Science

As pet robots go, we can't exactly say this one is the cutest or cuddliest. In fact, we can't even say what it looks like at all, except for maybe a giant shark tooth.

But to hear the Taiwanese Industrial Technology Research Institute tell it, this is actually a robotic fish with the unlikely name of "POPO," according to I4U News. POPO can reportedly swim on its own for 24 hours on its rechargeable batteries without bumping into things because of its ultrasound system.

That's all well and good, but we think they could have … Read more

Carbon nanotubes are stronger and lighter than steel. You're not. But you and nanotubes have something else in common, according to researchers at Rice Unviersity. You and the little guys are self-healing. Carbon nanotubes can regrow their own molecular skin. Now that you may be intrigued, check out CNET News.com's special report on nanotubes.

You may like being similar to a nanotube, but a rat? English research shows rats' whiskers are similar to your fingertips. Whisker sensing makes rat sense.

And at U.C. Berkeley they use organic molecules and metal nanoparticles to create heat. So what? … Read more

The island city-state of Singapore announced a contest to build a Terminator-style robot, able to operate in urban warfare environments independent of direct human control. That's right; no joystick.

Individuals, companies, universities and research institutes are invited to compete in what the country's Defense Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) calls the TechX Challenge. The autonomous robot DSTA has in mind would be an all-weather unit, able to negotiate stairs, use an elevator and generally move and shoot in a search-and-destroy mode without the aid of satellite navigation, just like a human soldier.

"Operation in urban areas represents … Read more

The U.S. government wants to build and deploy a huge stratospheric airship, three times the size of the Goodyear blimp, that is capable of spying on an entire city.

The idea is that the blimp, dubbed the "Integrated Sensor is Structure" (ISIS), would hover above the jet stream at 70,000 feet and use its giant, flexible radar antennae to acquire a "dynamic, detailed, real-time picture of all movement on or above the battlefield: friendly, neutral or enemy." And we thought surveillance satellites were sitting ducks.

One of the challenges has been to come up … Read more

Surfing in shark-infested waters isn't exactly our idea of fun, but we feel obligated to mention this item for all the California Cravers out there. Australia-based Shark Shield (gotta love that name) has released the board-mounted "Surf," which it describes as "the first electronic shark-deterrent system specifically designed for surfers."

Creating a "shark-safe zone" that's about 26 feet in diameter, the system supposedly generates an electrical field that the offending shark senses through receptors in its snout. (We're not making this up.) The fish then goes into "muscular spasms" … Read more

As far as complicated computer apparatuses are concerned, we weren't so sure about the "Ergopod 500," especially for those who live anywhere near earthquake country. But Russian-based Gravitonus seems to have done it right, with a new gaming system for the physically disabled that appears a lot more secure.

The "Alternative Computer Control System" shown on Medgadget looks like a cross between a piece of ultra-modern Danish furniture and something you'd find in Dr. Evil's underground control center. Despite the aesthetic qualities, it's an engineering marvel that incorporates features even quadriplegics can … Read more

Julio Mercader, an archaeologist at the University of Calgary, has unearthed stone hammers that he says chimps used 4,300 years ago to crack nuts.

If the findings hold up, it's another example in widening body of work that shows that other primates developed tools.

The hammers were discovered in the Tai rainforest in modern-day Ivory Coast. The tools, according to Mercader, show distinctive signs of wear and are thus not likely the product of natural forces.

The tools, however, wouldn't be the kind humans would make. The cantaloupe-size stones are too large to be wielded by a … Read more

There are several free events at the American Association for Advancement of Science conference in San Francisco this week. Here's a list of free events at AAAS.

Meanwhile, there's hot news out of snowbound Troy, N.Y. Renssalaer researchers say they've found a way to make instant drinking water. They convert salt water using nanotube membranes

. At Purdue, they're building quieter cows. Their goal is to breed noncompetitive animals. And if it works for livestock, let's move down the food chain to politicians and warlords.

How hot was it in 2006? NASA's data shows … Read more

Archaeologists said Monday that they won't split up the remains of a couple found with their arms wrapped around each other for as long as 6,000 years since their burial in Italy.

The scientists said they plan to remove and preserve the skeletons together in the surrounding earth, as opposed to removing their bones one by one for reassembly, according to a Reuters article. That way, the archaeologists can study their ancient remains and ultimately exhibit them in an Italian museum. It will be a record of the longest known hug, the scientists said.

"We want to … Read more