“Artificial Intelligence” is currently the hottest buzzword in tech. And with good reason - after decades of research and development, the last few years have seen a number of techniques that have previously been the preserve of science fiction slowly transform into science fact. Already AI techniques are a deep part of our lives: [...]
The 21st century has ushered in a new age where all aspects of our lives are impacted by technology. How will humanity anticipate, mitigate, and manage the consequences of AI, robots, quantum computing and more? How do we ensure tech works for the good of all? This Ashoka series sheds light on the wisdom [...]
How do you know a cell has a fever? Take its temperature. That's now possible thanks to research by Rice University scientists who used the light-emitting properties of particular molecules to create a fluorescent nano-thermometer. The Rice lab of chemist Angel Martí revealed the technique in a Journal of Physical Chemistry Bpaper ("Sensing Temperature in [...]
Babylon, a UK start-up, plans to "put an accessible and affordable health service in the hands of every person on earth" by putting artificial intelligence (AI) tools to work. Currently, the company has operations in the UK and Rwanda and hopes to expand to the Middle East, the United States, and China. [...]
If you’ve ever tried to swat a fly, you know that insects react to movement extremely quickly. A newly created biologically inspired compound eye is helping scientists understand how insects use their compound eyes to sense an object and its trajectory with such speed. The compound eye could also be used with a camera [...]
A tiny bristle worm, wriggling around the ocean, can extend its jaw outside its mouth to ensnare its prey. The worm’s shape-shifting jaw, stiff at the base and flexible at the end, is made of one singular material containing the mineral zinc and the amino acid histidine, which together govern the joint’s mechanical behavior [...]
A team of researchers led by the University of South Australia has discovered a way to find and beat superbugs, providing a critical breakthrough against many deadly infectious diseases. Researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence in Bio-Nano Science and Technology (CBNS), including the University of South Australia, have developed a nanomedicine capable of [...]
What if you didn’t need surgery to implant a pacemaker on a faulty heart? What if you could control your blood sugar levels without an injection of insulin, or mitigate the onset of a seizure without even pushing a button? I and a team of scientists in my laboratory at the Salk Institute are [...]
Guided by artificial intelligence and powered by a robotic platform, a system developed by MIT researchers moves a step closer to automating the production of small molecules that could be used in medicine, solar energy, and polymer chemistry. The system, described in the August 8 issue of Science, could free up bench chemists from a [...]
Thin, flexible fibers made of carbon nanotubes have now proven able to bridge damaged heart tissues and deliver the electrical signals needed to keep those hearts beating. Scientists at Texas Heart Institute (THI) report they have used biocompatible fibers invented at Rice University in studies that showed sewing them directly into damaged tissue can restore electrical [...]
