An anonymous man in his 20s who lives in Rome will soon receive a new hand, and for the first time in the world his bionic hand will be able to feel the things that it touches. The hand will be wired to the man’s nervous system, in hopes that he will be able to control its movements by receiving signals from his skin cells, and that he in … Read More → "World’s first bionic hand with a sense of touch is set to be transplanted"

Pairing wine with food doesn’t have to be a fussy process. Some wines definitely complement the flavor of certain types of foods, but in general picking a great wine to go with a great meal is as simple as picking a varietal you like from a range of good ones. The chart … Read More → "A handy wine pairing chart"

If a group of scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have their way, the soldier of the future mumbling into his jacket won’t be a crazy person. He’ll be using microscopic fibers woven into his uniform to communicate with his battle buddies and clear up some of the fog of war.

Can you spot the gold threads in the Army Combat Uniform shown above? They’re not included for … Read More → "MIT wants tomorrow’s soldiers to talk through their shirts"

Walt Disney was no stranger to propaganda, from his wartime anti-Nazi animations to his 1955 eulogy for space exploration, and even his internal company culture. In 1956, just over a decade after the atomic bomb showed the world the devastating power of nuclear weapons, Disney partnered with German physicist Heinz Haber, a professor at USC and personal science consultant to the legendary animator, to produce Our Friend the Atom</ … Read More → "Our Friend the Atom: Disney’s 1956 illustrated propaganda for nuclear energy"

The thought of a computer that never crashes is incredibly appealing to anyone who has ever used a computer. Researchers from the University College London have created a computer system that they call a “systemic” computer that is able to self-repair and instantly recover from crashes. The researchers believe that their systemic computer could have many uses including the ability … Read More → "Systemic computer can rebuild corrupted data and never crashes"

In a study conducted by MIT and Berkeley, 680,000 Boston commuters were tracked along their commutes—anonymously—as their cellphones jumped from tower to tower. The resulting data gave a better picture of commuter habits than any old-fashioned survey had in the past. During rush hour, a massive 98 percent of roads were below peak capacity. But the two percent that were over capacity were enough to cause traffic jams that spiraled out into the less crowded roads. Granted, not all cities are the same, but it goes to show the potential power of just a few … Read More → "Most traffic jams are caused by just a handful of idiots"

Most people in the U.S. woke up to a spectacular sight this morning: videos from Russian dashboard cameras showing a fireball in the sky crashing down to the Earth. The 15-meter meteorite impacted the atmosphere and exploded above the Chelyabinsk region of central Russia, injuring an estimated 1,200 people and causing roughly 1 billion rubles ($33 million U.S.) in damage. It was the largest meteorite to hit the … Read More → "Odds of death by asteroid? Lower than plane crash, higher than lightning"

Tesla Motors and the New York Times reporter John Broder are exchanging salvos over a negative review of Tesla’s new East Coast fast-charging stations. When Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk says it was Broder’s fault that he got stranded with a depleted battery, Musk is right. But he’s missing the point. Broder’s difficulties illustrate the fact that electric cars aren’t as well-suited to long-distance driving as gas-powered ones. If EVs … Read More → "Tesla should emphasize the applications where EVs beat gas vehicles"

While details are still coming in, sources in Russia believe that an ultra-bright 10-ton meteor, also known as a bolide, disintegrated some 20 or 30 miles above the Earth’s surface in the skies of western Siberia. An accompanying sonic boom caused damage over a wide radius.

The New York Times reports that “Russia’s Interior Ministry said more than 1,000 … Read More → "Huge meteor barely misses Russia, damage and injuries reported"

In 2008, the Garnaut Climate Change Review ranked Australia as the highest per capita emitter of greenhouse gases of any OECD country and amongst the highest in the world. One of the reasons for the country’s high carbon footprint is its reliance on coal for electricity generation – 54 percent of it, according to the Australian Coal Association. But a new study by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) points to a cleaner energy future with the claim that unsubsidized renewable energy is now a cheaper option for electricity generation than new coal- or gas-fired power stations.

< … Read More → "Analysts say renewable energy now cheaper option than new fossil fuels in Australia"