'ATHLETE.' NASA's Next Robot Walker To Build A Moon Base
In NASA’s continued ambition to further space exploration, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has designed the next rover to build and supply a future lunar base. The ATHLETE (All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer) is designed to tackle any terrain the moon could throw at it, while transporting tools, equipment and personnel in the process.
Digital Data Stored On DNA. The Hard Drive Of The Future?
Researchers have successfully encoded MP3s, text files and JPEGs into DNA files, claiming that the biomolecular material will become an "attractive storage medium" in just a few decades.
'Star Wars' Got It Wrong. What Jumping To Hyperspace Would Actually Look Like
As is commonplace in science fiction, when a spacecraft makes the "jump to lightspeed," stars in the galaxy stretch in front of your eyes. But University of Leicester students have calculated what you would actually see when travelling through space at the speed of light.
Mars Rover Curiosity To Drill Into First Martian Rock. Search For Evidence Of Water
NASA has announced that the Mars rover Curiosity will drill into Martian rock for the first time to look for proof that water once existed on the Red Planet.
Astronomers Discover The Largest Structure In The Universe
An international team of astronomers, led by academics from the University of Central Lancashire has found "the largest known structure in the universe." To put its size into perspective, it would take 4 billion years for a vehicle travelling at the speed of light just to cross it.
UK University To Research Stroke Victim Recovery Using The Kinect
Nottingham Trent University is to conduct research using Microsoft's Kinect to help stroke victims.
The Science Of How Comment Trolls Influence Your Opinion
It's almost second nature to expect a series of trollish comments below any science story published on the internet. Generally, we like to think that these responses don't influence us; but this couldn't be further from the truth. New research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison shows that their tone can actually impact readers' opinions about the subject of the article.
'#Overlyhonestmethods' Uncovers The Hilarious Truth Behind Scientific Method
Multidisciplinary scientist Dr. Leigh posted a tweet using the hashtag #overlyhonestmethods on January 7th. What has followed is a hilarious series of silly, embarrassing and downright awkward confessions from researchers across the world.
You Can Now Apply To Be Part Of A Mars Colony For Reality TV
Netherlands based organisation Mars One has begun accepting applications for "Mars colony pioneers:" a one-way ticket to a human settlement on the red planet, which they intend to finish construction of in 2023. Those who are chosen will be put into a selection process, in which both Mars One and viewers of a “global, televised program” will choose the first humans to colonise the planet.
Scientists Reach A Temperature Lower Than Absolute Zero
Physicists at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Germany have hit a temperature lower than absolute zero, rewriting the laws of physics in the process.
Researchers Use Electricity To Release Human Brain's Strongest Opioid Painkillers
A team of international researchers have used a form of electro stimulation called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to release endrogenous opioids - the human body's most powerful painkillers that are similar in strength to morphine.
This noninvasive procedure is especially significant and rather scary, as this is an immediate natural high, which can be accessed using damp sponges on your scalp, attached to a 9-volt battery.
DARPA's Expandable Foam Fights Against Internal Bleeding
A new foam developed by Arsenal Medical in conjunction with DARPA could prove to be a critical lifeline for wounded soldiers on the battlefield.
NASA Announces Multi-Year Mars Program. New Rover Mission In 2020
NASA has announced plans for a robust multi-year Mars program, including a new "robotic science rover" set to launch in 2020, and the launch of two spacecraft to research the atmosphere of the red planet, with a view to commence in 2013.
Mars Rover Curiosity Finds Evidence Of Organic Compounds On Red Planet
NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover has found evidence of organic compounds within the Martian soil on the red planet. Samples analysed contained "water and sulfur and chlorine-containing substances, among other ingredients" for life.
MIT Invents Shape-Shifting Robots. Small Step Towards Real-Life Transformers
This device, known as a milli-motein, doesn’t look like much more than something you'd find in a home-workshop drawer. But this millimeter-sized set of motorized components inspired by proteins may be a harbinger of real-life Transformers, with the ability to naturally fold themselves into incredibly complex shapes.
Thought-Controlled Artificial Limbs. A Robotic Revolution For Amputees
The world's first implantable robotic arm controlled by thoughts is being developed by a postdoctoral student. The first operations on patients will take place this winter, changing the lives of amputees.
SpaceX Founder Reveals Plans To Start A Colony On Mars
Fresh from becoming the first private US company to deliver cargo to the International Space Station, the billionaire founder and CEO of SpaceX, Elon Musk, is now eyeing even further afield. According to Space.com, he's been speaking about his plans to start-up a colony (of around 80,000 people) on Mars in the not-too-distant future, with tickets to the planet likely to cost around half a million dollars each.
Scientists Devise Armageddon-Like Nuclear Bomb Asteroid Plan
A portion of last week's 2012 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) meeting in Virginia was devoted to talking up solutions to destroying an Earth-bound asteroid mid-flight with a nuclear explosion. That's right, Armageddon style.
Researchers Create Walking Biological Robots Using Heart Cells
A team of scientists at the University of Illinois have built tiny biological robots that walk to the beat of a thin sheet of rat heart cells.