Tech

Tech

Rise of reusable rockets signals a new age of spaceflight

Successful landings by SpaceX and Blue Origin raise the prospect of cheaper and more efficient spaceflight.

Tech

Five challenges for self-driving cars

Scientific and technical experts weigh in on the biggest hurdles for autonomous vehicles, and how ongoing research will help.

Materials Science

Graphene Silly Putty detects pitter-patter of spider footsteps

Sensor made of graphene and Silly Putty can detect pulse, breathing — and spider feet.

Tech

Zippy new jumping bot catches air again and again

Leaping robot can bounce from floor to wall, parkour-style, and, like a bush baby, uses a “super-crouch” to get extra oomph out of jumps.

Science & Society

Readers respond to the SN 10, and awards for Science News

The human side of science, cool cloth and more in reader feedback.

Tech

Double-charging material makes a run in the sun extra powerful

Textile stores energy from the sun and a person’s movements to power devices.

Tech

New technique shows cells’ molecules in color

A new electron microscopy technique reveals cellular details in multicolor

Tech

Artificial intelligence needs smart senses to be useful

Editor in chief Eva Emerson discusses the future of artificial intelligence.

Tech

For robots, artificial intelligence gets physical

Physical intelligence makes robots able to sense of the world around them.

Genetics

Big biological datasets map life’s networks

Expanding from genomics to multi-omics means stretching data capacity, but it may lead to a future of early diagnosis, personalized medicine and hardy crops.

Tech

How to read a book without opening it

New technique allows scientists to read the pages of an ancient text without opening the book.

Computing

AI system learns like a human, stores info like a computer

A new artificial neural network hooked up to extra memory can learn to solve complex problems.