Give zebrafish some booze, and they stop fearing robots
With some help from a robotic fish, scientists have discovered that zebrafish are much like humans in at least one way – they get reckless when they get drunk. OK, “drunk” might not be technically accurate, but when exposed to alcohol, the fish show no fear of a robotic version of one of their natural predators, the Indian leaf fish. When they’re “sober,” they avoid the thing like … Read More → "Give zebrafish some booze, and they stop fearing robots"
Light show lets you walk through a NYC tunnel for the first time ever
As part of their Summer Streets festivities, the Department of Transportation has invited the Mexican-Canadian artist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, to transform the Park Avenue Tunnel into an interactive installation. For a few brief hours between 7am and 1pm, you’ll be able to walk into the tunnel without getting creamed by a cab.
Inside, Lozano-Hemmer and his team of thirty will have transformed the gloomy … Read More → "Light show lets you walk through a NYC tunnel for the first time ever"
New analysis sheds light on the links between chemicals in our body and income
A new study published this week has found that the build-up of harmful chemicals in the body is affecting people of all social standings — not just those from economically deprived backgrounds as previously thought.
The research has been led by Dr Jessica Tyrrell from the University of Exeter Medical School’s European Centre for Environment & Human Health, in Truro, Cornwall.
Using data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the team analysed possible links between a person’s socioeconomic status and the prevalence … Read More → "New analysis sheds light on the links between chemicals in our body and income"
Brain-to-Brain connection established between humans and rats
Harvard researchers have devised a way to create a functioning link between the brain of a human and a lab rat that lets a thought from the human test subject cause the rat to move its own tail. The research is a major expansion to the field of brain-computer interface (BCI), translating thoughts through a computer to another brain.
The work, published earlier this year in the journal PLOS ONE, … Read More → "Brain-to-Brain connection established between humans and rats"
Robot teaches children the art of calligraphy (video)
Mastering the ancient Japanese art of calligraphy generally takes years of training and patience. But thanks to a new robot assistant, Japanese children can learn the techniques of calligraphy masters in a much shorter time than previously possible. The robot, installed at Keio University in Yokohama, utilizes the same techniques as Juho Sado, a 90-year-old calligraphy master, in order to draw the intricate characters on … Read More → "Robot teaches children the art of calligraphy (video)"
Spiders may have personalities, and some are bolder than others
Armed with branch cutters, pillowcases, and a vibrator, a team of scientists has discovered how social spiders in India assign chores within their colonies – and they say it has to do with spider personalities.
Big and bold? Go get that grasshopper! Slightly more timid? Maybe stay home, take care of the brood, and clean the nest or something.
“Bolder individuals were the ones that engaged in … Read More → "Spiders may have personalities, and some are bolder than others"
Auto enthusiast to 3D-print full-scale Aston Martin DB4 … sort of
While many Solidoodlers will likely use their 3D printers to output Yodas, gearsets or bunnies, one New Zealander decided to take 3D modeling to the next level. With the average price of an Aston Martin DB4 running in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, Ivan Sentch decided to go one better by printing a full-scale Aston Martin DB4 replica.
via Gizmag</ … Read More → "Auto enthusiast to 3D-print full-scale Aston Martin DB4 … sort of"
Commercial Break: an app that tells you exactly when the ads are over
When we’re raiding the fridge during a Vikings game, what’d be nice is a push notification just before Adrian Peterson runs into the end zone. Seeing as that’s probably not feasible given current tech, we’ll settle for an iOS app that alerts us when a timeout or commercial is over. Commercial Break was designed to do just that: you tell it what channel you’re watching and … Read More → "Commercial Break: an app that tells you exactly when the ads are over"
Ethernet turns 40
We take for granted how computers in the workplace are all connected together.
Sharing files with coworkers, sending documents to a network printer, and accessing data from a networked server are all routine procedures thanks to the invention of Ethernet technology. On Ethernet’s 40th anniversary, the IEEE History Center shares excerpts from the oral history interview it conducted with Ethernet’s co-inventor Robert Metcalfe in February 2004.
The technology’s genesis dates to 1973, when Xerox PARC, in Palo Alto, Calif., built the Alto personal computer. Robert … Read More → "Ethernet turns 40"
