Tech

  1. Computing

    Models: How computers make predictions

    They use numbers to model real-world activities. And new insights in math are streamlining models’ design.

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  2. Physics

    Nobel goes for creating the ‘nanoscope’

    A regular microscope can’t bring into focus the nanoscale molecules from which cells are built. Using lasers and fluorescent molecules, three scientists found a way to view these tiny features. Their reward: the 2014 Nobel Prize in chemistry.

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  3. Tech

    Squishy robot propelled by ka-pow!

    This is not your average robot. It flies through the air, propelled by an explosion in one of its arms. It could prove useful in disaster areas or war zones.

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  4. Tech

    Repelling germs with ‘sharkskin’

    A biotechnology company has found a way to repel superbugs without toxic chemicals. It mimics the texture of a shark’s skin.

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  5. Computing

    3-D printers are making cars!

    3-D printing technology makes it possible to print anything — even a car. A team of engineers designed the Strati and then printed the electric cars at events in Chicago and New York.

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  6. Tech

    Explainer: What is 3-D printing?

    A new type of computer printer is already doing a lot more than spraying ink onto paper. Some dispense metal, plastic, food — even cells. In short order, people may be able to manufacture almost anything from their home or office.

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  7. Archaeology

    Pyramids’ blocks: Possibly rock ‘n’ rolled

    No one knows how the ancient Egyptians moved the big stones needed to build their pyramids. A new study suggests they could have rolled them, by attaching wooden posts to the sides.

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  8. Tech

    Soaking up oil spills — with cotton

    Natural, low-grade cotton could help clean up oil spills better than synthetic materials, a new study finds. And unlike synthetics, cotton breaks down naturally.

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  9. Tech

    Plants ‘listen’ for danger

    Scientists used lasers to show that plants can “hear” insect pests. Those leafy plants then mount a chemical attack in response to the bug’s chewing sounds — but not toward harmless noises such as a gentle breeze or a bug’s mating call.

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  10. Tech

    Invisible plastic ‘ink’ foils counterfeiters

    Hidden images make a new label virtually counterfeit-proof, thanks to a combination of chemistry and nanotechnology.

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  11. Tech

    Fashioning inks to ‘print’ tissues

    3-D printing may one day create life-saving tissues and organs for transplants. But first researchers are learning how to tailor cell-filled “inks” for use in inkjet printers.

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  12. Tech

    Biometrics: New IDs that are uniquely you

    Fingerprints are so last century. Computers soon may start identifying people by their eyebrows, heartbeats or even networks of blood vessels under the skin.

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