China builds ‘artificial moon’ for gravity experiment

Chinese scientists have built an “artificial moon” research facility that will enable them to simulate low-gravity environments using magnetism.  The facility, slated for official launch this year, will use powerful magnetic fields inside a 2-foot-diameter (60 centimeters) vacuum chamber to make gravity “disappear.” The scientists were inspired by an earlier experiment that used magnets to … Read more

This gleaming experiment may solve the cosmic mystery of antimatter

By Gege Li Two views of LEGEND’s scintillation light detector fibre modules (above and below) with light-capturing fibres (green), part of the equipment needed to try to spot antineutrinos annihilating each other Enrico Sacchetti Photographer Enrico Sacchetti THESE gleaming images, taken by photographer Enrico Sacchetti, show key components of an experiment that could finally shed … Read more

Scientists Taught a Goldfish How to Drive Its Tank Around, And It’s Adorable

Goldfish may have short memories but, according to an Israeli university study, they might be able to drive. Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev found that a goldfish’s innate navigational abilities allowed it to steer a robotic vehicle towards a terrestrial target if given a food reward.   To conduct their unusual experiment, the … Read more

Why Discovering ‘Nothing’ in Science Can Be So Incredibly Important

In science, as in life, we all like to celebrate the big news. We confirmed the existence of black holes by the ripples they create in space time. We photographed the shadow of a black hole. We figured out how to edit DNA. We found the Higgs boson!   What we don’t usually hear about is … Read more

We Learned the Wrong Lessons from the Tuskegee ‘Experiment’

Editor’s Note (12/21/21): This article is being showcased in a special collection about equity in health care that was made possible by the support of Takeda Pharmaceuticals. The article was published independently and without sponsorship. Rarely a day goes by without national news stories about vaccine hesitancy: how many people say they definitely will or … Read more

DeepMind experiment shows AI must grow smarter, not just bigger

The dominant approach to building more advanced artificial intelligences is simply to scale up their computing power, but AI firm DeepMind says we are reaching a point of diminishing returns Technology 8 December 2021 By Matthew Sparkes Training large artificial intelligences requires a lot of computing power sefa ozel/Getty Images DeepMind says that teaching machines … Read more

‘Twilight Zone’ Sleep Hack Really Can Spark Creative Thinking, Scientists Say

A sleep technique described by surrealist artist Salvador Dalí and famous inventor Thomas Edison might actually work to inspire creativity, researchers have found. To get the creativity boost, you essentially need to wake up just as a certain sleep stage sets in, where reality seems to blend into fantasy.   To use the technique, visionaries … Read more