Primates, including humans, have notably larger brains compared to most other mammals. For decades, scientists have speculated that diet, particularly the consumption of fruit, played a crucial role in the evolution of these larger brains. A groundbreaking study from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute now suggests that … Read more
Researchers have taken a big step towards making high-fidelity 3D mapping from the air more accessible with the development of a compact and lightweight single-photon lidar system. This innovation paves the way for wider use of the technology in drones, satellites, and other airborne platforms for applications like environmental monitoring, creating precise terrain maps, and … Read more
The future of space exploration holds tremendous promise and excitement, with ambitious plans, innovative technologies, and international collaborations poised to expand humanity’s reach into the cosmos. From returning humans to the Moon and exploring Mars to venturing deeper into the solar system and beyond, the next era of space exploration is set to unlock new … Read more
Insects are typically unwelcome visitors to a picnic, but they could be a flavorful, nutritious and sustainable addition to the menu. Eating insects is common in some parts of the world, and some species are even considered delicacies. Ants are one example, sometimes roasted whole for a snack or ground and used to add flavor … Read more
Taking flight can be stressful—especially for a lithium-ion battery that powers a drone. Too much strain on these cells causes damage and shortens a device’s overall lifespan. Research in ACS Energy Letters shows the potential to improve batteries in aerial electric vehicles that take off and land vertically. The team developed a new electrolyte to … Read more
LiDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing technology that utilizes laser light to measure distances and generate precise, three-dimensional representations of the Earth’s surface. This advanced technique has found applications in various fields, including cartography, forestry, archaeology, autonomous vehicles, and environmental monitoring. To comprehend the significance of LiDAR, one must … Read more
Researchers have invented a new kind of artificial seed to sense environmental parameters without impacting the health of the environment. The soft robot, named Acer i-Seed, is inspired by natural Acer seeds and can monitor the temperature of the soil by becoming luminescent. It is made of a biocompatible and compostable material, and it has … Read more
Researchers from the University of South Australia (UniSA), the University of Adelaide (UoA), and Yale University have recently introduced a groundbreaking method aimed at significantly amplifying the power of fiber lasers. This development, featured in Nature Communications, harnesses the potential of multimode optical fiber, enabling a remarkable three-to-ninefold increase in power while maintaining beam quality. … Read more
Javier Santos, a researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory, has pioneered an ingenious artificial intelligence (AI) approach. This method efficiently reconstructs extensive data, such as overall ocean temperature, using a minimal number of field-deployable sensors. Leveraging low-powered “edge” computing, this innovation holds vast implications for industries, scientific research, and medical applications. Santos explained, “We crafted … Read more
Researchers from Monash University have devised a novel lithium-sulfur battery configuration featuring a nanoporous polymer-coated lithium foil anode. This innovation significantly reduces the amount of lithium required in each battery. With the global shift towards renewable energy, the demand for sustainable energy storage solutions is increasingly critical. In a recent publication in Advanced Sustainable Systems, … Read more
Researchers from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) have achieved a breakthrough by applying reinforcement learning to solve complex video game challenges. Their innovative approach, inspired by strategies used in board games like Chess and Go, outperformed top human players in a single test. This milestone has far-reaching implications, potentially revolutionizing movement design … Read more
A recent breakthrough in bee research conducted by a team from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf has shed light on the long-standing mystery of bee sex determination. Published in the journal Science Advances, their findings reveal a fascinating mechanism akin to a dice game. In the natural world, an organism’s biological sex carries significant implications for … Read more
Imagine being aboard an airplane where two pilots share control – one human, one computer. They each focus on different aspects, but when they align their attention, the human pilot takes the reins. If the human pilot becomes distracted, the computer quickly steps in. Enter the Air-Guardian, a creation from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial … Read more
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have achieved a significant breakthrough, enhancing the efficiency of microcombs by a factor of 10. This achievement holds the promise of advancing our exploration of exoplanets and revolutionizing healthcare diagnostics. Their groundbreaking work, published in “Surpassing the nonlinear conversion efficiency of soliton microcombs” in Nature Photonics, opens … Read more
Managing group decisions poses significant challenges, especially when dealing with a swarm of robots. At the IRIDIA artificial intelligence research laboratory, Université Libre de Bruxelles, researchers have introduced an innovative self-organizing approach. In this method, each robot takes on the role of the “brain” one at a time to consolidate information on behalf of the … Read more
Satellite observations have unveiled the remarkable benefits of replanting logged forests on Borneo with diverse seedling mixtures in one of the world’s largest ecological experiments. The study, titled “Positive effects of tree diversity on tropical forest restoration in a field-scale experiment,” has been published in Science Advances. Over two decades ago, Professor Andy Hector and … Read more
A group of seismologists from NORSAR in Kjeller, Norway, collaborated with a colleague from the State Space Agency of Ukraine, and their findings, published in the journal Nature, reveal a unique use of earthquake sensing technology to track major explosions associated with the conflict in Ukraine. Their study involved the utilization of seismometers strategically placed … Read more
A team of scientists from the University of Colorado at Boulder, led by Professor Ryan Hayward, envisions a future where airborne drones are guided by a person on the ground and powered by a laser beam, eliminating the need for heavy onboard batteries. In their recent study published in Nature Materials, they introduce a unique … Read more
Researchers at the Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) in Bremen have devised an innovative approach that employs drone imagery and artificial intelligence (AI) to meticulously map individual trees within forested areas, such as mangroves. This groundbreaking technique not only identifies each tree but also provides estimations of their height and diameter. This advancement … Read more
The 2023 excavation season at the Cova Gran rockshelter in Santa Linya, Lleida, has concluded. Alfonso Benito Calvo, a geologist at the Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), has collaborated with the archaeological team from the Center for Archaeological Heritage Studies at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (CEPARQ-UAB) since 2009. Located in … Read more