In the past few years, artificial intelligence models of language have become very good at certain tasks. Most notably, they excel at predicting the next word in a string of text; this technology helps search engines and texting apps predict the next word you are going to type. The most recent generation of predictive language […]

As an organism grows, the feel of it changes too. In the initial stages, an embryo takes on an almost fluid-like state that allows its cells to divide and expand. As it matures, its tissues and organs firm up into their final form. In certain species, this physical state of an organism can be an […]

As Europe’s wind turbines grow in size with individual blades soon longer than a professional football pitch, the biggest challenge will be delivering more power with less wear. Europe is full of wind – and making good use of it. Wind energy is set to make the largest contribution to EU renewable energy targets. This […]

The oceans have not always looked the same as they do today. Their shape and size keep changing over the course of geological time. There are even places on Earth where they are still in the making. This raises the question of where and how oceans form. The Earth sciences help to shed light on […]

Cells are the basic building blocks of life. In every human body, trillions of them work together to perform the everyday functions necessary to survive. Despite how important and abundant they are, we know surprisingly little about how their inner functions work. This is for a very simple reason: they are too small to collect […]

Aidan Leitch loves to make stuff. A junior studying mechanical engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Leitch spends his free time on projects ranging from weaving fuzzy rugs designed on MATLAB to 3D-printing balls optimized for maximum bouncing. Recently, Leitch developed a process to turn paper and cardboard into a wood-like material that […]

A dosing error made during an AstraZeneca-University of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine trial has led to a new dosage finding in mice, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study. During the AstraZeneca-Oxford trial, some human participants erroneously received a half dose of their first shot, followed by a full dose for their second shot. Paradoxically, the trial showed that volunteers […]

For decades the auto industry crash tested new models for safety considerations the old-fashioned way: They crashed them – over and over and over again. It was slow and expensive, but it worked. Today those tests have given way to computer simulations that are so reliable that rarely, if ever, are engineers surprised by the […]

Most of us control light all the time without even thinking about it, usually in mundane ways: we don a pair of sunglasses and put on sunscreen, and close—or open—our window blinds. But the control of light can also come in high-tech forms. The screen of the computer, tablet, or phone on which you are […]

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is re-evaluating recommendations on the use of aspirin to prevent colorectal cancer. According to media reports and a review by the agency — charged since 1984 with issuing guidelines on steps that might prevent disease — recent studies have clouded evidence of aspirin’s anticancer benefits. The Gazette spoke with Andrew Chan, director […]