Pepper isn’t your typical hospital employee—mainly because he’s a robot that’s programmed to interact with humans and “understand” their emotions. Created by Japanese mobile carrier SoftBank, Pepper made his public debut in Japan in late 2014. Over the past two years, various Pepper models have worked in cell phone stores, banks, train stations, and even a Pizza Hut. Now, … Read More → "Two Belgian hospitals hire robots as medical receptionists"

NASA is still testing wild new wing technologies to improve energy efficiency in flight. The agency announced yesterday that it is conducting research on a unique wing design that uses 14 electric motors. The experimental aircraft it’s designing is called X-57, otherwise known as “Maxwell.”

The X-57 is NASA’s first X-plane … Read More → "NASA will test an experimental hybrid X-plane with 14 electric motors"

By looks alone, the pavilion is imposing. The structure’s 40 lightweight components cast a wide, geometric shadow across the garden’s expansive lawn. But its engineering is even more impressive. A gigantic robotic arm assembles each hexagonal module out of a double-layered carbon- and glass-fiber web. The modules weigh just 99 pounds apiece, putting the entire structure in the neighborhood of& … Read More → "A garden canopy evolves in response to the people inside"

In an exclusive interview with The Guardian, archaeologists in Cambodia said they uncovered previously unknown hidden cities near the Temples of Angkor Wat, which is part of one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia.

Using airborne laser scanning technology and covering an area of more than 734 square miles, … Read More → "Laser-scanning tech reveals hidden cities in Cambodia"

Being able to anticipate weather patterns is an essential part of farming. But it can be especially challenging in places like Zambia, where the climate fluctuates between prolonged droughts and months of rain. In order to provide accurate and affordable weather information to the Zambian farmers who need it most, one group of researchers is looking to 3D-printing technology, City Lab reports.</ … Read More → "3D-printed weather stations provide affordable forecasts in developing countries"

Natural photosynthesis is considered a good target for solar energy conversion, but it’s already considered old hat. Harvard scientists have developed a leaf-like system that should be more effective at converting solar energy than plants themselves. The technology boils down to a jar of bacteria (Ralstonia eutropha), a cobalt water-splitting system and a pair of electrodes. When you send electricity through this partly biological system, the electrodes turn the water into hydrogen … Read More → "Artificial ‘leaf’ could beat real plants at converting sunlight"

Ars is excited to be hosting this online debut of Sunspring, a short science fiction film that’s not entirely what it seems. It’s about three people living in a weird future, possibly on a space station, probably in a love triangle. You know it’s the future because H (played with neurotic gravity … Read More → "Movie written by algorithm turns out to be hilarious and intense"

It’s never too late to learn an important lesson: don’t start something you can’t finish.

A two-year-old parakeet named Kiwi learned it the hard way when he taught himself how to imitate the sound of his owner saying “Hey Siri,” and check it out – it actually works! Siri registers the prompt and responds with an encouraging phrase of her own: “I’m listening.”

Sadly, the conversation goes downhill from there. 

… Read More → "Socially awkward parakeet gets Siri’s attention on an iPhone, but can’t hold the conversation"

New satellite data from the European Space Agency has revealed some puzzling findings: the Earth’s magnetic field appears to be weakening much faster than previous research would suggest. These measurements show that on the whole, the planet’s geomagnetic field is weakening about ten times faster than expected, at a rate of about 5% every decade. However, it’s also important to note that … Read More → "The Earth’s magnetic field is weakening ten times faster than expected"

There are more drones than ever, but a new report claims that sightings by pilots are falling, so it’s possible we can put to rest some of the fear over a drone bringing a plane down.

To be clear, the report is from the pro-drone Academy of Model Aeronautics, so it should be taken with a grain of salt. AMA analyzed FAA data and found that, while there … Read More → "Drone sightings near airplanes have decreased since last summer"