1,529 results
- Math
Springfield Theory
Over many years, the popular animated TV series The Simpsons has included numerous references to mathematics on the show.
- Tech
Stepping Lightly: New view of how human gaits conserve energy
Using a simple mathematical model, scientists may have pinpointed the key aspects of human locomotion that make ordinary walking and running the most energy-efficient ways for people to get around on foot.
- Tech
In Its Own Image: Simple robot replicates itself block by block
A robot made by stacking identical, cubelike modules has demonstrated that it can copy itself.
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19578
Does the name of Honda’s robot, Asimo, have a meaning in Japanese, or is it just a tip of the hat to Isaac Asimov? Dennis LynchGlenshaw, Pa. Asimo’s name stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility.—N. Moreira
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19551
This article makes the common claim that self-replicating robots could be a boon for clearing minefields. In truth, a complex electronic device simply does not last long in the field. When it breaks and you are 3 days from the nearest town, where do you get a spare part or battery? Tools for removing land […]
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- Humans
Letters from the October 1, 2005, issue of Science News
Name game Does the name of Honda’s robot, Asimo, have a meaning in Japanese, or is it just a tip of the hat to Isaac Asimov (“Easy Striders: New humanoids with efficient gaits change the robotics landscape,” SN: 8/6/05, p. 88)? Dennis LynchGlenshaw, Pa. Asimo’s name stands for Advanced Step in Innovative MObility.—N. Moreira Under […]
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Robo Receptor: Researchers engineer a brain ion channel to take its cues from light
Scientists have engineered an ion channel in nerve cells to open or close in response to light.
- Humans
Letters from the July 2, 2005, issue of Science News
Chlorine’s fate? “Special Treatment: Tiny technology tackles mega messes” (SN: 4/23/05, p. 266), on the reaction of nanoparticles of iron with trichloroethane (TCE) contaminating an aquifer, states that the TCE is converted “into ethane.” What happens to the chlorine stripped off the TCE? Is it converted into insoluble inorganic compounds or is it available to […]
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- Animals
Will Mr. Bowerbird Fall for a Robot?
Push a button and she turns her head. But can she turn his?
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Self-Serve Brains
New brain-imaging studies and investigations of certain types of brain damage suggest that the right hemisphere typically coordinates one's sense of being a self, with a body and a set of life experiences distinct from those of other people.
