Swarms of robots could dig underground cities on Mars
Underground habitats have recently become a focal point of off-planet colonization efforts. Protection from micrometeorites, radiation and other potential hazards makes underground sites desirable compared to surface dwellings. Building such subterra.....»»
Are Tesla’s robot prototypes AI marvels or remote-controlled toys?
Partying robots spark debate about accuracy of Musk's "biggest product ever of any kind" vision. Two years ago, Tesla's Optimus prototype was an underwhelming mess of exposed wire.....»»
Study of young African American men in US cities finds negative perspectives of community, few opportunities
Research has documented the many ways individuals' environments (e.g., community, neighborhood) affect their health. In a new study on gun ownership, researchers surveyed young African American men who lived in high-crime, high-violence cities to bet.....»»
How did magma oceans evolve on early Earth and Mars? Iron chemistry and primordial atmospheres offer clues
Before Earth became the blue planet, it was engulfed by a very different kind of ocean: a vast, deep magma ocean reaching down hundreds or perhaps even thousands of kilometers......»»
The unintended consequences of brick-and-mortar"s decline
Lately, many big retail brands have been closing physical locations, in what has become known as the "retail apocalypse." Whether the stated reason is declining revenue, or concerns related to "shrinkage" and employee safety in some cities, the impac.....»»
Rental crisis in regional cities prompts rethinking of moves
James Cook University researchers say Cairns is a prime example of a regional city where the rental housing crisis is making people who have moved to the city rethink their choice—and they say city planners must act if regional areas want such peop.....»»
New tool provides knowledge on heat stress vulnerability in cities for more targeted adaptation
Heat-related deaths and diseases are a major concern in Europe amid increasing extended periods of extreme heat. A recent study proposes a novel way of quantifying and projecting future vulnerability to heat stress in different areas of a city, provi.....»»
Scientists explore geothermal energy potential in supercritical reservoirs
A team of EPFL scientists has provided insight into the mechanisms at work in geothermal reservoirs located deep underground, known as supercritical reservoirs. Through a combination of computer simulations and lab experiments, they showed that rocks.....»»
Perseverance team revives SHERLOC instrument to help with Jezero crater discovery
In January 2024, the SHERLOC instrument aboard NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover encountered a significant issue. A fault in the instrument's motor caused the dust cover and autofocus mechanism to become inoperative, putting the rover's SHERLOC Ram.....»»
Curiosity rover provides new insights into how Mars became uninhabitable
NASA's Curiosity rover, currently exploring Gale crater on Mars, is providing new details about how the ancient Martian climate went from potentially suitable for life—with evidence for widespread liquid water on the surface—to a surface that is.....»»
Digging into neutrino research: LBNF-DUNE project moves forward with excavation of 800,000 tons of rock
As a kid, you may have tried to dig a hole in your backyard to reach China. Obviously, that didn't happen. But digging out a lot of ground can be quite productive. Instead of reaching another country, the scientists, engineers, and construction worke.....»»
Nuclear rockets could travel to Mars in half the time, but designing the reactors that would power them isn"t easy
NASA plans to send crewed missions to Mars over the next decade—but the 140 million-mile (225 million-kilometer) journey to the red planet could take several months to years round trip......»»
A NASA Mars rover has a giant hole in one of its wheels
The wheels on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover are falling apart, but the plucky rover keeps on rolling......»»
NASA"s laser comms demo makes deep space record, completes first phase
The Deep Space Optical Communications tech demo has completed several key milestones, culminating in sending a signal to Mars' farthest distance from Earth......»»
2-billion-year-old rock could help understand very early life on Earth and the hunt for evidence of life on Mars
Pockets of microbes have been found living within a sealed fracture in a 2-billion-year-old rock. The rock was excavated from the Bushveld Igneous Complex in South Africa, an area known for its rich ore deposits. This is the oldest example of living.....»»
Return-to-office mandates may not be the solution to downtown struggles that Canadian cities are banking on
In recent months, many Canadian employers in both the public and private sectors have implemented return-to-office mandates, requiring workers that transitioned to remote or hybrid work during the COVID-19 pandemic to work in-person again......»»
Opinion: When even fringe festival venues exclude people with disability, cities need to act on access
It's about time city councils did more to make our cities accessible. I recently tried to buy tickets to two Sydney Fringe Festival events, only to be told by the box office that the venues were not wheelchair-accessible......»»
Do customers perceive AI-written communications as less authentic?
From Nike and Google to Coca-Cola and McDonald's, major brands are incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into their advertising campaigns. But how do consumers feel about robots generating emotionally charged marketing content? That's the questi.....»»
Scientists use tiny "backpacks" on turtle hatchlings to observe their movements
New research suggests that green turtle hatchlings 'swim' to the surface of the sand, rather than 'dig,' in the period between hatching and emergence. The findings have important implications for conserving a declining turtle population globally......»»
Are plants and fungi trading carbon for nutrients? Not likely, say researchers
Every year, plants move 3.58 gigatons of carbon to mycorrhizal fungi, their underground partners—enough, in fact, that if it were ice, it would cover 112 million NHL hockey rinks. However, a dominant scientific theory explaining that huge transfer.....»»
Sonos completes internal review of app meltdown, details path forward
Sonos says it will be more methodical about updates, test more, and focus on customer experience as it continues to dig out from a catastrophic system update......»»