Tech
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Tech
Desalination pours more toxic brine into the ocean than previously thought
Desalination plants help offset the world’s growing water needs, but they also produce much more supersalty water than scientists realized.
- Climate
A drill built for Mars is being used to bore into Antarctic bedrock
An autonomous drill originally designed for work on Mars has its first mission in Antarctica.
- Health & Medicine
A new app tracks breathing to detect an opioid overdose
A smartphone app called Second Chance could help save opioid users who shoot up alone.
- Particle Physics
Readers ask about electrons’ roundness, a science board game and more
Readers had questions about electrons’ roundness, a camera that measures light intensity in decibels and more.
- Health & Medicine
A new implant uses light to control overactive bladders
Experiments in rats show that a new soft device could help alleviate frequent, sudden urges to urinate.
- Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is mastering a wider variety of jobs than ever before
In 2018, AI bested humans at following fauna, diagnosing disease, mapping the moon and more.
- Astronomy
50 years ago, astronauts orbited the moon for the first time
Apollo 8 launched on December 21, 1968, with three astronauts on board, making 10 revolutions around the moon — the first manned lunar orbits.
- Physics
These sound waves can levitate and move particles in new ways
A new machine that levitates objects using sound waves can manipulate several particles at once.
- Tech
A new way to turn saltwater fresh can kill germs and avoid gunk buildup
A new device that harnesses sunlight to produce pure vapor from seawater could last longer and produce cleaner water than other technology.
- Life
These new tweezers let scientists do biopsies on living cells
Nanotweezers that can pluck molecules from cells without killing them could enable real-time analysis of the insides of healthy and diseased cells.
- Health & Medicine
A patch studded with tiny needles may help heart attack survivors recover
A bandage that sticks to the surface of the heart exudes proteins and other molecules that help muscle cells grow.
- Earth
A new algorithm could help protect planes from damaging volcanic ash
A computer program that tracks the temperature and height of clouds in the atmosphere could keep planes away from volcanic ash.
