Probiotics[1] have been getting a lot of attention recently. These bacteria, which you can consume from fermented foods, yogurt or even pills, are linked to a number of health and wellness benefits[2], including reducing gastrointestinal distress, urinary tract
Bringing AI up to speed – autonomous auto racing promises safer driverless cars on the road
The excitement of auto racing comes from split-second decisions and daring passes by fearless drivers. Imagine that scene, but without the driver – the car alone, guided by the invisible hand of artificial intelligence. Can the rush of racing unfold
We designed wormlike, limbless robots that navigate obstacle courses − they could be used for search and rescue one day
Scientists have been trying to build snakelike, limbless robots[1] for decades. These robots could come in handy in search-and-rescue[2] situations, where they could navigate collapsed buildings to find and assist survivors.
With slender, flexible bodies,
Our robot harvests cotton by reaching out and plucking it, like a lizard’s tongue snatching flies
Cotton is one of the most valuable crops grown in the U.S., with a harvest value of some US$7 billion yearly[1]. It is cultivated across a crescent of 17 states stretching from Virginia to California[2] and is used in virtually every type of clothing[3],
Flowers grown floating on polluted waterways can help clean up nutrient runoff and turn a profit
Flowers grown on inexpensive floating platforms can help clean polluted waterways, over 12 weeks extracting 52% more phosphorus and 36% more nitrogen than the natural nitrogen cycle removes from untreated water, according to our new research[1]. In addition to
AI ‘companions’ promise to combat loneliness, but history shows the dangers of one-way relationships
The United States is in the grips of a loneliness epidemic[1]: Since 2018, about half the population[2] has reported that it has experienced loneliness. Loneliness can be as dangerous to your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day[3], according to a 2023