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Stolen French fries really do taste better, study finds

15 June 2026 @ 12:08 am

seagull stealing a french fryWhat if the best-tasting morsel isn’t on your plate, but the one you steal? New research suggests “forbidden food” really may taste better.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, ScienceTags: Psychology, Food, Hunger,

Domesticating AI – It's not coming, it's already here

14 June 2026 @ 11:43 pm

AI is becoming surprisingly useful and accessible in the average homeWhen my neighbor wanted a vision of what his fence could look like, I didn't hesitate to ask ChatGPT to create a mock-up. I took a photo of the fence and asked it to overlay a potted Jasmin espaliered to it, after a couple of tweaks, and all of about one minute later, it gave me this:Continue ReadingCategory: AI and Humanoids, TechnologyTags:

"Double-bubble" hybrid airliner concept uses electric fans to cut drag

14 June 2026 @ 10:03 pm

The Electra conceptElectra has provided a glimpse of the airliner of 2050 with its hybrid aircraft concept capable of carrying more than 100 passengers while using electrification, advanced aerodynamics, and integrated airframe-propulsion design to improve efficiency and reduce emissions.Continue ReadingCategory: Aircraft, TransportTags: Aircraft,

Pro-grade record cutter lets musos make their own master discs

14 June 2026 @ 1:03 pm

A few years ago, Teenage Engineering partnered with designer Yuri Suzuki for a cute lo-fi vinyl cutter. Now the Swedes are going pro with the limited-edition APC-2, a full-sized record cutter for churning out high-quality playback discs.Continue ReadingCategory: Music, Consumer Tech, TechnologyTags: Vinyl,

Unpowered speaker cover focuses sound into one select spot

14 June 2026 @ 11:03 am

The 3D-printed speaker cover can tightly focus sound waves into a tiny point in space, like a magnifying glass focusing a beam of lightIf you enter a room to see someone dancing their heart out in silence, no headphones in sight, don't be alarmed. They may be jamming to music via a new 3D-printed speaker cover that can focus sound across a room to a focal point just above an inch.Continue ReadingCategory: EngineeringTags:

700,000-year-old poop tells rich story of a lost Ice Age world

14 June 2026 @ 6:07 am

We now know what company these Arctic ground squirrels kept thousands of years agoOne of the world's oldest turds has been given the royal science treatment, with ancient Arctic ground squirrel droppings offering a smorgasbord of DNA from other animals and plants dating back up to 700,000 years.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, ScienceTags: McMaster University,

Octopus-like robo-arm thinks with its suckers to explore the ocean floor

14 June 2026 @ 4:03 am

The robotic tentacle during underwater lab trials at the Italian Institute of TechnologyRobots exploring the ocean floor today use pre-programmed movements, centralized processors, and rigid structures to do their work. But the sea is unpredictable, and that architecture struggles wherever currents shift, visibility drops, or terrain changes without warning. Now, researchers at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) have taken a very different approach to sidestep all of that – one 500 million years in the making.Continue ReadingCategory:

Pegasus: The next-gen lunar rover that will leave Apollo buggy in its dust

14 June 2026 @ 3:03 am

Pegasus will be drivable from Earth via teleoperationNASA is racing to build a permanent settlement near the lunar south pole. The space agency claims its Moon base will cover “hundreds of square miles,” meaning mobility will be key. Enter Pegasus, one of two Lunar Terrain Vehicles (LTVs) chosen by NASA to fly to the Moon with the first Artemis astronauts.Continue ReadingCategory: Space Systems, EngineeringTags:

ADHD and autism is dominating mental health talk online

13 June 2026 @ 10:44 pm

A few conditions now dominate online mental health forumsJemima Kang, Nick Haslam and Mike Conway/The University of Melbourne/The ConversationContinue ReadingCategory: ADHD & Autism, Brain Health, Body and MindTags: University of Melbourne,

SYM's latest maxi scooter will make you reconsider touring motorcycles

13 June 2026 @ 5:03 pm

The TTLBT has the ability to go toe-to-toe with sub-500cc touring motosThe last time I talked about SYM (Sanyang Motorcycle) was when I covered the Cruisym 400 scooter. Terrific value for a capable maxi scooter in a sea full of full-sized scooters. It just so happens that we’ve got another one of SYM’s scoots that’ll make you question whether getting a motorcycle is even worth it anymore.Continue ReadingCategory: Motorcycles, TransportTags: