Peeqo’s design nicely bypasses the “uncanny valley” we often experience when a robot tries to recreate the natural expressiveness of a human.

Peeqo uses voice recognition and responds by selecting GIF animations appropriate to the situation. He downloads GIFs from http://giphy.com/, and stores them in a local repository. Peeqo can pull … Read More → "The Peeqo robot communicates using only animated GIFs"

Artificial intelligence can predict when patients with a heart disorder will die, according to scientists.

The software learned to analyse blood tests and scans of beating hearts to spot signs that the organ was about to fail.

The team, from the UK’s Medical Research Council, say the technology could save lives by … Read More → "Artificial intelligence predicts when heart will fail"

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has just put over 12 million pages of declassified documents online for your viewing pleasure.

The mass of documents, news clippings, letters, and reports cover a whole host of bizarre and fascinating subjects spanning from the 1940s onwards. A cursory glance shows files on subjects ranging from UFO sightings, spies’ Read More → "You can now search through 12 million pages of declassified CIA files online"

IKEA furniture is a ubiquitous feature of the 20-something’s apartment. But at some point, IKEA furniture tends to get replaced with furniture from more upscale, “adult” stores—but when? Earnest, a student loan startup, put together some data on when people age out of their IKEA shopping habits, and found that it happens at about 34 years old, per < … Read More → "The age most people stop buying IKEA furniture"

When you visit a Japanese airport or hotel this month don’t be surprised if some staff are little plastic robots eager to help. Panasonic Corporation is currently conducting tests of its HOSPI(R) Autonomous Delivery Robot by giving it temporary jobs at the Narita International Airport and the ANA Crowne Plaza Narita. It isn’t so much because the robots need pocket money as Panasonic wants to demonstrate how … Read More → "Panasonic robots take temp jobs at airport and hotel"

The auditorium—the largest of three concert halls in the Elbphilharmonie—is a product of parametric design, a process by which designers use algorithms to develop an object’s form. Algorithms have helped design bridges, motorcycle parts, typefaces—even chairs. In the case of the Elbphilharmonie, Herzog and De Meuron used algorithms to generate a unique shape for … Read More → "What happens when algorithms design a concert hall?"

Ruby seadragons are majestic and fascinating, but, up until 2015, were unknown to the scientific community. Now a new study published in the journal Marine Biodiversity Records reveals that a member of this elusive species has been recorded alive in its natural habitat for the first time.

The video was recorded in April 2016 by researchers at the Scripps … Read More → "Live ruby seadragon caught on tape for the first time"

Bacteria may be unicellular but that doesn’t mean they’re complete loners. They often congregate in (relatively) large colonies, not unlike human cities. In fact, a team of researchers from the University of California, San Diego have recently discovered that at least one species has even developed a long-range (again, relatively) communications mechanism which works very similarly to the brain’s neurons.
via Read More → "Researchers discover bacteria can communicate electrically, like neurons"

The data collected by wearable devices may be able to tell you much more than how many steps you’ve taken or hours you’ve slept. A new long-term study from researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine suggests that fitness monitors, smart watches, and other wearable biosensors may be able to detect initial signs of illness before the wearer has noted any symptoms, according to a < … Read More → "Wearables may be able to tell when you’re falling ill"

Do you often look at the ground while you’re walking? Who doesn’t! Soon, if you see a passing projected image shaped like a bicyclist on the streets of New York, don’t be alarmed: that’s just a new Citi Bike outfitted with laserlights to give cars and pedestrians an oncoming traffic warning.
via Read More → "Citi Bikes are getting outfitted with laserlights to improve rider safety"