6 priorities could deliver energy breakthroughs at the Glasgow climate summit – there’s progress on some of them already
Dolf Gielen, Colorado School of Mines and Morgan Bazilian, Colorado School of Mines Much of the news coming out of the U.N. climate conference has focused on the spectacle, and how countries’ pledges aren’t on track to prevent dangerous climate change. But behind the scenes, there is reason for hope. In many countries, the...
Tokyo Olympics: What are the limits of human performance?
Daniel Merino, The Conversation and Gemma Ware, The Conversation Are there limits to how much faster, higher, or stronger an athlete can get? In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we talk to researchers in biomechanics, sports technology, and psychology, to find out. And we hear about what happened at the troubled 1920...
Crayola and OceanX Announce Tidal Wave Partnership
Crayola, the premier children's creativity brand, and OceanX, a leading global non-profit ocean exploration organization, are partnering to bring the wonders of the ocean to the next generation through imagination and creativity in the first collaboration of its kind for both parties. The multi-faceted relationship aligns with both...
Benjamin Franklin’s Fight Against Smallpox: Colonies Were Divided Over Inoculation, But He Championed Science to Skeptics
Mark Canada, Indiana University Kokomo and Christian Chauret, Indiana University Kokomo Exactly 300 years ago, in 1721, Benjamin Franklin and his fellow American colonists faced a deadly smallpox outbreak. Their varying responses constitute an eerily prescient object lesson for today’s world, similarly devastated by a virus and...
'Shark Beach with Chris Hemsworth': Charlie Huneveers Talks Shark Deterrents
A new special from National Geographic, sure to please all the shark lovers out there, will air Monday, July 5. Shark Beach with Chris Hemsworth is a one-off special, actor Chris Hemsworth (Thor, The Avengers), embarks on a personal mission to investigate how we can live more harmoniously with sharks. Hemsworth, an enthusiastic...
Watching A Coral Reef Die: Climate Change Devastates Tropical Island
Sam Purkis, University of Miami The Chagos Archipelago is one of the most remote, seemingly idyllic places on Earth. Coconut-covered sandy beaches with incredible bird life rim tropical islands in the Indian Ocean, hundreds of miles from any continent. Just below the waves, coral reefs stretch for miles along an underwater mountain...
Warp drives: Physicists give chances of faster-than-light space travel a boost
Faster than light travel is the only way humans could ever get to other stars in a reasonable amount of time. Les Bossinas/NASA/Wikimedia Commons Mario Borunda, Oklahoma State University The closest star to Earth is Proxima Centauri. It is about 4.25 light-years away, or about 25 trillion miles (40 trillion km). The fastest ever...
3-2-1 Blastoff! SpaceX, NASA Launch Recycled Rocket and Capsule
SpaceX and NASA launched four astronauts from three different space agencies to the International Space Station this morning using a recycled Falcon 9 capsule and rocket. Crew-2 was scheduled to blast off Thursday, but inclement weather along the Atlantic coast forced officials to delay it until early this morning. Astronauts...
Scientists are on a path to sequencing 1 million human genomes and use big data to unlock genetic secrets
A complete human genome, seen here in pairs of chromosomes, offers a wealth of information, but it is hard connect genetics to traits or disease. HYanWong/Wikimedia Commons Xavier Bofill De Ros, National Institutes of Health The first draft of the human genome was published 20 years ago in 2001, took nearly three years and cost...
Creating 'Humanized Pigs' to study human illnesses and treatments
Pigs with human immune systems. Ahlea Forster, CC BY-SA Christopher Tuggle, Iowa State University and Adeline Boettcher, Iowa State University The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires all new medicines to be tested in animals before use in people. Pigs make better medical research subjects than mice, because they are closer...
3 medical innovations fueled by COVID-19 that will outlast the pandemic
Deborah Fuller, University of Washington; Albert H. Titus, University at Buffalo, and Nevan Krogan, University of California, San Francisco A number of technologies and tools got a chance to prove themselves for the first time in the context of COVID-19. Three researchers working in gene-based vaccines, wearable diagnostics and drug...
How humans became the best throwers on the planet
Michael P. Lombardo, Grand Valley State University and Robert Deaner, Grand Valley State University Pitchers’ fastballs are getting better and better. From 2008 to 2020, the average speeds of all major league baseball pitches combined rose by between 1.5 mph and 2 mph. In the 2019 season, nearly 90% of the 281 pitchers who threw...
How to Watch The NASA Mars Rover Perseverance Land on Mars
Later today, the most technologically sophisticated rover ever will land on Mars.
Autism Students' Ability to Maneuver the World With Augmented Reality
Augmented Reality (AR) and other forms of assistive technology in the classroom are seeing positive results with autism students.
7 Essential 3D Printing Tips For Beginners
In a short space of time, 3D printing has gone from science fiction to home entertainment. The technology has moved out of laboratories and commercial settings and into the home. The hardware needed to get set up in 3D printing is now accessible and affordable to anyone with an interest. 3D printing is exploding, but the ease of...
Doomsday Clock Remains at 100 Seconds to Midnight
The end is near. Well, according to the Doomsday Clock. The time on the symbolic Doomsday Clock was not changed for 2021. "The COVID-19 pandemic will end up killing well over two million people around the globe," the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists said in a press release. "The mishandling of this grave global health crisis is a...
Top 5 Jobs Robots Could Have in the Next Decade…Will Yours Be Next?
While automation and the use of robotics has drastically increased the efficiency of manufacturing processes, logistics, and delivery, the casualty list for a slew of manual and service-based jobs on and off the production line is growing.
Big Wheels Keep on Turning...Quietly
While headlines have showcased a dip in the light-duty car sector, big trucks, commercial vehicles, over-the-road, and short-haul semis have seen a surge in recent technology deployments.
When’s the last time a Ford Bronco got this much attention?
Engineered with smart off-road technology, the 4x4 Ford Bronco is back in the news with a family of rugged SUVs. The vehicle’s production is scheduled for take-off in early 2021 while delivery to dealerships is expected next spring.