odd look at news on the web
Startup's squeezable solid could upend cooling and refrigeration
5 May 2026 @ 12:13 pm
A startup founded by a material physicist has been working for the past seven years to change the way we cool our food and interior spaces, and it's now taken a big step toward that goal.Continue ReadingCategory: Materials, EngineeringDopamine bends time in our brain, making novel moments memorable
5 May 2026 @ 7:02 am
You know the saying: Time flies when you’re having fun.Continue ReadingCategory: Learning & Memory, Brain Health, Body and MindTags: Dopamine, Brain, LOCUST laser weapon scores 100% kill rate in US Navy trials
5 May 2026 @ 6:03 am
Laser weapons reached a new milestone as the US Navy tested the AeroVironment (AV) LOCUST Laser Weapon System (LWS) aboard the nuclear aircraft carrier USS George H W Bush (CVN-77), notching up a 100% kill rate against multiple aerial drone threats.Continue ReadingCategory: Military, EngineeringTags: Motion-capture exoskeletons let violinists feel each others’ subtlest moves
4 May 2026 @ 4:00 pm
World-renowned science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke (2001: A Space Odyssey, Childhood’s End) once quipped that “Any teacher who can be replaced by a computer should be.” Some people think Clarke’s statement means we should replace all teachers.Continue ReadingCategory: Robotics, EngineeringTags: Three-bedroom tiny house makes space for comfortable family living
4 May 2026 @ 2:30 pm
Designing a tiny house for a couple is one thing, but creating a home on wheels for an entire family is another challenge entirely. The Soma addresses this with a remarkably spacious layout that packs in three bedrooms and a large open living area.Continue ReadingCategory: Tiny Houses, OutdoorsTags: US Army combines bunker-buster warhead with drone delivery
4 May 2026 @ 1:03 pm
One of the biggest hitters in the conventional arsenal merged with drone technology, as the US Army tested a bunker-buster warhead combined with an expendable Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for field testing at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama.Continue ReadingCategory: Military, EngineeringTags: US Army, AltoVolo gets a prototype of its spicy high-performance eVTOL in the air
4 May 2026 @ 12:13 pm
The last time we heard from the UK's AltoVolo, it only had renders of its grand vision for a sportscar equivalent of an eVTOL to show off. That was exactly a year ago – and it's now got a working prototype taking to the skies.Continue ReadingCategory: Aircraft, SAIL tech lets robots perform human-scale tasks far more quickly
4 May 2026 @ 11:03 am
Thanks to researchers at Georgia Tech, robots have taken several new steps towards replacing human labor – and not simply for dangerous tasks such as mining the depths of the Earth and exploring the Moon, or difficult tasks such as high-speed mass-assembly of thousands of cars.Continue ReadingCategory: Robotics, Watch: Sony's insane autonomous robot shows off 'superhuman' skills
4 May 2026 @ 12:03 am
Flying under the radar of robot hype, Sony AI's Ace has shown off its rapid-speed learning abilities that are seriously remarkable, displaying powerful split-second decision-making while taking on some of the best table tennis players – and winning.Continue ReadingCategory: Robotics, EngineeringTags: Wildly slim dual-burner capsule stove brings more power to base camp
3 May 2026 @ 11:04 pm
In 2021, Optimus debuted the Gemini stove, a sleek, uniquely shaped dual-burner stove that split the difference between backpacking and car camping gear. The brand immediately took home several prestigious awards for its design efforts, including an ISPO Award in Europe and an Outdoor Retailer Innovation Award in the US. Now it's doubling down on what makes the Gemini stove great, debuting a Gemini II that packs over a third more power per burner while still managing to drop a couple ounces.Continue ReadingCategory: