New Soft Robots Roll Like Tires, Spin Like Tops and Orbit Like Moons

black-and-white video still shows a ringlike object in a square space that has one gap for an entrance. A bright white line shows the path that the object has taken in tracing the contours of the space.

Jan 8, 2024

New Soft Robots Roll Like Tires, Spin Like Tops and Orbit Like Moons

The device, which operates without human or computer control, holds promise for developing technologies that can be used to navigate unknown environments.

illustration shows two pieces of metal foam being welded together using an induction welder. Several inches away from the site of the weld (which is white hot), the metal foam is cool enough to touch with a bare hand.

Dec 14, 2023

Researchers Find Way to Weld Metal Foam Without Melting Its Bubbles

Traditional welding impairs the qualities that make metal foams desirable. Now researchers have found a solution.

Dec 13, 2023

Study Overturns Conventional Wisdom About Wild Turkey Nesting Survival

The findings shed new light on how climate change may affect wild turkey populations.

photo shows a notebook, calculator and pen lying on a white surface

Dec 13, 2023

How Companies Worked Around a Law Aimed at Keeping U.S. Tax Dollars from Going Overseas

Legislation aimed at preventing large companies from avoiding U.S. taxes by shuttling money to foreign subsidiaries hasn’t worked as well as anticipated. Now we know why.

photo taken from above shows a Black woman in exercise clothes looking at a health monitor on her wrist

Dec 7, 2023

How a Failure to Understand Race Leads to Flawed Health Tech

A fundamental misunderstanding means the way many health devices are developed and tested can exacerbate racial health inequities.

illustration shows the shape of a brain, but made up of circuits.

Dec 4, 2023

AI Networks Are More Vulnerable to Malicious Attacks Than Previously Thought

A study finds AI tools are more vulnerable than previously thought to targeted attacks that effectively force AI systems to make bad decisions.

photo shows the front seat and dashboard of a car, with no driver at the wheel. Lights passing in the windows suggest the car is moving at a high speed.

Dec 1, 2023

To Help Autonomous Vehicles Make Moral Decisions, Researchers Ditch the ‘Trolley Problem’

The goal of the new research is to help autonomous vehicles make “good” decisions.

photo shows a table with two laptops. two people are going over paperwork between the laptops.

Nov 28, 2023

New Audit Rules Had Little Effect on Companies

A recent study finds new financial auditing regulations did have an effect – but it was a small one.

more than a dozen tamales, wrapped in corn husks, sit inside a large metal pot

Nov 27, 2023

Holiday Food Safety Tips for Tamales

Tamales are a delicious holiday staple. Here are some tips to help you avoid foodborne illness when making them.

four young adults of different racial backgrounds stand together wearing masks that cover their nose and mouth.

Nov 20, 2023

Why the COVID Pandemic Hit Non-White Americans the Hardest

There was a stark difference in the percentage of non-white Americans who died in the first year of the COVID pandemic compared to white Americans. A new book explains why.

illustration shows a robot conducting chemistry experiments in front of a high-tech machine

Nov 13, 2023

Autonomous Lab Discovers Best-in-Class Quantum Dot in Hours; It Would Have Taken Humans Years

A new autonomous system can identify how to synthesize “best-in-class” materials for specific applications in hours, rather than years.

a small brick building with five wooden doors that open directly into a tidy, dirt courtyard.

Oct 31, 2023

Poop, Pee and Microbes: The Complicated Ecology of Pit Latrines

The findings are relevant for efforts to both improve public health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with global climate change.

photo shows a pair of hands. one hand is holding a smartphone. the other is resting on a laptop computer

Oct 24, 2023

Helping Companies Understand – and Respond to – Online Misinformation

When misinformation spreads on social media, there can be real consequences for both companies and the public.

photo shows a toddler's hands. the toddler is using crayons to color in a picture.

Oct 19, 2023

N.C. Needed a Plan to Help Homeless Kids. Now It Has One.

There are more than 30,000 homeless infants, toddlers and preschool-aged children in North Carolina. A new action plan aims to bridge the gap between these children and the services that can help them.

on left part of image, a man's lower leg is shown, with the toes of his feet pointing down. There are sensors attached to his knee and calf. On the right, a robotic prosthetic lower leg is shown flexing in a pose identical to the man's leg. In the upper right hand corner, a graph shows an erratic line that moves up and down.

Oct 18, 2023

Robotic Prosthetic Ankles Improve ‘Natural’ Movement, Stability

Robotic prosthetic ankles that are controlled by nerve impulses allow amputees to move more “naturally,” improving their stability.

Matt Shipman