Tech

  1. Computing

    Speech recognition has come a long way in 50 years

    Early versions of computer speech recognition relied on word sounds. Now, they add pattern recognition and a lot of statistics.

    By Bethany Brookshire
  2. Materials Science

    Germanium computer chips gain ground on silicon — again

    Having pushed silicon to its limit, engineers are turning back to germanium.

    By Cassie Martin
  3. Tech

    Bat robot takes wing

    Unlike other aerial robots that use whirling rotor blades to fly, the Bat Bot relies on soft, silicone-based wings to glide, swoop and turn.

    By Meghan Rosen
  4. Tech

    Legos inspire versatile fluid-filled devices

    Tiny devices shuttle fluid around using reconfigurable Lego-like bricks.

    By Emily Conover
  5. Tech

    Heart-hugging robot does the twist (and squeeze)

    A robotic sleeve that slips around the heart mimics the heart’s natural movement, squeezing and twisting to pump blood in pigs. If it works in humans, it could buy time for heart failure patients awaiting a transplant.

    By Meghan Rosen
  6. Materials Science

    New ‘smart’ fibers curb fires in lithium-ion batteries

    To stifle battery fires, scientists create component with heat-release flame retardant.

    By Emily Conover
  7. Earth

    Mapping the future of continents and batteries

    Editor in chief Eva Emerson discusses how science provides new perspectives on the past and the future.

    By Eva Emerson
  8. Computing

    Retracted result on network equivalence reinstated

    Graph isomorphism result still stands, despite error.

    By Emily Conover
  9. Math

    Hidden Figures highlights three black women who were vital to the U.S. space program

    "Hidden Figures" tells the untold story of the "human computers" who were essential to the launch of the U.S. space program.

    By Emily Conover
  10. Tech

    Cells snack on nanowires

    Human cells eat silicon nanowires in a process called phagocytosis. Nanowire-infused cells could be a step towards biological electronic devices.

    By Meghan Rosen
  11. Computing

    Year in review: AlphaGo scores a win for artificial intelligence

    AlphaGo’s triumph over its human opponent provides a glimpse into the future of artificial intelligence.

    By Thomas Sumner
  12. Tech

    Caterpillar robot uses squishy, 3-D printed legs to inch and crawl

    Squishy, 3-D printed legs help a caterpillar robot switch between inching and crawling, and offer sensory info about the world.

    By Meghan Rosen