odd look at news on the web
700,000-year-old poop tells rich story of a lost Ice Age world
14 June 2026 @ 6:07 am
One 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
Robots 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
NASA 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
Jemima 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 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: High-end micro-LED TV has Bugatti style... and a hypercar price tag
13 June 2026 @ 12:33 pm
Imagine settling down with a takeout on your lap to watch the latest Love Island on a TV that costs more than your house. But then, if you can afford the latest C Seed TV (produced in collaboration with none other than Bugatti), your house is likely to be worth a great deal more than mine.Continue ReadingCategory: Home Entertainment, Kawasaki brings back the Ninja 300 to the USA after nearly 10 years
13 June 2026 @ 9:03 am
It seems small-bore motorcycles are finally being given a fair shot in the USA. Kawasaki is the latest bikemaker to introduce, or rather reintroduce, an entry-level sports bike to its Stateside lineup. The Ninja 300 makes a comeback nearly a decade after it was discontinued.Continue ReadingCategory: Motorcycles, TransportTags: Kawasaki, Largest-ever osteoarthritis study finds single biological driver of the disease
13 June 2026 @ 5:04 am
Traditionally thought to be the result of a suite of issues, the world's most common type of arthritis – osteoarthritis (OA) – actually has a single core driver. These findings, in the largest study of patients with knee OA, has the potential to make drug trials and treatment more targeted and effective.Continue ReadingCategory: Chronic Pain, Illnesses and conditions, Soft robots get a tiny soft pump to move their bodies
13 June 2026 @ 3:03 am
Soft robots have a “cardiovascular” problem. While their bodies can deform and bend, their hearts, the pumps that keep them moving, have remained bulky and rigid. Researchers at the University of Bristol have created a “soft” miniature pump that weighs about as much as a single dried pumpkin seed, but can generate enough hydraulic pressure to power soft robotic systems without bulky compressors or rigid mechanical pumps.Continue ReadingCategory: Airstream's cheapest camper van goes full chameleon with flex layout
13 June 2026 @ 1:03 am
When Airstream launched the Rangeline as its most affordable camper van in 2022, it laid it out in standard European style with a rear fold-away bed and front dinette – safe, proven and comfortable territory. With the all-new 21PL, it moves into a more experimental space, designing a floor plan that's every bit as capable and comfortable for four people as it is for two, all without any need for a pop-up roof.Continue ReadingCategory: