Sci-Tech news

• Solution to genomic analysis may be in the clouds

  05-12-2014 15:14
  
  Cloud computing is a more efficient and cheaper alternative for researchers wanting to access and analyse large amounts of human genomic data, a local study has found.
  
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• AI-powered robots can be tricked into slicing off fingers

  21-10-2026 22:14 via Popular Science
  
  In a scene seemingly pulled straight out of a spy movie, computer scientists  planted a dangerous, secret backdoor into an AI model. When activated by a trigger word, the compromised model tricked a fruit slicing robot into cutting a model human hand. Rather than cause chaos,  the team from Binghamton University in New York say its violent robot brainwashing is meant to draw attention to underexplored vulnerabilities that can arise when physical robots take instruction from large langu
  
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• WWII fighter plane crash found in Hungary after nearly 80 years

  21-10-2026 21:05 via Popular Science
  
  After nearly 82 years, historians in Hungary have finally located a missing Soviet aircraft downed by a German ace pilot during World War II. After a monthslong investigation that involved painstaking archival dives and eyewitness interviews, a team led by Hungarian Aircraft Wreck Research Association co-founder István Kocsis pinpointed the Yakovlev Yak-1 fighter plane. The aircraft was buried over 17 feet underground roughly 50 miles southeast of Budapest. Despite the poor condition of m
  
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• In 1871, this nightmarish ‘Creeping Baby Doll’ was all the rage

  21-10-2026 19:13 via Popular Science
  
  Already looking for children’s toys for the holidays? Are you also a big Halloween fan? Well, do we have a  gift for you! Allow us to introduce the present no child could ever love (unless maybe they were possessed by a demon or a big fan of The Nightmare Before Christmas): The Creeping Baby Doll!This nightmarish 1871 creation is everything you don’t want in a children’s toy. It’s noisy. It moves—seemingly propelled by painted plaster baby arms and legs. And it
  
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• A 58-Million-Year-Old Mammal Is Challenging Long-Held Assumptions About Evolution

  21-10-2026 18:29 via SciTechDaily
  A surprising discovery about ancient horned mammals is challenging long-held ideas about sexual dimorphism. For decades, scientists have pointed to a group of enormous, horned prehistoric mammals as a classic example of how dramatically males and females can differ in appearance. But a new analysis of fossil skulls suggests that one of paleontology’s most familiar [...]
  
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• Distant space ‘hamburger’ hides a baby gas giant

  21-10-2026 18:04 via Popular Science
  
  A cosmic Quarter-Pounder is providing us with a near-perfect view of a distant gas giant’s earliest moments. Known as Gomez’s Hamburger (or GoHam for short), the massive protoplanetary disk surrounds a young star located in the Scorpius-Centaurus stellar region of our home galaxy about 453 light-years away from Earth. As researchers explained in a study recently published in The Astrophysical Journal, GoHam’s vantage from Earth is virtually unparalleled for anyone hoping to gli
  
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• Stanford Scientists Discover a Remarkable Way To Rescue Dying Corals in Just Seven Weeks

  21-10-2026 17:54 via SciTechDaily
  Bleached corals fully recovered within seven weeks after brief contact with healthy clones in laboratory tests, suggesting a possible way to speed reef restoration. Warm water can leave corals alive but starving. When the animals expel the colorful algae living in their tissues, they lose the energy those partners supply for growth and turn ghostly [...]
  
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• 0 to 15 MPH in a Single Swipe: New Research Reveals How Ancient Giant Sea Monsters Ambushed Their Prey

  21-10-2026 17:19 via SciTechDaily
  Giant marine reptiles that dominated prehistoric oceans may have relied on surprisingly different hunting strategies. A giant marine reptile that lived during the age of dinosaurs may have reached speeds of roughly 15 miles per hour with a single powerful sweep of its tail. That estimate, calculated for an exceptionally large Tylosaurus, describes a brief [...]
  
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• Spooooooky! Alaskan man makes terrifying ‘kelp-o’-lanterns’

  21-10-2026 16:48 via Popular Science
  
  It seems like Halloween decorations are getting more elaborate every year. Instead of a viral 12-foot skeleton, a digital creator in Alaska has turned to nature to find inspiration for his spooky embellishments. In 2025, photographer and Homer resident Tim Hatfield was walking on a beach with his girlfriend. They noticed that some strands of bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) had washed ashore. Bull kelp, sometimes referred to as “mermaid’s bladder,” is a fast-growing annua
  
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• Earth’s spookiest lake is in Siberia and dates back 25 million years

  21-10-2026 14:57 via Popular Science
  
  What’s the weirdest thing you learned this week? Well, whatever it is, we promise you’ll have an even weirder answer if you listen to Popular Science’s hit podcast. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week hits Spotify, YouTube, Apple, and everywhere else you listen to podcasts every-other Wednesday morning. It’s your new favorite source for the strangest science-adjacent facts, figures, and Wikipedia spirals the editors of Popular Science can muster. If you like the storie
  
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• Scientists Say a Simple Blood Test Could Reveal Depression

  21-10-2026 14:17 via SciTechDaily
  Scientists have discovered that aging immune cells may hold a hidden blood-based clue to detecting depression. Scientists have discovered that the biological aging of certain white blood cells may provide an important clue to depression, potentially opening the door to a blood test that could help identify the condition. The study found that measuring how [...]
  
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• Late-Night Snacking Could Be Putting Your Liver at Risk

  21-10-2026 13:42 via SciTechDaily
  A study of nearly 200,000 people links late-night eating to up to 30% higher liver disease risk, suggesting that your last meal of the day could matter more than you think. Eating late at night may have consequences beyond weight gain and poor sleep. A major study led by Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) [...]
  
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• Scientists Discover a Potential Early Warning Sign of Alzheimer’s in Adults As Young as 45

  21-10-2026 13:07 via SciTechDaily
  Researchers have identified a potential early warning sign of Alzheimer’s disease in middle-aged adults experiencing subtle concerns about their memory and thinking. Adults as young as 45 who expressed concerns about their memory or thinking had elevated levels of a blood biomarker associated with Alzheimer’s disease, even though brain scans showed no detectable structural changes. [...]
  
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• 75,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Skeleton Reveals a Mysterious Spear Wound Aimed at the Heart

  21-10-2026 02:26 via SciTechDaily
  A Neanderthal’s fatal wound points to a possible spear attack aimed at the heart, offering a rare glimpse of prehistoric violence. A small, round hole in a Neanderthal’s shoulder blade suggests a wooden spear pierced the chest about 75,000 years ago. The remains, found in a cave in Iraqi Kurdistan, may preserve the earliest known [...]
  
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• NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Is Sharper Than Anyone Expected

  21-10-2026 01:25 via SciTechDaily
  NASA’s Roman Space Telescope has achieved nearly 30% better optical performance than required, promising stunningly sharp views of the universe and its greatest mysteries. NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is performing even better than scientists anticipated after engineers completed an extensive series of tests and precision adjustments. The work has sharpened the observatory’s focus [...]
  
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• Netflix doesn’t want investors to worry, despite recent shake-ups, layoffs

  21-10-2026 01:07 via NBC News Technology
  
  “Reminder, we are a streaming-first business. That is our core,” co-CEO Ted Sarandos said on the streamer’s third-quarter earnings call.
  
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• Monkeys also avoid germs after viral outbreaks 

  21-10-2026 01:05 via Popular Science
  
  When a new disease emerges, things can get a little weird. We start to clean groceries with antibacterial wipes, the sound of a sneeze can trigger our fight-or-flight response, and we generally become more cautious. Humans may not be the only primate species that change their behavior in the face of disease. According to a study published today in the journal Royal Society Open Science, Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) that lived through a deadly outbreak in 2020 became noticeably more ca
  
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• Roman sarcophagus inside Westminster Abbey originally held a different body

  21-10-2026 01:01 via Popular Science
  
  A formerly inexplicable Roman sarcophagus discovered at England’s Westminster Abbey over 150 years ago is likely a rare example of medieval funerary recycling. Although archaeologists stopped short of definitively identifying who was buried inside, the team confidently narrowed down their candidates to a pair of high-ranking Benedictine monks.“We have two viable contenders for the occupant of the sarcophagus,” said Westminster Abbey archaeological consultant Warwick Rodwell, co
  
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• Elon Musk says SpaceX and Tesla have formed special committees to discuss merger idea

  21-10-2026 00:57 via NBC News Technology
  
  Musk said he isn’t a member of either special committee or involved in the talks because he’s a conflicted party under securities regulations.
  
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• 40 Years of Superconductor Science Just Got Turned Upside Down by a Stunning Discovery

  21-10-2026 00:14 via SciTechDaily
  A material that carries electricity without resistance may be held back by its own structure, challenging 40 years of assumptions about copper-based superconductors. A crystal that scientists thought had the same structure throughout is actually a patchwork of two subtly different arrangements of atoms. The boundaries between those regions are hundreds of times wider than [...]
  
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• Amazon’s TP-Link router deals include a WiFi 7 model for less than $100

  20-10-2026 22:23 via Popular Science
  
  Top TP-Link Wi-Fi deals on Amazon
  TP-Link Archer BE260 Wi-Fi 7 Router $98.99 (was $124.99).TP-Link Deco X55 AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 Mesh System (3-Pack) $149.96 (was $195.29).TP-Link Roam 7 BE3600 Wi-Fi 7 Travel Router $89.98 (was $129.99).TP-Link Archer TBE552E BE9300 PCIe Wi-Fi 7 Card $49.99 (was $69.99).TP-Link Archer BE770 BE18000 Wi-Fi 7 Router $299.99 (was $369.99).TP-Link Omada EAP650 AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 Access Point $76.99 (was $129.99).
  Most home Wi-Fi complaints trace back to the same two culprits:
  
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• Study Uncovers a Surprising New Way Deadly Brain Cancer Spreads

  20-10-2026 20:50 via SciTechDaily
  Scientists have uncovered evidence that glioblastoma cells can retain a lasting mechanical memory of their surroundings. Glioblastoma, one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer, spreads by sending tumor cells into surrounding healthy tissue. Along the way, those cells encounter an unusual physical challenge: fluid at the tumor’s invasive edge can be about eight times [...]
  
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• Scientists May Have Solved a Billion-Year-Old Mystery About DNA’s Evolution

  20-10-2026 20:15 via SciTechDaily
  On an early Earth exposed to intense ultraviolet radiation, the evolution of DNA may have depended on an unexpected molecular advantage. Early life on Earth faced intense ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun without the protection of an ozone layer. Yet DNA came to rely on thymine, a chemical building block that is more prone [...]
  
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• Scientists Discover a Hidden Electrical Signal in the Heart That Could Predict Sudden Death

  20-10-2026 19:40 via SciTechDaily
  Researchers have discovered a previously unrecognized electrical signal in the heart that could help predict sudden cardiac death before it strikes. Sudden cardiac death can strike without warning, killing people who appear healthy and have no known history of heart problems. For decades, doctors have struggled to identify who is most vulnerable, even though a [...]
  
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• This robot exists solely to bounce ping-pong balls

  20-10-2026 18:05 via Popular Science
  
  In a world where tech leaders are racing to build autonomous machines that can do almost anything, one hobbyist is going the complete opposite route: an over-engineered  robot that does exactly one thing and one thing only. T-Kuhn’s Hexa-Bouncer only bounces a ping-pong ball, but looks like it’s capable of far more. The six-armed, metal machine was first designed  in a simulated environment and then brought to life with a CNC milling machine. Custom-built joints let it
  
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• For the first time, artificial intelligence is a top 10 fear in the U.S.

  20-10-2026 18:05 via Popular Science
  
  It’s official—artificial intelligence is one of the top 10 fears in the United States. Well, it’s technically two of the top 10 fears, according to the 12th annual Chapman University Survey of American Fears.First conducted in 2014, the recurring questionnaire tracks yearly anxiety trends that often range from everyday concerns to existential terrors. This year, 61.1 percent of over 1,200 respondents once again cited “corrupt government officials” as their biggest f
  
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• New comet accidentally discovered by space telescope

  20-10-2026 17:15 via Popular Science
  
  Launched in 2023, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Euclid space telescope observes some of the most distant regions of the visible universe for signs of dark matter and dark energy. But even while focused on the “big picture,” Euclid’s onboard equipment is surprising astronomers by capturing tiny photobombers like errant comets.Its recent portraits of one specific dusty space rock are especially impressive, however. Euclid spotted a never-before-seen comet sailing throug
  
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• Bat Beauty Contest returns October 24

  20-10-2026 16:30 via Popular Science
  
  With Alaska’s fat bears done packing on their winter weight and spooky season in full swing, it’s time to turn our collective animal-loving attention to a smaller mammal—bats. The Bureau of Land Management’s (BOEM) annual Bat Beauty Contest returns on October 24 and promises “plenty of batty puns.”Beginning Saturday, October 24, BOEM will post photos of the competitors to their Facebook and Instagram accounts and ask you to vote for the best-looking one. All o
  
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• A 50-Year-Old Mystery: Scientists Discover What May Have Killed Brazil’s Frogs

  20-10-2026 16:16 via SciTechDaily
  Museum specimens are helping scientists trace a deadly fungus linked to mysterious frog disappearances in Brazil nearly half a century ago. Frog species that escaped a wave of population declines in Brazil carried widespread infections with a deadly fungus. Yet museum specimens from the species that suffered the steepest losses showed no detectable infection. These [...]
  
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• Scientists Solve a 30-Year Biological Mystery and the Discovery Could Change How We Treat Inflammation

  20-10-2026 15:41 via SciTechDaily
  Scientists have solved a decades-old biological mystery, revealing an unexpected dual role for a key inflammatory signaling pathway. Scientists have uncovered a surprising function of a molecule that controls inflammation: It not only recruits immune cells to fight infections but also helps protect healthy tissue from damage. The discovery, published October 7 in Nature, solves [...]
  
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