Brain-controlled bionic limbs are inching closer to reality
The word “bionic” conjures sci-fi visions of humans enhanced to superhuman levels. It’s true that engineering advances such as better motors and batteries, together with modern computing, mean that the required mechanical and electronic systems are no longer a barrier to advanced prostheses. But the field has struggled to integrate these powerful machines with the […]
There’s a new term for attempting to own the wind
Wind ownership is up for grabs. As an unpaid intern at an energy company in England, Emilia Groupp spent two years creating wind maps for renewable energy development. Colleagues told Groupp to ignore wind blowing across British borders, saying things like, “Oh we don’t want French wind,” recalls Groupp, an anthropologist of energy at Stanford […]
Why this physicist is bringing thermodynamics to the quantum age
Picture Victorian London, but its skies are filled with airships. Steam-powered robots crowd the streets, mingling with people in top hats and petticoats. That type of retrofuturistic mash-up is the fantasy realm of steampunk, a genre of literature, film and other creative media. Theoretical physicist Nicole Yunger Halpern sees her specialty, the field of quantum […]
Ancient Scythians had cultural roots in Siberia
Horse-riding Scythian herders and warriors, who inhabited Central Asia and Eastern Europe around 2,500 years ago, may have had cultural roots several thousand kilometers to the east in Siberia, a new study suggests (SN: 7/27/23). Remains of at least one person and 18 horses found atop a roughly 2,800-year-old tomb in southern Siberia may come […]
Blood pressure may read falsely high if the arm isn’t positioned properly
When the arm is on the lap or the side, a blood pressure reading can be erroneously high. But when the arm is supported and at heart height, a blood pressure reading is more likely to be right. In a clinical trial, researchers investigated the effect that different arm positions had on blood pressure readings, […]
Some bacteria in your mouth can divide into 14 cells at once
Among the more than 500 species of bacteria that thrive in the human mouth, one seems to play by its own rules. Instead of reproducing by dividing into two, as most bacteria do, Corynebacterium matruchotii divides into 14 cells simultaneously, researchers report on Sept. 10. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This video shows […]
This researcher studies how disinformation permeates science and politics
TV stars and terrorists may seem to have little in common. But after watching YouTube videos by members of a violent terrorist organization, Yotam Ophir realized that the two groups used similar tactics to connect with distant audiences. The terrorists dressed casually, looked into the camera when they spoke, and recounted their pasts in a […]