the digest(Page 194)

Latest in the digest

New Service Delivers Name-Brand Goods Then Returns for the Packaging

By Kristin Houser

A catastrophic impact with a "Mars-sized planet" may have left behind the chemical building blocks that led to life on Earth.

New Theory: Life on Earth Came From Impact With Another Planet

By Jon Christian

A new Chinese app tells you if any "deadbeat debtors" are within 500 meters — like Grindr, essentially, but for insolvent borrowers.

Grindr-Like Chinese App Tells You If “Deadbeat Debtors” Are Nearby

By Jon Christian

The Fremont Police Department announced that it will add a 2014 Tesla Model S to its fleet of patrol vehicles — the same city where Teslas are built.

This Police Department’s New Cop Car is a Tesla

By Victor Tangermann

New research shines a light on the importance of soil moisture in plants' ability to trap CO2 — and extreme weather events could hinder that ability.

Extreme Weather Is Preventing Plants From Processing Carbon

By Kristin Houser

New research suggests that supermassive black holes formed in halos of dark matter that serve as "gravitational glue" for galaxies.

New Theory: Vast, Ancient Black Holes Formed Because of Dark Matter

By Jon Christian

The human mutation rate has slowed down significantly over the past million years or so, according to new research, raising new questions.

Human Mutation Is Slowing Down

By Jon Christian

Researchers in the UK are developing a centaur-like robot to navigate settings too dangerous for humans, such as the site of a nuclear disaster.

See the Centaur-Like Robot Designed to Handle Nuclear Disasters

By Kristin Houser

See What Astronomers Are Calling “The Last Breath of a Dying Star”

See What Astronomers Are Calling “The Last Breath of a Dying Star”

By Kristin Houser

Boeing just announced it successfully completed the first ever test flight of a prototype of its autonomous passenger air vehicle (PAV).

Advanced Transport

Boeing’s Flying Car Just Completed Its First Test Flight

By Victor Tangermann

In a short clip, Xiamoi co-founder Lin Bin showed off the company's latest creation: a foldable smartphone that folds on both sides like an envelope.

Robots and Machines

Xiaomi Teases Flexible Smartphone That Folds Like a Birthday Card

By Victor Tangermann

The results of a new global warming survey reveal Americans increased belief in the phenomenon — as well as their concerns about its impact.

More Americans Believe in Global Warming Than Ever Before

By Kristin Houser

Powerful wind gusts have caused damage to SpaceX's Starship rocket that CEO Elon Musk believes will take "weeks to repair."

Hurricane-Force Gusts Knocked Over SpaceX’s Starship Last Night

By Kristin Houser

The Lyons family were the victims of a cruel prank by hackers, who gained access to their smart home and used it to terrorize the family

Hackers Hijacked a Family’s Smart Home, Spammed Nuclear Missile Alerts

By Jon Christian

U.S. President Donald Trump offered NASA unlimited funding if it meant the agency could send a crewed mission to Mars by the end of his first term.

Trump Offered NASA an Unlimited Budget if It Sent Humans to Mars

By Jon Christian

UK researchers are ready to launch a study in which they'll vibrate people's limbs in an attempt to prevent a decrease in bone density.

Health & Medicine

Vibrating Astronauts’ Legs Could Keep Their Bones Strong

By Kristin Houser

Computer simulations can help spot new planets that were previously obscured by the death throes of old stars.

This Scientist Is Hunting for Planets That Orbit Dead Stars

By Dan Robitzski

By erasing memories linked to cocaine use, researchers stopped rats from seeking out the drug — and the therapy could potentially work in humans.

Health & Medicine

Scientists Kept Rats Sober by Deleting Memories of Cocaine

By Kristin Houser

Researchers say they've devised a carbon capture system that captures atmospheric carbon in water — and uses the reaction to generate electricity.

New Carbon Capture System Generates Electricity by Sucking up CO2

By Jon Christian

A new study reveals a way to reverse memory loss in animal models of Alzheimer's disease, and it could one day work in people, too.

Health & Medicine

New Research Could Reverse Memory Loss in Alzheimer’s Patients

By Kristin Houser

Elon Musk explains the decision to use stainless steel to create the new SpaceX Starship rocket in an interview with Popular Mechanics.

SpaceX Starship Will “Bleed Water” From Tiny Holes, Says Elon Musk

By Kristin Houser

The ESA says it's studying the prospects of a 2025 mission to the Moon that would use robotic mining equipment to extract water and fuel.

Europe Wants to Extract Rocket Fuel From Lunar Surface in 2025

By Jon Christian

Coral Vita is working to build a coral farm on land, which it claims allows it to grow coral at up to 50 times the rate of underwater farms.

This Startup Is Growing Coral on Land and Transplanting It Into Damaged Reefs

By Kristin Houser

Astrophysicists just uncovered why some dying stars' supernovae appear to lack high-energy gamma ray bursts. A protective cocoon has been blocking them.

Protective “Cocoons” Could Block Deadly Stellar Gamma-Ray Bursts

By Dan Robitzski

A government official in China said on Monday that the country was planning new punishments for local officials who don't meet air pollution goals. Chinese pollution

China Plans “Punishment” for Officials Who Miss Pollution Goals

By Jon Christian

Scientists published more data about an exoplanet named K2-22b, just one of three ever observed to be disintegrating in real time.

Astronomers Are Watching as a Neptune-Sized Exoplanet Disintegrates

By Dan Robitzski

Tesla has received approval from the Netherlands Vehicles Authority to begin deliveries of its most affordable vehicle, the Model 3, in Europe.

Tesla Can Finally Begin Model 3 Deliveries in Europe

By Kristin Houser

Chinese Gov: Doctor Who Gene-Edited Babies Forged Ethical Review

Prosthetics and Devices

Chinese Gov: Doctor Who Gene-Edited Babies Forged Ethical Review

By Kristin Houser

At a robotics event in Oakland over the weekend, Uber's Advanced Technologies Group announced it's hiring a team of "micromobility robotics" specialists.

Advanced Transport

Uber Said to Be Developing Self-Steering Bikes and Scooters

By Victor Tangermann

Elon Musk claims CERN is interested in having the Boring Company help it build the Future Circular Collider, a massive particle accelerator.

Science & Energy

Elon Musk: Boring Co. Could Help Dig New CERN Particle Collider

By Kristin Houser

The consensus: it's not just Futurism readers who hate the idea of space billboards — scientists are worried about the concept as well.

Experts Respond to Orbiting Space Billboards: “Harmful”

By Jon Christian

A growing group of people identify themselves as "digisexuals" — a provocative term for people who are attracted to robots and artificial intelligences.

“Digisexuals” Are Falling In Love With — And Lusting For — Robots

By Jon Christian

Iconic Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati says that it's not only working on an electric motorcycle, but that the bike is close to production.

Advanced Transport

Ducati Is Working on a Futuristic Electric Motorcycle

By Jon Christian

The World Health Organization released its annual roundup of the gravest threats to global health — and one of them is anti-vaxxers.

Health & Medicine

WHO: Anti-Vaxxers Now One of the Greatest Threats to World Health

By Jon Christian

A new study found that 23.2 percent of antibiotic prescriptions in the U.S. were for illnesses that don't require any antibacterial treatment at all.

Health & Medicine

Study: A Quarter of Antibiotic Prescriptions in the U.S. Are Unnecessary

By Victor Tangermann

Later this year, NASA might decide to fund a Johns Hopkins University mission that would send a drone to Saturn's largest moon Titan.

A Team of Scientists Want to Land a Drone on Saturn’s Largest Moon

By Victor Tangermann

Researchers have created an AI they claim is able to accurately predict the type and location of a tennis player's next shot.

Artificial Intelligence

Ball-Tracking AI Can Predict Your Tennis Opponent’s Next Shot

By Kristin Houser

Amazon's in-house design firm came up with a vest that protects its warehouse workers from robots by making them slow down.

Amazon Built Vests to Protect Warehouse Workers From Its Robots

By Victor Tangermann

Passerine's drone uses its bird-like legs to jump into the air, overcoming a design flaw that plagues many other fixed-winged aircraft.

This Drone Takes off by Leaping With Bird-Inspired Legs

By Kristin Houser

Chin is facing a "precipitous" population decline that leaders fear could lead to economic catastrophe for the rising world power.

China Is Facing A “Precipitous” Population Decline

By Jon Christian

A group of 45 economic experts believes the U.S. should create a carbon tax and give the revenue to Americans via a yearly rebate.

Top Economists: U.S. Should Tax Carbon and Give Citizens the Money

By Kristin Houser

Newly announced Tesla layoffs will see 7 percent of the company's full-time staff losing their jobs — yet another sign that 2019 is all about streamlining.

Elon Musk: Tesla Is Laying off 7 Percent of Its Staff

By Kristin Houser

A system combining motion-tracking sensors and AI was able to detect anxiety and depression in children with 81 percent accuracy.

Health & Medicine

A Wearable Was Better Than Parents at Detecting Anxiety in Kids

By Kristin Houser

A newly announced Amazon conference, the AI-focused re:MARS, could help the company shake a reputation sullied by Rekognition.

Artificial Intelligence

Amazon AI Conference Is Meant to Inspire — and Boost Its Reputation

By Kristin Houser

The world's first lab-grown blood vessels have already yielded one new lead in the hunt for better diabetes treatments and more could be on the way.

Health & Medicine

We Can Now Grow Perfect Human Blood Vessels in a Lab

By Kristin Houser

The Tesla referral program granting new buyers six months of free Supercharging will end on February 1, according to Elon Musk.

Elon Musk: Tesla Is Dropping Its Customer Referral Program

By Kristin Houser

Georgia Tech researchers have created a microneedle birth control patch that women could administer themselves just once a month.

Health & Medicine

New Microneedle Patch Delivers a Month’s Worth of Birth Control

By Kristin Houser

Collaborative robots, or cobots, are the future, according to NVIDIA. And an Ikea kitchen could speed up their development,

Artificial Intelligence

A Robot Is Learning to Cook and Clean in an Ikea Kitchen

By Kristin Houser

Researchers say they can give anyone a lifespan score that reveals their likelihood of living longer than average — just by looking at their DNA.

Scientists Claim They Can Predict Your Lifespan From Your DNA

By Kristin Houser

Watch The Most Distant Object Ever Observed Tumble Through Space

Watch The Most Distant Object Ever Observed Tumble Through Space

By Dan Robitzski

Business Insider has obtained a document listing the positions of the people who will lose their jobs as a result of the recently announced SpaceX layoffs.

The SpaceX Layoffs Will Hurt Workers With These Job Titles

By Kristin Houser

Science journalists were obsessed with a seedling sprouted by China's Moon lander. The only problem: the Moon plant is already dead.

Bad News: That Moon Plant Everybody Was Talking About Is Dead

By Jon Christian

Officials have approved a plan for the development of the Greater Bay Area, a region in China they hope will become the next Silicon Valley.

Beijing Greenlights Plan to Create Chinese Silicon Valley

By Kristin Houser

Researchers from the University of Basel have found a way to transform cancer cells into fat using two FDA-approved drugs.

New Therapy Forces Breast Cancer Cells to Turn Into Harmless Fat

By Kristin Houser

3D Printed Implants and Stem Cells Helped Paralyzed Rats Walk Again

3D Printed Implants and Stem Cells Helped Paralyzed Rats Walk Again

By Dan Robitzski

The people most opposed to GM foods, foods modified in the lab to exhibit wanted characteristics, overestimate their knowledge of the subject the most.

Science & Energy

Strongest Opponents of GM Foods Know the Least About Them

By Kristin Houser

A regional grocery chain is deploying a fleet of 500 robot assistants name Marty, yet another sign that robots are the future of retail.

Artificial Intelligence

Grocery Chain Adds 500 Googly-Eyed Robot Assistants to Its Staff

By Kristin Houser

Wiliot has raised an additional $30 million after demonstrating its battery-free Bluetooth chip, which pulls power from ambient radio signals.

Internet Of Things

World’s First Battery-Free Bluetooth Chip Pulls Power from the Air

By Kristin Houser

Researchers believe the brain reconstructs memories in the reverse order that it creates them, moving from the big picture onto the finer visual details.

The Human Brain Reconstructs Memories in Reverse Order

By Kristin Houser

We simply can't decrease fossil fuel usage quickly enough to avoid climate catastrophe without leaning heavily on nuclear energy, according to two experts.

Experts: The Only Way to Save the Planet Is Nuclear Energy

By Kristin Houser

In China, Tesla has begun to add specially designed locks to parking spots to prevent Supercharger ICEing, the parking on non-EVs in Tesla charging spots.

Tesla Found a Clever Way to Prevent Supercharger ICEing

By Kristin Houser

New research sheds light on how supermassive black holes, like the one at the center of the Milky Way, get so massive. It takes more than just eating stars.

Astronomers Figured out How Supermassive Black Holes Get so Big

By Dan Robitzski

A report from the Chinese media claims that the NYPD is using facial recognition software developed by Chinese companies.

Facial recognition

China Claims US Police Are Using Its Facial Recognition Software

By Kristin Houser

We need to improve robot surgeons' sense of touch before the machines can truly reach their potential, according to one surgeon.

Health & Medicine

Experts Want to Give Robot Surgeons a Sense of Touch

By Kristin Houser