2+ day, 13+ hour ago   (1026+ words) Machine culture just got its first controlled test, and only one of 600 people playing on their own ever found what the AI did. Offered a sure gain now or a bigger one that costs something first, most of us take the…...

4+ day, 18+ hour ago   (1077+ words) A soft jumping robot that twists itself tight under an infrared lamp, snaps its tail on the ground, and resets in mid-air to jump again. An origami paper frog jumps once. Then a hand has to pick it up, fold…...

4+ day, 19+ hour ago   (989+ words) After 30 minutes of play, preschool children performed better on some tasks but struggled more when the next task demanded focus and self-control. For parents and teachers, one everyday moment can be harder than it looks: a preschooler finishes an exciting…...

5+ day, 16+ hour ago   (1039+ words) AI chatbot politics shifted toward the user's declared side in all 21 models tested, and training that rewards agreement is why. Give an AI chatbot a political statement about welfare and its response may seem calm and even-handed. Now tell it…...

1+ week, 17+ hour ago   (911+ words) Scientists found a way to mass-produce a low-cost catalyst that turns captured carbon dioxide into chemicals used in fuels, plastics and medicines. Turning captured carbon dioxide from power plants and factories into useful chemicals has struggled to make economic sense....

1+ week, 1+ day ago   (874+ words) Comets around a young Sun-like star could reveal how water is transported into the inner regions of developing planetary systems. Around a young, Sun-like star some 370 light-years away, astronomers have spotted signs of what looks like a fleet of comets…...

1+ week, 3+ day ago   (1177+ words) A survey of nearly 40,000 teens finds that kids who turn to AI chatbots for mental health support are more likely to be struggling. When something goes wrong in a kid’s life, the easiest listener in the house is now a…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago   (1193+ words) A simple spring-powered robot can pinch, twist, hook and grasp with just two air inputs, outperforming the human hand in some movements. Robot designers have long tried to copy the human hand, rebuilding its fingers and joints one piece at…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago   (1022+ words) As e-waste piles up, researchers developed an electric method to recover most of the gold from discarded electronics, using up to 100 times fewer chemicals. Phones keep getting thinner, but the pile of discarded electronics keeps getting heavier. Researchers in Illinois…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago   (901+ words) Scientists predicted how many blue, fin, and humpback whales were in the waters off California using only the DNA that microbes and plankton leave behind in seawater. A jar of seawater holds more information than meets the eye. Whales, their…...