The wonky discipline known as “distributed computation algorithms” can be a bit … dry. So instead of teaching the subject with problem sets and lengthy exams, the faculty of the Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control at ETH Zurich decided to educate students by having them develop a robotics platform that embodies the principles. The result, called the Distributed Flight Array (DFA), is a proto-< … Read More → "Autonomous robots self-assemble and take flight as one (video)"

Just because Billy is super hyperactive and can’t sit still doesn’t necessarily mean he has ADHD. But unfortunately, he might be identified as such. These kinds of medical mistakes could be avoided with a new brainwave-measuring cap that the FDA has just approved to help diagnose ADHD.

The device is called the Neuropsychiatric Electroencephalogram-Based Assessment Aid (NEBA). It detects two different types of brainwaves—thetas and betas. Children with ADHD have more betas compared to kids without ADHD. So a kid will put on the … Read More → "The FDA has approved a cap to diagnose ADHD more accurately"

This is some beautiful footage of Niagara Falls shot with a GoPro camera mounted to a DJI Innovations Phantom quadrocopter. It’s really awe inspiring.
via Geekologie

… Read More → "Breathtaking quadrocopter footage of Niagara Falls (video)"

I have nothing against Aquaman. Really, he has some pretty awesome powers. Even so, he’s been the butt of everyone’s joke for years now and there doesn’t seem to be any sign of that stopping soon.

In fact, McAfee recently ran a search to discover the superhero that links to the most sites filled with malware, and it turns out that Aquaman is the most toxic superhero to search for on your computer. Mr. Fantastic … Read More → "Even malware hates Aquaman"

By experimenting with virtual reality avatars, a group of European researchers found that seeing the world through someone else’s eyes is possible—and it can change how we think. By tricking subjects’ brains into thinking they were inhabiting the body of a child, the scientists could actually alter how people perceived objects in their environment.

Several earlier studies have suggested that virtual reality can let a … Read More → "Everything looks bigger when you’re a virtual child"

Inside the Montreal Botanical Garden is a world straight out of Avatar: massive, “living” creatures tower overhead, and vibrant colors fill the landscape. The garden is currently hosting a gallery of giant sculptures built from dirt and plants — all still breathing — that were crafted by 250 horticultural artists invited to the grounds from across the globe. The event is now in its … Read More → "Massive ‘living’ sculptures turn one garden into freaky alternate universe (video)"

It’s not that complicated to put together, but only if you’ve got a magnifying glass and one hell of a fine touch.

Created by researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, the tiny puzzle has just … Read More → "The world’s smallest jigsaw puzzle is a cinch if you can find it"

Meet Nasutoceratops titusi, a newly described dinosaur that looks like a cross between an overgrown bull and a Dr. Seuss character. The beast’s Latin name means Large-Nosed Horned Face, and it wielded some pretty heavy duty headgear: Large horns, roughly 2.5 feet long, curve forward and extend to the tip of its oversized, beak-like nose.

The dinosaur, described July 17 in Proceedings of … Read More → "Bizarre horn-faced dinosaur discovered in Utah"

Oh, the emoticon. Depending on who you’re talking to (or I guess texting to? messaging to?) at the moment, emoticons can be as common as some words. When did they first start showing up? Did people write letters with smileys and frowny faces? Were typewriters used to express emotion through symbols? Maybe. Apparently, the first emoticons were used in 1881.

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This build is the culmination of an earlier project that digitally modeled a flexible object with accelerometers, gyroscopes, and IMUs. When we first saw this build, we wondered what it could actually be used for, but it seems [Joseph] and [Ian] came up with a pretty cool use for it: turning prosthetic spines and ribs into musical instruments.

These flexible devices are loaded up with sensors along their joints and are connected … Read More → "Prosthetic spines become musical instruments (video)"