Testing for COVID-19 has usually required sticking a cotton swab far into the nose — uncomfortably far up. Two scientists at the University of Milan, in Italy, knew their kids would fight repeated testing that way. Yet as biologists, Elisa Borghi and Valentina Massa knew repeated testing for the new coronavirus can...
For the first time, physicists have used lasers to deep-freeze antimatter. In a new experiment, an ultraviolet laser quelled the thermal jitters of antihydrogen atoms, chilling the antiatoms to just above absolute zero. This technique for slowing down antimatter — the oppositely charged counterpart to normal matter — could help scientists...
Black, Latino and Asian people tend to see U.S. neighborhoods as more diverse when their group is in the majority In the wake of the past year’s Black Lives Matter protests, achieving “diversity” across domains has become a pressing societal concern. But “diversity” means different things to different people, sociologist Janet...
COVID considerations unsurprisingly dominate the tech developments that could have a big impact in the coming year. This year looks to be a promising one for technology development. From advances in vaccines to olfaction, neuroscience to mass spectrometry, researchers describe the tools and techniques generating excitement in their disciplines. NICK...
A smartwatch app alerts users with hearing loss to nearby sounds A new smartwatch app alerts users who are deaf or hard of hearing of nearby sounds, such as microwave beeps or car horns. “The main motivation [for the app] came from my own experience, and conversations that my colleagues...
Someday, shadows and light could team up to provide power. A new device uses the contrast between bright spots and shade to create an electric current. That current can power small electronics, such as a watch or LED lights. By using shade, “we can harvest energy anywhere on Earth, not...
Under right conditions, photosynthesis-respiration cycle stems accelerating rise of atmospheric gas Plants temporarily halted the acceleration of rising carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere, new research suggests. From 2002 through 2014, CO2 levels measured over the oceans climbed from around 372 parts per million to 397 parts per million. But the average...
With a smartphone, you can look up facts, stream videos, check out Facebook, read tweets and listen to music. But all of those data aren’t stored on your phone. They are kept somewhere else, perhaps half a world away. For now, companies like Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook store those data...
Connecting with other teens online may be fun. But spending too much time on the Internet could lead to health problems, a new study reports. Heavy Internet use appears able to put teens at serious risk of high blood pressure, it finds. As the term suggests, high blood pressure exerts...
Google Chrome is one of the most popular web browsers nowadays, by far. However, just like any other browser, if you know all of the tips and tricks, the experience can be improved in a multitude of ways. There are some improvements that can literally make you a lot more productive, while at the same...
Welcome to the 21st century. You are living in an age where watches are computers and printers make 3-D edible food. Those 2014 inventions better make room for the newest technological advancement—a table that’s an air conditioner. Advantages to Having an Air Conditioner that Looks Like a Table It is attractive. Traditional...
Kazi Falguni Eshita She almost died while giving birth to me Her sacrifices? I can’t yet see. She never asked for a full shopping cart, Just my time, prayers and a place in my heart. My favorite time is when I get my hair done No stylist can do it...
Size of marine creatures averages 150 times bigger than 540 million years ago Marine animals have become much bigger over time, scientists report February 20 in Science. This finding lends evidence to Cope’s rule, which states that animals often evolve to be larger than their distant ancestors. The hypothesis takes...
A new type of paper can be used and reused up to 20 times. What’s more, it doesn’t require any ink. Its designers think that this new technology could cut down on tons of waste — and save people tons of money. A special dye embedded in the paper makes...
Scent tests show precision of human olfactory power In the movie Roxanne, Steve Martin plays a lovesick guy who mocks his own huge schnoz by declaring: “It’s not the size of a nose that’s important. It’s what’s in it that matters.” Scientists demonstrated the surprising truth behind that joke this...
On a Saturday morning earlier this September, the world got its first look at the Strati. This electric vehicle is unlike any other currently on the road. It rolls on four wheels, but its body and chassis weren’t built in a factory. Instead, Strati’s designers used a technology called 3-D...
Mummy-making in Egypt may have been common long before communities stored their dead in giant stone tombs Ancient Egyptians started building pyramids more than 4,500 years ago. By then, people were already preserving the dead as mummies. In fact, new research now suggests mummies may predate those giant stone tombs...
SNACK TIME Thorne-?ytkow Objects probably start out as binary stars, shown in this illustration. A supergiant eventually engulfs its neutron star companion (right). A star in a neighboring galaxy might have swallowed another star.
Developed by designers in Bangkok, this bike is like a two-wheeled plant, powered by your feet. Bicycles are often cited as the most efficient modes of transportation in the world. They’re five times more efficient than walking,
In the tech world, we often talk about how big data is remaking big business. But photojournalist Rick Smolan wants us to pay attention to how it’s transforming everything else. The former National Geographic and TIME photographer, who is best known for the Day in the Life book series, has spent his career using imagery to...
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