Scurrying Roaches Help Researchers Steady Staggering Robots
Ew, a cockroach! But it zips off before the swatter appears. Now, researchers have leveraged the bug’s superb scurrying skills to create a cleverly simple … Read more
Technology
Focusing computational power for more accurate, efficient weather forecasts
They say if you don’t like the weather, just wait awhile. But how long you wait may depend on your location — the weather changes … Read more
Researchers analyze use of social media to influence politics during uprising
When the people of Puerto Rico took to the streets after a series of government corruption scandals this past July, a group of researchers took … Read more
Using CRISPR to program gels with new functions
The CRISPR genome-editing system is best-known for its potential to correct disease-causing mutations and add new genes into living cells. Now, a team from MIT … Read more
High-precision technique stores cellular “memory” in DNA
Using a technique that can precisely edit DNA bases, MIT researchers have created a way to store complex “memories” in the DNA of living cells, … Read more
When human expertise improves the work of machines
Machine learning algorithms can sometimes do a great job with a little help from human expertise, at least in the field of materials science. In … Read more
Artificial intelligence could help data centers run far more efficiently
A novel system developed by MIT researchers automatically “learns” how to schedule data-processing operations across thousands of servers — a task traditionally reserved for imprecise, … Read more
Understanding the animal brain could help robots wash your dishes
Artificial intelligence (AI) still has a lot to learn from animal brains, says Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) neuroscientist Tony Zador. Now, he’s hoping that … Read more
Smart sink could help save water
Barely hidden from his study participants, William Jou, a former graduate student in mechanical engineering at Stanford University, pulled off a ruse straight out of … Read more
Wearable tech moves brain monitoring from lab to real world
Imagine if a coach could know which moments of competition a certain player might peak, or if a truck driver had objective data telling him … Read more
New, healthier ‘butter’ spread almost entirely water
Cornell University food scientists have created a new low-calorie ‘butter’ spread that consists mostly of water. A tablespoon of this low-calorie spread has 2.8 grams … Read more
