Scientists who study human-robot interaction often focus on understanding human intentions from a robot’s perspective, so the robot learns to cooperate with people more effectively. But human-robot interaction is a two-way street, and the human also needs to learn how the robot behaves. Thanks to decades of cognitive science and educational psychology research, scientists have […]

Scientists from the Ryan Institute in NUI Galway have published the first record of a Noble False Widow spider feeding on a protected species of Pipistrelle bats in the UK. The new study, published today in the international journal Ecosphere, demonstrates that False Widow spiders continue to impact native species. It is the first time a member […]

Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, can create custom parts for electromagnetic devices on-demand and at a low cost. These devices are highly sensitive, and each component requires precise fabrication. Until recently, though, the only way to diagnose printing errors was to make, measure and test a device or to use in-line simulation, both of which […]

Exercise may help certain patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) reduce their risk of developing blood clots, according to a new study by Penn State College of Medicine researchers. While diet and physical activity have always been recommended treatments for these patients, the researchers said their results confirm that exercise has a multitude of benefits, including […]

University of Wisconsin–Madison engineers have created a nanofiber material that outperforms its widely used counterparts — including steel plates and Kevlar fabric — in protecting against high-speed projectile impacts. Basically, it’s better than bulletproof. “Our nanofiber mats exhibit protective properties that far surpass other material systems at much lighter weight,” says Ramathasan Thevamaran, a UW–Madison […]

‘Obviously, you don’t want nuclear reactors in the middle of a war. But here we are,’ says nuclear waste expert Cheryl Rofer on the situation in Ukraine. While reports of spiking radiation levels around the decommissioned Chernobyl power plant and missiles hitting two radioactive waste disposal sites don’t seem to be of immediate concern, they […]

Researchers have developed an efficient concept to turn carbon dioxide into clean, sustainable fuels, without any unwanted by-products or waste. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, have previously shown that biological catalysts, or enzymes, can produce fuels cleanly using renewable energy sources, but at low efficiency. Their latest research has improved fuel production efficiency […]

Climate change has done more damage than expected, but options still exist for moving forward, explains the CNRS biologist Camille Parmesan, who helped draft the “Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability” report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II, released this week. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a UN body with […]

Scientists from two independent research teams have discovered how the mislocalization of a protein, known as TDP-43, alters the genetic instructions for UNC13A, providing a possible therapeutic target that could also have implications in treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and other forms of dementia. ALS and FTD are two neurodegenerative disorders in […]

A new paper co-written by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expert who studies the intersection of labor unions and politics found that political parties whose manifestos contained a greater percentages of pro-worker ideas were more appealing to voters. The study, spanning 54 countries and more than 1,100 political parties, uncovered predictors of industrial relations ideas […]