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Get hand-picked daily summaries of the best, most informative science and engineering articles from around the web. Browse recent summaries, then jump to the original source when you want the full article.

Latest story• Dec 23, 2024

Underwater robot drone packed with 100-year-old tool unravels secrets of Arctic algal blooms

Researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology are combining autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and traditional water sampling to study Arctic spring phytoplankton blooms. AUVs map chlorophyll concentrations in 3D and adjust their paths based on real-time data. This approach provides precise measurements and broader spatial understanding of algal bloom dynamics. The study aims to improve...

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Scientists are building underwater neutrino telescopes in the Mediterranean

Two underwater neutrino telescopes are being built in the Mediterranean Sea to detect high-energy particles from space and study neutrino oscillations. KM3NeT will consist of hundreds of vertical cables with light-sensing...

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Scientists turn carbon dioxide into renewable plastics using cyanobacteria

Scientists at the University of Manchester have successfully used cyanobacteria to convert carbon dioxide into citramalate, a key component for making sustainable plastics. By optimizing the process, they achieved a 23-fold...

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France: 1600 MW Flamanville 3 EPR nuclear reactor connected to power grid

France's most powerful nuclear reactor, Flamanville 3 EPR, has been connected to the national electricity grid after a 12-year delay. The 1,600 MW reactor can supply power to over 2 million homes when at full capacity, with...

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Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses could get a display next year

Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are set to add displays as early as 2025, enhancing their AI and messaging capabilities. This advancement by Meta aims to create lightweight headsets that could eventually replace smartphones as primary...

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Iron Man-inspired exoskeleton helps paraplegics walk again

South Korean researchers have developed the WalkON Suit F1, a 110-pound exoskeleton helping wheelchair users walk. Using 12 motors and processing over 1,000 data points per second, it replicates natural movements and maintains...

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China builds world’s largest diameter underwater shield tunnel at record-breaking speed

China has completed the world's largest-diameter underwater shield tunnel in just 110 days. The 55.8-foot wide, 2-mile section under the Yellow River was built using a massive boring machine called "Shanhe," which advanced up to...

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High-powered lasers fire up fusion energy dreams: German firm makes bold move

Focused Energy, a fusion power startup, has acquired two of the world's most powerful lasers for nuclear fusion research. These will be used in their inertial confinement fusion process, compressing fuel pellets to trigger fusion...

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Chasing storms: The science behind research aircraft and extreme weather forecasting

Climate change is intensifying the need for advanced meteorological research using aircraft and other technologies. Over 200 models are used for climate predictions, but researchers warn that technological advancements are not...

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Moore’s Law at 60: get the Intel on the next few decades

Intel's Sanjay Natarajan affirms Moore's Law's continued relevance in semiconductor technology, despite predictions of its end. Innovation persists through advanced packaging, new materials, and improved chip designs. Intel...

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BAE Systems’ solar drone flies for 24 hours straight at staggering 66,000 feet

BAE Systems has successfully conducted new test flights of its solar-powered PHASA-35 aircraft. The unmanned aerial vehicle flew for 24 hours, reaching altitudes over 66,000 feet. It carried an active intelligence and...

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Tech Stereotypes Discourage Girls from Computing and Engineering as Early as Age 6

Gender stereotypes in STEM fields emerge early, with tech subjects showing stronger male bias than math. By age six, most children think boys are better at engineering. This bias increases with age, potentially limiting girls'...

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Lightning-inspired reactor turns air and water into ammonia for fertilizer

A new plasma-electrochemical reactor developed at the University at Buffalo can produce ammonia from air and water without greenhouse gas emissions. The reactor, inspired by lightning strikes, generates about 1 gram of ammonia...

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New study blows dark energy theory to bits, says universe expansion is lumpy

The timescape model proposes that gravity slows time in dense regions, causing voids to expand faster, which creates the illusion of accelerated cosmic expansion without dark energy, challenging the traditional uniform expansion...

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3D-printed long-range solid rocket motor aces testing, can give edge to US

RTX and Ursa Major tested a new long-range solid rocket motor at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake. The motor, made with Ursa Major's Lynx 3D printing technology, is under 10 inches in diameter. This innovation aims to provide...

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World’s 1st fully automated takeoff with swipe of a finger completed by Skyryse chopper

Skyryse has completed the world's first fully automated helicopter hover using just a finger swipe on a production aircraft. The Skyryse One, built on a Robinson R66 platform, features a simplified cockpit with a single control...

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DJI drones escape US ban for now, but clouds continue to loom for 2025

DJI, the leading drone manufacturer, has a year to prove its products don't pose a security threat to the US, or face an import ban that could affect consumers and the drone industry.

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Apple Likely to Make Vision Pro Lineup More Affordable in Two Ways

Apple is developing new Vision headsets for potential release in 2026. Plans include a next-generation Vision Pro with improved affordability and a lower-cost mainstream model, likely called "Apple Vision." The company may source...

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Christmas sky lights up: Ursid meteor shower to brighten December nights

The Ursid meteor shower, peaking on December 21-22, 2024, will coincide with the winter solstice, displaying 5-10 bright meteors hourly, with potential outbursts of up to 25, best viewed from dark, rural areas.

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K2 Space will fly its extra-large satellite for the first time in 2026

K2 Space has secured a $60 million contract with the Space Force to launch its first full satellite mission, Gravitas, in February 2026. The mission will carry multiple national security payloads to medium Earth orbit using...

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Stranded in space: Starliner crew to remain in orbit even longer as SpaceX faces delays

NASA and SpaceX postponed the Crew-10 mission to March 2025, extending astronauts Wilmore and Williams' stay by a month due to processing needs for the new Dragon spacecraft, transforming their planned week-long trip into a...

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We’re about to fly a spacecraft into the Sun for the first time

The Parker Solar Probe will make its closest approach to the Sun on Christmas Eve, flying within 3.8 million miles of the solar surface. This mission aims to study the origins of solar wind, with the probe's heat shield enduring...

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Billion times faster chip-based laser neuron can process 34.7 million images per second

A chip-based quantum-dot laser neuron, developed by Chinese University of Hong Kong researchers, operates a billion times faster than biological neurons, processing 34.7 million images or 100 million heartbeats per second. It...

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New physics sim trains robots 430,000 times faster than reality

Genesis, a new open-source AI system, generates realistic 3D environments for robot training using text commands, creating physically accurate simulations and data that could transform robot testing and asset creation for games...

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