Innovative edge-finding AR eyepiece lets firefighters see through smoke
Firefighters put their lives on the line every day. Could a new augmented reality head-up display called C-Thru save lives? Here's how it works.
Yarn made from lab-grown skin sounds horrifying, but it may help save your life
You probably won’t want your holiday sweater knitted with it, but yarn that's grown from human skin cells could be crucially important for future organ repairs.
New ‘reverse solar panel’ generates power at night by radiating heat into space
Solar cells don’t usually work at night. But researchers from the University of California, Davis believe that they may have come up with a solution. And it’s one that would allow specially designed photovoltaic cells to keep generating power even when it’s dark. Here's how.
Wild new ‘Trojan horse’ nanoparticle clears your arteries by gobbling up plaque
A hungry nanoparticle that eats away at your insides sounds like a nightmare straight out of a Michael Crichton novel. In fact, it could be a future defense against heart attacks, strokes, and potentially other fatal diseases -- as strange as that might initially sound.
Two orbiting satellites could collide tonight over Pittsburgh
According to estimates based on a network of ground-based radars that are used to detect and track low-Earth-orbit objects, the chance of a possible collision between two satellites tonight is approximately one in 20. There will be no more than 40 feet between the two space bodies.
Robot fry cook Flippy is getting a makeover to make it even more useful
Robot fry cook Flippy is getting a makeover. Here's how Miso Robotics' machine kitchen assistant is receiving an overhaul that will make it more useful than ever. While taking up a whole lot less kitchen floor space in the process. Coming soon to a burger joint near you?
What if your smartphone could sweat? Sounds odd, but it could be a game changer
Do we want smartphones that sweat like nervous teenagers around their crush? Researchers from China's Shanghai Jiao Tong University think so. And they've developed a special sweating sorbent coating to prove why it could turn out to be so useful. (Spoiler: It's for cooling.)
China’s enormous 500-meter radio telescope is up and running
The enormous 500-meter FAST Radio Telescope is the world’s biggest filled-aperture radio telescope, and the overall second-largest single-dish aperture after Russia’s RATAN-600. It is located in Guizhou, Southwest China. The dream of building it dates all the way back to 1994.
CRISPR gene editing could help stop a common poultry virus in its tracks
Researchers at the Czech Academy of Sciences may have successfully used CRISPR gene editing to create chickens that are resistant to avian leukosis virus (ALV), a common but deadly virus whose symptoms range from emaciation and dehydration to depressed behavior. Here's how they did it.
When it comes to delivery drones, Google’s Wing is miles above the competition
The world has been waiting on autonomous drone deliveries seemingly forever. Google sister company Wing promises to make them a reality. Here's what it's achieved so far -- and some of the challenges it will face as it tries to get this technology off the ground. No pun intended.
Nanox is basically the high-tech hospital bed from Star Trek
The Nanox Arc promises to make medical imaging technology available to people around the world at a significantly lower cost and with a much smaller footprint than current machines. Here's how it works -- and why its creators decided to use a design straight out of Star Trek for inspiration.
Filter by positivity: This new A.I. could detoxify online comment threads
Internet comments frequently descend into toxic hate speech. Could an algorithm that instead focuses on highlighting 'help speech' be the answer? A.I. researchers from Carnegie Mellon University believe it could. Here's what they've developed -- and why they believe it may be so useful.
Clever wearable will let soldiers go gloveless in freezing conditions
The U.S. Army is busy working on new technology that will let soldiers go glove-free in cold conditions without feeling the chill. This is thanks to a pair of electrically heated armbands designed to be worn around the forearms. Here's how it works — and when it'll be ready to go.
Smart A.I. bodysuits could reveal when babies are developing mobility problems
Babies could soon have the option of wearing special high-tech artificial intelligence jumpsuits that alert doctors to any possible mobility issues they are developing. Here's how the tech works-- and how it was developed by researchers in Finland’s Helsinki Children’s Hospital.
Liquid metal nanoparticles could tear apart superbugs like tiny Terminators
Could liquid metal be the answer to the major (and potentially deadly) problem of antibiotic resistance? Researchers in Australia certainly believe it can -- and they’ve got the magnetic nanoparticles to back up their theory. Here's what they have been hard at work developing.
Want to shake hands with the future? Check out this brain-controlled prosthetic
Shaking hands with BrainCo's artificial intelligence-powered prosthetic hand is like shaking hands with an exciting, optimistic version of the future. Here's what this amazing prosthesis is able to do, and how it promises to transform life for amputees all around the world.
Ingenious system cures lazy eye as your kid watches shows on Netflix
What if you were able to cure certain medical conditions by watching Netflix? That’s what digital healthcare company NovaSight has demonstrated with its new amblyopia treatment, currently on display at CES. Here's how it works -- and why it's way better than previous treatments.
Delta Airlines plans to equip employees with these powerful robotic exoskeletons
Whether it’s heavy luggage or fully aden planes that can weigh in excess of 100,000 pounds, working for an airline can involve shifting some pretty sizable weight. Could high-tech robot exosuits help make everything a little bit easier? Delta Air Lines plans to find out.
Here’s what all the movies set in 2020 predicted this year would be like
Life in the 2020s might be new to you and me, but it’s far from fresh territory for movies and TV. What did screenwriters think the world would be facing in the year 2020? Check out our rundown of the future that, well, is no longer quite as futuristic as it once appeared.
New DNA computer can do some impressive square root calculations
Researchers at the University of Rochester in New York have developed a breakthrough DNA computer that’s capable of performing square root calculations of numbers all the way up to 900. Here's why that could turn out to be so useful for the future of computing as we know it.
3D-printed replica of Michelangelo’s David statue is less than 1mm tall
Towering in at a colossal 17 feet tall, Michelangelo’s David statue is a spectacular work of art. Well, it turns out that it’s no less impressive when it’s under one millimeter in size -- as 3D printing experts from Switzerland recently demonstrated to jaw-dropping effect.
A.I. headphones could warn distracted pedestrians when there’s traffic around
Headphones are great. They can also distract wearers from the world around them — which isn't exactly safe if they happen to be crossing busy streets. A new pair of prototype headphones could warn users of oncoming traffic, thanks to some artificial intelligence technology.
Turkey’s new machine gun drones are proof that we live in a cyberpunk dystopia
The Songar drone is a regular unmanned aerial vehicle -- that just so happens to come with a mounted machine gun and 200 rounds of ammunition for riddling targets with bullets from the sky. Here's how it works, and how its aerial targeting capabilities could shape up on the battlefield.
Meet CIMON-2: The floating A.I. brain that lives on the ISS
The International Space Station recently received its newest resident: an artificial intelligence-powered flying robot called CIMON-2. Here is how it can be used to help out astronauts aboard the ISS -- including carrying out tasks and even understanding their emotions.
Six theories on why the Cybertruck’s bulletproof glass cracked so easily
Elon Musk smashing two of the windows of Tesla's divisive pickup, the Cybertruck, was the most commented-upon moment of the futuristic vehicle's unveiling. But why did the armor glass windows let him down? Here are several theories which might explain the breaks heard around the world.
This mind-blowing 8K holographic display makes 3D look awesome again
Bored of flat TVs? Looking Glass Factory has created the world’s first 8K holographic display: an astonishing 33.2 million pixel beast capable of throwing out images that literally seem to pop out of the screen. For its creators, its the latest step in a dream dating back 30 years.
What Blade Runner got right (and wrong) about 2019
1982's Blade Runner is rightly considered a masterpiece among science fiction movies. But how accurate were its predictions about the future? With November 2019 being the far-flung month and year in which the movie is set, here’s what the movie got right and, in one case, very wrong.
Drone and rover tag teams could help solve the world’s deadly land mine problem
Roughly 20,000 people are maimed or killed each year due to land mines; the vast majority being civilians in parts of the world subject to ongoing conflict. Could a tag team of autonomous robots help solve the problem? Roboticists from Worcester Polytechnic Institute think so.
NASA-inspired smartglasses turn dark whenever you lose concentration
Struggle to concentrate? Wellness company Narbis has developed pair of smartglasses intended to discourage distraction by visibly darkening when your mind wanders from the task you should be focused on. Here's how you can get your hands on a pair in the very near future.
This startup wants you to submit pictures of your poop. Lots of them, in fact
Sending pictures of your poop over the internet sounds like the kind of thing that should be discouraged. The creators of the new #giveashit campaign think different, however. Not only do they want your poop photos; they plan to use them to train a new feces-analyzing A.I.
IBM contest winners answer call by developing lifesaving tech for firefighters
Could smart sensor technology help make firefighters’ jobs a bit less dangerous? That’s the hope of Prometeo, a Spanish team that was announced as the winners of IBM’s Call for Code 2019 competition. Here's what the team has developed -- and how it promises to help.
Boston Dynamics’ Spot is a cool robot. But is that enough for success?
When Boston Dynamics first showed off its Spot robot in 2009, the world hadn’t seen anything like it. Years later, it's finally ready to go to work for customers. But the robotics market of 2019 is a crowded place. Can Boston Dynamics triumph in a world where it's no longer a novelty?
Waiting in the wings: How drones are revolutionizing the battle against hunger
How do you use drones to save lives following a disaster? The World Food Programme, the food-assistance branch of the United Nations, is doing its bit to use drone technology to help humanity. Here are some of the ways that it is using unmanned aerial vehicles right now.
Meet the subversive startup that’s fighting mass surveillance with t-shirts
Adversarial Fashion is a new fashion line which sells t-shirts, hoodies and other items designed to confuse license plate-reading surveillance cameras. Here's how the technology works -- and why its computer security expert creator, Kate Rose, is fighting the good fight.