People who were touched by a humanoid robot while conversing with it reported an improved emotional state and were more likely to comply with the robot, a small study indicates. In response to the robot's touch, most participants smiled and laughed. None pulled away. Those who were touched were more likely than those not touched to go along with the robot urging that they show interest in a particular academic course discussed, reports Tech...
Researchers have a new understanding about the migration of loggerhead sea turtles, thanks to satellite tagging and the largest dataset of its kind, CBC Radio reports. North Pacific loggerhead sea turtles breed on the beaches of Japan. Once they hatch, the turtles disappear into the ocean for decades before returning to breed. Some scientists referred to this as their "lost years". "For a long time we've known that the loggerhead sea turtles are on both sides of the...
NASA's Parker Solar Probe smashed two space records, and its journey is just beginning, reports CNET. Using Venus as a slingshot, the spacecraft on April 29 travelled at a speed at which one could circle the Earth 13 times in one hour. Parker established two records: fastest human-made object: 532,000 km/h; and closest spacecraft to the sun – 10.4 million km. The spacecraft is revealing some of the sun's great mysteries. In December 2019, Parker's first batch of...
SpaceX's Crew-1 capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico carrying four astronauts early today, CNET reports. The Crew-1 landed just before 3 a.m. ET. It was the second time humans have returned to Earth on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. "We welcome you back to planet Earth and thanks for flying SpaceX," SpaceX's Mission Control radioed moments after splashdown. "For those of you enrolled in our frequent flyer program, you've earned 68 million...
Immunobiologists in China have designed a synthetic T-cell receptor for anticancer therapy, engineering the protein with great endurance in its mission to destroy solid tumours, reports Medical Xpress. The research has been conducted in animal models only, but it is a step toward a new form of therapy for solid tumours. The current treatment is composed of specially endowed cells that are engineered to destroy cancers of the blood. The emerging form promises the same action –...
NASA has told Elon Musk’s SpaceX to halt work under a contract it won to develop a lunar spacecraft, pending the outcome of challenges by rival bidders at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, Reuters reports. Last month, NASA awarded SpaceX the moon contract over billionaire Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin and defence contractor Dynetics. The project calls for humans to be back on the moon for the first time since 1972.
https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/science/nasa-tells-spacex-halt-lunar-lander-work-pending-challenges-by-rivals-2021-04-30/
New observations from Earth are lifting the veil on some of Venus's basic properties, reports phys.org. By repeatedly bouncing radar off the planet's surface over the last 15 years, a UCLA-led team has pinned down the length of a day on Venus, the tilt of its axis, and the size of its core. The findings are published today in the journal Nature Astronomy. The new radar measurements show that an average day on Venus lasts 243.0226...
Americans who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can safely do many outdoor activities without wearing a mask, according to updated guidance Tuesday from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "There are many situations where fully vaccinated people do not need to wear a mask, particularly if they are outdoors," said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. "If you are fully vaccinated and want to attend a small outdoor gathering with people who are...
Researchers at the University of California Berkeley have created a quadrupedal robot with a leash that could take on the role of a guide dog, Tech Xplore reports. "A well-behaved guide dog usually needs to be selected and trained individually," said Zhongyu Li, a researcher at UC Berkeley's Hybrid Robotics Group. "In addition, the skills from one dog cannot be transferred to another one. This makes training guide dogs both time consuming and labour...
Tesla executives on Monday claimed a driver was behind the wheel at the time of a crash that killed two in Texas this month, the Washington Post reports. That claim contradicts local authorities who have said they were certain no one was in that seat. Lars Moravy, Tesla’s vice president of vehicle engineering, said the steering wheel was “deformed,” indicating a driver’s presence at the time of the crash. Mark Herman, constable for Harris...
