Tech

More Stories in Tech

  1. photo of a brain sensor
    Tech

    A flower-shaped soft robot could make brain monitoring less invasive

    Once inserted in the skull, the device unfurls flexible sensors that can monitor the brain's electrical activity less invasively than current methods.

    By Bob Hirshon
  2. A photo of white opaque balloon with a wire and small contraption just below rising into a blue sky.
    Tech

    50 years ago, a balloon circumnavigated the world for science

    A 1973 high-altitude flight kicked off an era of useful stratospheric balloon science. Some scientists worry that heightened concerns over alleged spy balloons might hamper that.

    By Carolyn Gramling
  3. a side profile of a young man sitting in a classroom taking notes at a desk. He is looking at another young man next to him, who is also writing. Overlaid over the second student are animations suggesting computing, algorithms and artificial intelligence
    Tech

    How ChatGPT and similar AI will disrupt education

    The new chatbot ChatGPT and other generative AI encourage cheating and offer up incorrect info, but they could also be used for good.

    By Kathryn Hulick
  4. An illustration of a rover exploring a lava tube with light streaming through the top
    Tech

    A trick inspired by Hansel and Gretel could help rovers explore other worlds

    Taking a cue from a classic fairy tale, scientists propose a way for rovers to send back data from treacherous terrain.

    By Allison Gasparini
  5. A close up photo of a clear liquid forming a bubble on what appears to be a black and gold circuit board.
    Health & Medicine

    A gel cocktail uses the body’s sugars to ‘grow’ electrodes in living fish

    A chemical reaction with the body’s own sugars turned a gel cocktail into a conducting material inside zebrafish brains, hearts and tail fins.

    By Simon Makin
  6. A photo of a new type of robot that has a black box for a body and four legs that are helping it move down the hall.
    Tech

    This robot automatically tucks its limbs to squeeze through spaces

    Inspired by ants, a robot with telescoping legs can crawl under low ceilings, climb over steps and move on grass, loose rock and mulch.

    By Ananya
  7. A telecom tower stands atop the Säntis mountain in Switzerland against a cloudy sky. A green laser marks the path of the powerful laser in this story.
    Physics

    A powerful laser can redirect lightning strikes

    In a mountaintop experiment, a laser beamed into the sky created a virtual lightning rod that snagged several bolts before they hit the ground.

    By Maria Temming
  8. An aerial view of Mountain Pass rare earth mine in southeastern California,
    Earth

    Rare earth mining may be key to our renewable energy future. But at what cost?

    We take you inside Mountain Pass, the only rare earth mine in the United States.

    By Carolyn Gramling
  9. Wind turbines stand near a coal-fired power plant in Germany, with steam rising from the plant's cooling towers.
    Climate

    Wind turbines could help capture carbon dioxide while providing power

    Turbulent wakes from wind turbines can concentrate CO2 from cities and factories, making it easier to remove the greenhouse gas from the atmosphere.

    By James R. Riordon