Wearable Robotic Third Arm Smashes Walls and Picks Vegetables
Researchers from the Université de Sherbrooke in Canada have developed a wearable robotic third arm that is mounted to humans around the waist. The third arm is capable of playing badminton and smashing through walls. Read more... June 9, 2020
Hexapod Robots Walk Faster With Flexible Feet
UC San Diego engineers have developed flexible feet that enable hexapod robots to walk up to 40% faster. The feet are flexible spheres made from a latex membrane filled with coffee grounds. Read more... June 1, 2020
Giant Hailstone From Argentina Could Set New World Record
A powerful supercell thunderstorm in Argentina in 2018 dropped enormous hailstones on the city of Villa Carlos Paz. Researchers from Penn State say one of the hailstones measured between 7.4 and 9.3 inches across. Read more... May 1, 2020
It Rains Liquid Iron on Exoplanet WASP-76b
Astronomers using ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) recently observed a planet suspected of having liquid iron as a precipitate. The ultra-hot giant exoplanet, WASP-76b, has a day side where temperatures reach over 2400 degrees Celsius. This is hot enough to vaporize metals. Strong winds carry iron vapor to the cooler night side where it condenses into iron droplets. Read more... March 12, 2020
Study Reveals 3-D Structure of Ultra-Black Butterfly Wings
A new study has revealed that the ultra-black wings of some butterfly species have a unique 3-D structure. This 3-D structure creates an optical illusion and light-trapping effect that makes the wings appear even blacker than they are. Read more... March 10, 2020
Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic Information and Resources
The novel coronavirus, Covid-19, has quickly become a global health threat. Here you will find a list of helpful resources for the pandemic. Read more... February 21, 2020
NASA Image Shows Lake Mega Chad Remnants
Lake Mega Chad was once an enormous lake in Africa. About 7,000 years ago it covered over 400,000 square kilometers (150,000 square miles). Read more... February 20, 2020
JPL Shares New Version of The Pale Blue Dot
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has shared a new version of the image known as the Pale Blue Dot. The original image was taken by Voyager 1 during NASA's Voyager mission in 1990. Read more... February 19, 2020
CDC Ships Coronavirus Test Kits to Local U.S. Laboratories
The CDC started shipping laboratory test kits to detect 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) to qualified local U.S. laboratories yesterday. These kits will allow local health departments to identify coronavirus patients. Previously, samples had to be sent to the CDC for testing. Read more... February 7, 2020
Gunakadeit Joseeae Thalattosaur Had an Extremely Pointed Snout
Scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks have identified a new species of thalattosaur named Gunakadeit joseeae. A fossil of the species found in Southeast Alaska that was nearly complete apart from its partially eroded tail. Read more... February 5, 2020
Study Suggests Carrying for a Small Work Plant Can Reduce Stress
Researchers from the University of Hyogo in Awaji, Japan conducted a study that found caring for a small plant at work can help reduce stress. A small air plant that was one of the plants used in the study is pictured above. Read more... January 2, 2020
Fish Parasite Named After Xena, the Warrior Princess
A new species of fish parasite has been discovered in South Africa. The parasite attaches itself inside the branchial cavities (the gills) of their fish hosts. The parasite has been named after Xena, the warrior princess. Read more... December 30, 2019
Wasp-Mimicking Praying Mantis Discovered in Peru
Scientists have discovered the first species of praying mantis known to conspicuously mimic a wasp. The wasp was near the Amazon River in Peru in 2013. Read more... October 18, 2019
How to Make Magnetic Slime from American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society has released a new video that provides instructions for making magnetic slime. The ACS even suggests skipping work in order to make it. The video is part of the PBS series, Reactions. Read more... October 14, 2019
Mold Pigs: Tiny Invertebrates From 30 Million Years Ago
Mold pigs were tiny invertebrates that inhabited Earth about 30 million years ago. They were discovered in fossils preserved in Dominican amber. They are a newly discovered family, genus and species of microinvertebrate. Read more... October 8, 2019
NASA Shares Black Hole Visualizations
NASA has released new visualizations of a black hole to illustrate how its gravity warps its surroundings and distorts our view. The extreme gravity of the black hole skews light emissions and results in the its misshapen appearance. Read more... September 27, 2019
Mosasaurs May Have Used Breast Stroke to Ambush Prey
A new research study suggests mosasaurs used a muscular breast stroke that gave them an extra burst of speed. This speed may have been used when ambushing prey. Mosasaurs were huge late Cretaceous sea creatures that were also equipped with two rows of sharp teeth that could shred their victims apart. Read more... September 23, 2019
Cryodrakon Boreas Was One of the Largest Flying Animals
A newly identified species of pterosaur was one of the largest ever flying animals. The pterosaur, named Cryodrakon boreas, had a wingspan of up to 10 meters (about 33 feet). It lived during the Cretaceous period around 77 million years ago. Read more... September 10, 2019
Antler Photograph Suggests Schomburgk's Deer Lived 50 Years Past Extinction Date
The Schomburgk's deer (Rucervus schomburgki) was believed to be extinct in 1938. However, recent analysis of a photograph of fresh antlers from 1991 suggests the deer did not go extinct and may still be alive today. Read more... September 6, 2019
New Duck-Billed Dinosaur Identified from Fossil Found in Northern Japan
Scientists have identified a new species of duck-billed dinosaur. The fossils of the dinosaur were found in 72-million year-old marine deposits in northern Japan. The species has been named Kamuysaurus japonicus. It is nicknamed "Mukawaryu" after the excavation site. Read more... September 5, 2019