Bacteria-Filled Bricks Build Themselves
The microorganisms transform sand and gelatin into a living construction material
Stories by Sophie Bushwick
A Drone’s-Eye View of the Quick and the Dead
New machine-learning technique can distinguish living bodies from deceased ones
How Iran Can Still Use Cyber and Drone Technology to Attack the U.S.
Cyberattacks and missile launches have already happened
New Particle Accelerator Fits on a Silicon Chip
The device uses lasers to accelerate electrons along an etched channel
How NIST Tested Facial Recognition Algorithms for Racial Bias
Some algorithms were up to 100 times better at identifying white faces
New Technique Welds Ceramics with Lasers
The process could lead to the creation of tougher, more biocompatible electronic devices
New Virtual Reality Interface Enables "Touch" Across Long Distances
Lightweight, flexible patch conveys a tactile sensation directly to the skin
Hearing Is Seeing: Sound Waves Create a 3-D Display
An interactive system produces levitating images by projecting color onto a tiny bead as it zips around a darkened box
This Video Watches You Back
Stealing Ur Feelings sounds an alarm about how companies could use emotion-recognition technology
New Encryption System Protects Data from Quantum Computers
As quantum computing creeps closer, IBM successfully demonstrates a way to secure sensitive information
A Computer Tells Real Smiles from Phonies
Slight changes around the eyes are indeed a giveaway as to whether a smile is sincere or faked.
“Anonymous” Data Won’t Protect Your Identity
A new study demonstrates it is surprisingly easy to ID an individual within a supposedly incognito data set
New Sensor Could Detect Electrical Failures in Ships or Buildings
A monitoring device could measure overall power consumption and identify critical malfunctions
Watch a Raging Forest Fire Surround You in 360 Degrees
Nightmarish spherical videos, shot from the center of an inferno, demonstrate how they spread
Smartphone App Screens Kids for Ear Problems
Parents can use a digital tool at home to detect fluid behind the eardrum
How France Can Rebuild Notre Dame
An expert offers a scientific perspective on what has been lost and what can be restored
The Pitfalls of Data’s Gender Gap
Without female data, everything from safety gear to urban design to Siri is biased toward men. The effects range from inconvenient to deadly
Rising High: GM Yeast Generates Known and Novel Marijuana Compounds
Engineered microorganisms churn out THC, CBD and rarer, less-understood cannabis cousins
What Makes Them Go Boom? Our Favorite Explainers on the Science of Fireworks
Staring up as cascades of colorful light bloom noisily from the dark sky—that's how many Americans will conclude their Independence Day. Behind the pretty image, however, fireworks rely on basic physical and chemical principles...
