The Walker S2 humanoid robot, which can change its own battery when it's running low on power, could potentially be left to run on its own forever. ... Read full Story
Quantum teleportation is a fascinating process that involves transferring a particle's quantum state to another distant location, without moving or detecting the particle itself. This process could be central to the realization of a so-called "quantum internet," a version of the internet that enables the safe and instant transmission of quantum information between devices within the same network. ... Read full Story
Professional cycling teams can reduce air drag for their protected rider by up to 76% by adopting specific formations different from the traditional single paceline, according to new research from Heriot-Watt University in partnership with the simulation software company, Ansys, part of Synopsys. ... Read full Story
Radioactive decay is a fundamental process in nature by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. Studying nuclear decay modes is crucial for understanding properties of atomic nuclei. In particular, exotic decay modes like proton emission provide essential spectroscopic tools for probing the structure of nuclei far from the valley of stability—the region containing stable nuclei on the nuclear chart. ... Read full Story
The Langlands program has inspired and befuddled mathematicians for more than 50 years. A major advance has now opened up new worlds for them to explore ... Read full Story
A new executive order repeals a 52-year-old ban on commercial supersonic flights, while new technology can make supersonic flight quieter than ever before. ... Read full Story
A study of prehistoric skeletons from the Italian Alps shows that society may have been organized around fathers and that Ötzi the Iceman had a unique family lineage. ... Read full Story
When two fluids don't mix well, they sometimes form strange patterns called "viscous fingering," or Saffman-Taylor instability. Studying these patterns can help scientists understand how to design systems for carbon storage, a key part of managing climate change. ... Read full Story
A vast network of inverted channels, formed of sediment laid by ancient rivers, implies Mars was once a much rainier place than we thought. ... Read full Story
Half a dozen fragments of the moon may briefly orbit Earth at any given time, before moving on to circle the sun, new research suggests. ... Read full Story
A report published in June found that the world only has three years before it crosses the 1.5 C climate target. So what should we do now? ... Read full Story
"The film was billed to me as an attempt to capture the real power and bumbling hubris of a bunch of arrogant and wealthy men ... who try to rewire the world and find themselves in way over their heads." — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 30 May 2025
Did you know?
English picked up both the concept of hubris and the term for that particular brand of cockiness from the ancient Greeks, who considered hubris a dangerous character flaw capable of provoking the wrath of the gods. In classical Greek tragedy, hubris was often a fatal shortcoming that brought about the fall of the tragic hero. Typically, overconfidence led the hero to attempt to overstep the boundaries of human limitations and assume a godlike status; in response, the gods inevitably humbled the offender with a sharp reminder of human mortality. Take, for example, the story of Phaethon, a mortal son of the sun god Helios. In his hubris, Phaethon drives his father's sun chariot into the heavens but loses control of its horses. The chariot begins to scorch the earth, and Zeus strikes Phaethon down with a thunderbolt.