhering to the injured body part, and then conveying repair cells or drugs in order to stimulate tissue regeneration. Here's what makes the new hydrogel so exciting.
NASA’s InSight lander successfully touches down on Mars
Later today, NASA will attempt to safely touch down its unmanned InSight lander on Mars. This feat involves a hair-raising deceleration through Mars’ thin atmosphere, prior to making its landing. Sound scary? You bet. The good news is that you can watch live coverage online.
Brain-reading tech lets paralyzed people control a tablet with their thoughts
The U.S.-based BrainGate consortium has developed technology that makes it possible for people with paralysis to use tablets and other mobile devices -- simply by thinking about cursor movements and clicks. Here's how it works, and what study participants were able to achieve.
MIT’s revolutionary new prototype plane has zero moving parts
The future of air travel could involve planes that pump out zero emissions, produce virtually zero sound, and have zero moving parts. That dream just got closer thanks to the maiden flight of a first-of-its-kind plane, created by engineers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.