Skip to main content

Latest by D. Furness

uncanny valley mind david hanson sophia robot v3 1

Uncanny Valley of the mind: When emotional AI gets too human-like, it creeps humans out

In a paper published this month, two researchers present what they’re calling the “uncanny valley of the mind."
lab grown chicken memphis meats dsc3740

Memphis Meats has successfully created lab-grown chicken, but it costs $9,000 per pound

Memphis Meats says it has successfully served chicken and duck meat without having raised or slaughtered a bird.
Breakthrough starshot illustration

What’s creating these mysterious fast radio bursts? Maybe aliens, say Harvard physicists

A team of researchers from Harvard University have presented a provocative idea, that fast radio bursts could be caused by aliens
mucojet capsule

Needle-free, painless vaccinations may become a reality thanks to MucoJet

Developed by researchers at the UC Berkeley, the pill-sized, 3D-printed MucoJet shoots a stream of vaccine into the mouth.
skin transplants humanoid robots exmachina

Oxford scientists are building robots that ‘wear’ artificial skin before it’s transplanted

Nuclear reactor Kodak

Scientists use lasers to detect weapons-grade uranium from miles away

Researchers have turned Mars Rover tech towards chemical weapons, using lasers to detect weapons-grade uranium at a distance.
braeon material screen shot 2017 03 09 at 9 28 00 am

Meet Braeön: A new material that’s stronger than steel, more versatile than duct tape

We may have found the world’s strongest material hidden in plain site in a Kickstarter campaign for a thin polymer ribbon called Braeön.
Matt Damon sciences in The Martian.

Mark Watney wasn’t wrong: Researchers discover potatoes really can grow on Mars

Preliminary results suggest that astronauts will be able to propagate potatoes in Mars-like soil and conditions.
snake antivenom 10451371  venomous green boomslang with mouth open and coiled to strike

New antivenom nanogel neutralizes snake bites, might work for spiders & scorpions too

This new procedure could make antivenom more cheaply than conventional methods, potentially saving tens of thousands of lives a year.
green led pain

Scientists say study indicates that green light may help relieve pain

A team of researchers think they may have found another use for green light -- as a potential pain reliever.
social robot question socialrobot

Social robots taught to ask for clarification when confused about a command

Researchers are working to instill social competence into robots by developing algorithms that can ask for clarification when confused.
3d pin pad 2160546793 2afc57f6d8 b

This 3D printed door latch can be unlocked with a PIN code, yet doesn’t require electricity

A team of researchers have made a 3D-printed door handle and latch even more sophisticated by adding a PIN pad.
carvon evo revo

Carvon's next-gen electric skateboards boast all-wheel drive, can hit 35 mph

Carvon has been player in the electric skateboard game for five years, but it's raising the bar with its latest generation of boards.
cassette tape coffee table

Cassette Tape Coffee Table will satisfy '80s nostalgia without breaking the bank

A startup called Taybles is offering its line of cassette tape-shaped coffee tables with fewer features and at a big discount.
3d print blood vessel 32395411203 0f57c99cc0 k

Nanoengineers develop first biocompatible, 3D-printed blood vessel networks

A team of nanoengineers from UC San Diego have developed a new method for 3D printing biomimetic blood vessel networks.
CRISPR

Researchers retrieve short film and a full operating system from strands of DNA

A team of researchers from Colombia University have stored a computer operating system and short film on strands of DNA.
google infrared sleep tracking filing image

Your sleep tracker may actually disturb your sleep, study suggests

A new case series suggests that sleep trackers may induce sleep problems rather than improving sleep patterns.
gene edit pigs crispr ucdavispig wr

New gene-edited pigs may now be resistant to billion-dollar disease

Using CRISPR, scientists think they have edited susceptibility to a billion-dollar virus out of the pig's genome.
epicenter office of the future sweden

From RFID implants to genital yogurt, Epicenter is the future’s awesomely odd office

smallsat africa farm plantvillage

Small satellites are helping sub-Saharan farmers increase crop yields

Small satellites are being used to help farmers in sub-Saharan Africa escape from poverty and food insecurity.
dolphin camera dolcam

Here’s what dolphins do underwater when people aren’t watching

The footage is the first time intimate behaviors, such as playing with kelp, have been captured away from direct human contact.
hearing loss reversal research 14599930610 2d6dcff724 k

Can you hear me now? Researchers one step closer to reversing hearing loss

The research shows promise for restoring hearing for those of us who ignored the warnings of our mother when she said, "Turn that down!"
social media diet best apps header image copy

People who use these phrases are more likely to stick to their diet

In a new study, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have shown they can predict dieting success with 77 percent accuracy.
potatoes on mars rendering of life habitat

NASA wants to 3D print habitats with metal extracted from Martian soil

NASA plans to study Martian soil and, hopefully, devise a way to extract metals that could then be used to 3D print a human habitat.
re live the titanic sinking in real time via twitte

New VR game lets you experience the sinking of the Titanic, and explore the wreckage too

Titanic VR puts gamers in the role of a survivor onboard the ship prior to its sinking and aboard a submersible exploring the wreckage.
nasa exoplanets exoplan

NASA just discovered 7 Earth-sized exoplanets, 3 in the habitable zone of a dwarf star

bci progress paralizedstanford feat

Progress in brain-computer interface gives paralyzed patients more control

The scientists implanted tiny silicone sensors into subjects’ brains, allowing them to eavesdrop on the electrical activity of brain cells.
styleshoots robotic photography studio styleshootslive modelshoot11

AI photography studio highlights how robots are slowly hijacking nearly every profession

StyleShoots Live system is a “smart studio” that simultaneously captures still photos and live action videos.
bumbebee microchip bumblebees rfid

Microchipped bumblebees show that worker bees act a lot like humans

By glueing microchip backpacks to bumblebees, researchers have been able to gain a glimpse into the daily life of the colony.
nasa exoplanet discovery exoplanetmit

Space buffs drool as NASA announces a major 'discovery beyond our solar system'

NASA will host a news conference on Wednesday to discuss recent discoveries of planets beyond our solar system.
flter feature

This Flter device promises to protect you from the internet’s prying eyes

A new company wants to simplify security with Flter, a cylindrical network device that they claim will “filter” the internet.
meddsy

Meddsy is the 'next-generation' first aid kit with practically everything in it

A new Kickstarter campaign wants to keep people well prepared in case of such emergencies with a next generation first aid.
lemur digital museum

Facial-recognition software may help save Earth’s most endangered mammals

Researchers have devised a system called LemurFaceID, which uses facial-recognition software to spot lemurs in their natural habitat.
bipod gait robot

Researchers just figured out how to make spiders move even faster

A spider-like robot has demonstrated a faster walking pattern than that used by six-legged insects in the wild.