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Computing With Light

There are widely cited forecasts that project accelerating information and communications technology (ICT) energy consumption increases through the 2020’s with a 2018 Nature article estimating that if current trends continue, this will consume more than 20% of electricity demand by 2030. At several industry events I have heard talks that say one of the important […]

Quadriplegic man, using two robot arms, can feed himself again

Using a brain computer interface, the man cut and ate food with thought-controlled robotic hands. A man paralyzed from the neck down has used two robot arms to cut food and serve himself — a big step in the field of mind-controlled prosthetics. Robert “Buz” Chmielewski, age 49, has barely been able to move his […]

These brain implants can predict an epileptic seizure days in advance

Scientists have been trying to find ways to predict an epileptic seizure for decades, with little success. They are almost always unpredictable. The best techniques we have now — machine learning and self-awareness — give us only minutes notice ahead of the seizure. Now, for the first time, a study has shown that brain activity […]

Earth Has a Heartbeat, but No One Really Knows Why

Here’s how often it goes off. Just like you, our planet has a ticker that keeps time: Earth’s geological “heartbeat” goes off on a regular schedule, albeit with millions of years in between, says a new study in Geoscience Frontiers. When scientists from New York University and the Carnegie Institution of Science in Washington D.C. […]

Elon Musk Wants to Bring You Better In-Flight WiFi

Elon Musk—via Starlink, a division of SpaceX—is in talks with “several” airlines to provide in-flight WiFi for passengers. His plan is to use Starlink’s ever-growing megaconstellation of satellites to equip customers with better WiFi while they fly the friendly skies. Jonathan Hofeller, SpaceX’s vice president of Starlink and commercial sales, gave out details on the […]

Elon Musk’s Tesla Robots Have a Place Where Humans Would Be in Danger

With the help of robotics specialists, we can separate the truth from the hype. Elon Musk has announced his plans for a new Tesla humanoid robot that will excel at “mundane tasks,” but he’s making some common robotics mistakes with his grand plans. What does the future of a Tesla robot look like? With the […]

Profound Discovery on Origins of Life on Earth — Evolution of Metal-Binding Proteins

Researchers explored the evolution of metal-binding proteins across billions of years. Addressing one of the most profoundly unanswered questions in biology, a Rutgers-led team has discovered the structures of proteins that may be responsible for the origins of life in the primordial soup of ancient Earth. The study appears in the journal Science Advances. Read […]

Rogue planets: How wandering bodies in interstellar space ended up on their own

We now know of almost 5,000 planets outside the Solar System. If you were to picture what it would be like on one of these distant worlds, or exoplanets, your mental image would probably include a parent star—or more than one, especially if you’re a Star Wars fan. But scientists have recently discovered that more […]