Scientists have created a robot that can transform from a black glob into a swarm of tiny beads and back again. The inventors say that the robot’s ability to split itself into many pieces and then snap back together makes it potentially useful for drug delivery. The human body is full of winding, narrow passages

We all know the routine by heart: “Please ensure your seats are in the upright position, tray tables stowed, window shades are up, laptops are stored in the overhead bins, and electronic devices are set to flight mode”. Now, the first four are reasonable, right? Window shades need to be up so we can see

It’s been easy to feel disconnected over the past two and a half years, despite all the hours spent doing Zoom trivia and online gaming with friends. But it turns out that, even when we’re physically alone, our brains may be able to sync up with the minds of others we’re playing with better than

Hydrogen has huge potential as a clean fuel: it’s abundant (mainly in compounds like water), it doesn’t produce any damaging emissions, and it can also be used to store energy from solar, wind, and tidal sources. There are challenges in producing enough of the stuff in a practical and affordable way, however. Splitting hydrogen from

Amid the continuous noise about cryptocurrencies, it’s often hard to pick out what really matters. However this month, if all goes to plan, the energy-hungry digital sector will undergo its biggest shake-up in years. Ethereum, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency, is tomorrow expected to start a technology changeover which, once complete, should cause its carbon emissions

An expedition team has captured the highest quality footage of the Titanic, the iconic passenger liner that sunk in 1912 during her maiden voyage. The footage, which is the world’s first and only 8K video of the underwater wreck, shows “amazing detail” that will help marine archaeologists to study further the rate of decay of

You may not have given much thought to being able to text underwater, but for millions of scuba diving and snorkeling enthusiasts, communication in the ocean is pretty essential to staying safe. Right now, hand gestures are the preferred way of keeping in touch under the waves, and professional divers use a globally recognized vocabulary

We could one day charge our phones and tablets wirelessly through the air, thanks to newly developed technology. Researchers have used infrared laser light to transmit 400mW of light power over distances of up to 30 meters (98 feet). That’s enough juice to charge small sensors, though in time it could be developed to charge

Scientists have developed an ‘atomic television’ that uses lasers and atom clouds to carry a video signal that meets the traditional 480i resolution (480 horizontal lines) standard. Just don’t expect it to be installed as part of your home entertainment setup any time soon. Key to the technology is a glass container of gaseous super-sized

It isn’t alive, and has no structures even approaching the complexity of the brain, but a compound called vanadium dioxide is capable of ‘remembering’ previous external stimuli, researchers have found. This is the first time this ability has been identified in a material; but it may not be the last. The discovery has some pretty

First, they lost their front legs. Then, their hind legs. Now, all they can do is slither. It’s been around 100 million years since a trio of genetic tweaks deprived snakes of their ability to walk, and snake-lover and YouTube ‘fixer’ Allen Pan won’t have it any longer. “When any other animal has deformed legs,

While we’re not yet close to replicating the complexity and the intricacy of the human brain with anything artificial, scientists are making progress with certain dedicated devices – like a newly developed programmable resistor. Resistors can be used to make up analog neural networks in artificial intelligence systems, based on a structure designed to mimic

Earlier today, reports began emerging Google was down. While it has since returned, it once again highlights our dependence on technology service providers and shows how reliant many people are on a single operator for daily functions. There are few things we completely rely upon in our modern lives, but for many people, Google is

When mechanical engineering graduate student Faye Yap saw a dead spider curled up in the hallway, it got her thinking about whether it could be used as a robotics component. Turning dead spiders into mechanical grippers may be some people’s idea of a nightmare scenario, but it could have tangible benefits. Spider legs can grip

A digital twin is a copy of a person, product, or process that is created using data. This might sound like science fiction, but some have claimed that you will likely have a digital double within the next decade. As a copy of a person, a digital twin would – ideally – make the same