For many Americans, the first few lines of the Declaration of Independence are deeply familiar — particularly the opening of the second paragraph:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the … Read More → "A period may have accidentally been added to the Declaration of Independence"

(more…)

Ever wonder what the Google Street View camera looks like? Sure, you’ve probably seen the weird stick-like thing they put on top of cars. But a new Tumblr is showing off rare images of the hand-powered device that Google uses to create Street View inside of buildings like museums. It’s a little bit creepy.
via Gizmodo</ … Read More → "The creepiness of accidental Google Street View Camera selfies"

The answer is, weirdly enough, too much information. We all know how drivers who like to speed up at a yellow light. Countdown clock are meant for pedestrians, but they also inadvertently tell drivers about upcoming red lights—with even more detail and more lead time than yellows. While we should, in theory, act rationally with that extra information, drivers actually just tailgate more aggressively to race through before the … Read More → "Why countdown clocks for pedestrians actually cause more car crashes"

Regardless of whether or not you agree with the “code or die” sentiment that’s been floating around the internet, if you have decided to teach yourself to code, the sheer number of learn-to-code sites alone is overwhelming. So do yourself (and your eyes) a favor and pick up Jon Duckett’s JavaScript and jQuery book instead.

Read More → "This is still the most beautiful way to learn to code"

Greetings human—I mean, hey, did you know that robots have learned how to write? And I don’t mean they can print out words that someone else wrote; they can now literally produce fact-based news writing all on their own, and the Associated Press will soon have them doing just that.

Poynter reports that the AP is planning to institute content-generation software called Automated Insights to create data-driven stories … Read More → "The Associated Press will soon use robots to write stories"

Talk about a cosmic caffeine jolt. The International Space Station is getting a real Italian espresso machine.

Astronauts of all nationalities — but especially the Italians — have long grumbled about the tepid instant coffee served in pouches and drunk with straws 260 miles above Earth. The pouches and straws aren’t going away, but at least the brew will pack some zero-gravity punch.

The specially-designed-for-space espresso machine is dubbed ISSpresso — ISS for International Space Station.< … Read More → "ISSpresso – an Italian espresso maker for the International Space Station"

The research team’s method relies on a metamaterial – a material that exhibits properties not usually found in natural materials – that consists of a three-dimensional polymer microstructure formed by needle-shaped cones. This metamaterial structure is built around the object to be hidden, with its mechanical properties dictated by those of the object.

Cloaking requires that an object be isolated from, and made to externally appear just like, its surroundings for all … Read More → "New “invisibility cloak” keeps objects from being felt"

Last week, we learned the rules for the final round of DARPA’s Robotics Challenge. It was immediately apparent that we’re teetering on the precipice of a futuristic future, where robots can walk around on two legs doing work without human aid. The reality is not unlike the Space Age fantasies from 50 years ago. 

 

Read More → "7 humanoid toy robots from the original Space Age"

When we think about the connected world, we think about hardware—from Twine to Nest—that connects our household appliances to the web for a pretty penny. But according to Quartz, one firm is pioneering an alternative that’s cheap, easy to make, and embeddable in nearly any product.

Read More → "These printed circuits could connect any object for just a few cents"