Behold the new UR3 robotic arm. Smaller, lighter, and more nimble than its predecessors, the Universal Robot-built arm can be programmed for a wide variety of tasks — including the construction of its own parts.
The 400-year old remains of Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote, have been recovered, Spanish researchers reported today.
For the first time ever, scientists have created a detailed catalogue of color swatches that correspond to nearly 140 known microorganisms, including those that can live in the most extreme environments. Armed with this knowledge, astrobiologists can now scan the atmospheres of distant exoplanets in hopes of finding a…
After four years in orbit around Mercury, NASA's MESSENGER mission is sadly coming to an end. But before it plunges to its doom, mission controllers are taking full advantage of the spacecraft's close proximity to the surface. Here are some of the most detailed and vivid images ever taken of the Solar System's…
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Introducing ATRIAS, a bipedal robot designed and built by Dynamic Robotics Labs. Its developers are optimistic that it'll eventually become the world's fastest two-legged robot. Until then, it'll have to endure the physical abuse typically afforded robots these days.
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A couple of years ago, a DNA analysis of an ostensible sample of Yeti hair indicated that it may have belonged to a previously undiscovered ancestor of modern bears. A new genetic analysis now refutes this claim.
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A new research letter published in JAMA Pediatrics is the first to positively link low vaccination rates to the Disneyland measles outbreak that emerged in California late last year. The new research also shows how frighteningly fast measles can spread in a population that's insufficiently immunized against the highly…
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With chants of "I say robot, you say no-bot!", a group of protesters took to the streets in Austin, Texas to warn against the rise of artificial intelligence. The movement, though small in number, may be the start of a larger trend.
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Late last year, a new volcanic island formed in the South Pacific. Located about 40 miles (65 km) from the region's main island of Tongatapu, the island could become Tonga's latest tourist attraction. But scientists warn it could still be unstable and dangerous.
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By studying the subtle shifts of aurorae on Ganymede, scientists working with the Hubble Space Telescope have concluded that Jupiter's largest moon hosts a massive subterranean ocean. Quite suddenly, the outer reaches of our solar system appear to be a very wet place, indeed.
Confused about what's been going on between Russia and Ukraine? You're not alone. And that's sort of the point — this conflict serves as a case study in the effectiveness of shadowy, "hybrid" warfare, which is hard to understand from the outside. And the effectiveness of this strategy means it could be the future of…
An American team of archaeologists have discovered two ancient Egyptian tombs near Luxor. Incredibly, its beautifully adorned walls, though 3,500 years old, have retained their vivid colors, allowing us to see these amazing murals in what is practically their original glory.
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Behold Aegirocassis benmoulae, an extinct creature that swam through the Earth's oceans some 480-million years ago. Discovered by paleontologists in Morocco, it possessed modified legs, gills on its back — and a filter system for feeding. Remarkably, it's the oldest known animal to fill an ecological niche now…
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Archaeologists have identified a remarkable piece of Neanderthal jewelry comprised of eight white-tailed eagle talons. Worn 130,000 years ago, the discovery shows that Neanderthals were capable of making sophisticated ornaments long before modern humans appeared on the scene.
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A new analysis of Cassini spacecraft data points to the distinct possibility that Saturn's icy moon Enceladus exhibits hydrothermal activity on its seafloor. It's a discovery that significantly bolsters the moon's status as a potentially habitable object.
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The ongoing civil war in Syria is literally sending the country back to the dark ages. New satellite imagery reveals that 83% of nighttime illumination has disappeared in Syria since the start of the four-year conflict that has claimed the lives of 200,000 people and displaced nearly half its population.
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Researchers from the Scripps Research Institute and the Mayo Clinic have developed a new class of drugs that were shown to significantly slow the aging process in animal models. Remarkably, dramatic improvements were noticeable just days after treatment.
World War II is remembered for its cruelty and ferocious violence, a global conflict that claimed the lives of nearly 60 million people. It was a war that featured no shortage of heinous individuals — these 14 being among the very worst.
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If our solar system is any indication, planets with rings around them are quite common, but finding extrasolar ringed planets has proven difficult. Now astronomers have developed a surprisingly simple method for detecting these distant "exorings." It'll only be a matter of time before we find the next Saturn.
