Here’s How Computer Models Simulate the Future Spread of New Coronavirus
They aim for clarity amid confusion surrounding the outbreak
Stories by Jeremy Hsu
Color-Changing Fibers Unravel a Knotty Mystery
Mathematicians are devising new techniques to better predict how to tie strong knots that are useful in climbing and sailing
AI Takes on Popular Minecraft Game in Machine-Learning Contest
The MineRL competition encourages coders to devise programs that learn by example
Kilometer-Long Space Tether Tests Fuel-Free Propulsion
The U.S. space mission aims to demonstrate technology that could someday help clean up space junk
Mini Gravitational-Wave Detector Could Probe Dark Matter
A miniature gravitational wave detector under development would measure higher-frequency waves than LIGO
An Innovative Robotic Exosuit Boosts both Walking and Running
The soft wearable could prove useful for military applications, emergencies and medical rehabilitation
Private Space Race Targets Greenhouse Gas Emitters
Cheaper, smaller satellites could help more precisely sniff out sources of methane
Humans Fold: AI Conquers Poker’s Final Milestone
A new program outperforms professionals in six-player games. Could business, political or military applications come next?
Don’t Panic about Rare Earth Elements
The materials used in iPhones and Tesla cars need not become a long-term casualty of a U.S.-China trade war
Can Robots Help Pick Up after the Recycling Crisis?
They will have to overcome the challenges of America’s convenient single-stream recycling system
Solar Power’s Benefits Don’t Shine Equally on Everyone
Racial and ethnic minorities have less access to solar power, regardless of income, highlighting the need for environmental justice
Out of the Way, Human! Delivery Robots Want a Share of Your Sidewalk
As automated delivery ramps up, cities must decide how to make the best use of public spaces
Drones Used to Find Toylike "Butterfly" Land Mines
Quadcopters with thermal imagery cameras can help detect vicious mini-mines that often kill or maim children
Experts Aren’t Taking a Shine to California’s Rooftop Solar Rule
Energy economists say the new home requirement is inefficient and benefits wealthier people; supporters say it’s just one piece of the puzzle
Is the U.S. Lagging in the Quest for Quantum Computing?
U.S. government funding is needed to sustain the arduous journey toward a practical quantum computer, experts say
Why Are There So Few Autism Specialists?
Lack of interest, training and pay may limit the supply
Asteroid Sample-Return Spacecraft Are Approaching Their Targets
Japanese and U.S. missions could yield new discoveries about the origins of life on Earth
Japan's Hayabusa 2 Spacecraft Nears Its Target, the Asteroid Ryugu
The mission is one of two currently seeking to retrieve samples from asteroids; the other is the U.S. spacecraft OSIRIS-REx
Stellar Effort: Chart of the Milky Way Includes More Than 1 Billion Stars
The second data set from Europe’s Gaia mission could provide clues to the galaxy’s past and future
The Hard Truth about the Rhino Horn “Aphrodisiac” Market
Media coverage hyping the supposed use of rhino horn to pump up sex drive does no favors for conservation efforts
