When picturing the future of sustainability, renewable energy often comes to mind. However, solar panels may not be all that sustainable — especially when they eventually die. Solar panels are the face of the green energy movement. They accounted for 54% of new electricity added to the United States electrical grid in 2023. But what […]
The truth behind the end of a solar panel’s life Read More »
For centuries, humanity has used windmills to convert wind energy into usable electricity. As the modern world faces an unprecedented climate crisis, scientists and engineers have endeavored to make windmills more efficient, and most windmills are now tall structures with massive spinning blades. Although this design structure allows for an abundance of sustainably produced energy,
Swords in the sky: The effect of windmills on winged species Read More »
At the crossroads of order and chaos, humanity has consistently sought paths leading to discovery and invention, creating equilibrium amidst perpetual disorder. Calm, in this context, embodies the rules governing human civilization—a structured order that harmonizes existence and guides our collective journey toward desired outcomes. Take Mesopotamia for instance, the earliest urban and literate civilization
Calm, chaos, and the technological singularity Read More »
Previously unimaginable galaxies billions of miles away are now at our fingertips thanks to modeling powered by artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the ability of a machine to learn from experience and carry out functions similar to the human mind. AI works by recognizing patterns from large data sets and making decisions similar to
Artificial intelligence in the world of modern science Read More »
When most people hear the name Hubble, they likely think of the groundbreaking telescope that captured unique planets, blazing stars, and clusters of light in its stunning photographs. It is less likely, however, that they think of the famous telescope’s namesake — Edwin Hubble, the astronomer who discovered the expanding universe. Until the 1920s, astronomers
Infinitely larger: How Edwin Hubble proved our galaxy is not alone Read More »
A simple dog walk is an odyssey of olfactory exploration. As they venture outdoors, dogs eagerly dart around to investigate various scents — poop, carcasses, and fire hydrants are like neon beacons to them. While humans have a decent sense of smell, dogs reign supreme in the olfactory realm. This difference is rooted in biology.
The dog days of AI: Unraveling the secrets of canine scent Read More »
DNA: the fundamental building block of all life. Nearly every student learns about the master of genetic information as early as elementary school. DNA is the carrier of this important code within all living organisms. However, it isn’t just what DNA encodes for that is important, but also its very design. The structure of DNA
Strength from unlikely places: How glass and DNA form a material stronger than steel Read More »
Taking notes in class. Signing a lease. Making a grocery list. All of these activities used to require a very important tool: our very own handwriting. Nowadays, we tend to rapidly jot down notes during class on our laptops or use autofill to put signatures on important documents. Because the faster we get these things
Nothing beats good old pen & paper Read More »
With the staggering advances of AI and brain-computer ventures like Neuralink, an “organo-technological” cyborg-like future seems to be on the not-so-distant horizon. However, some researchers are pioneering the reverse: brain powered computers. The burgeoning field of organoid intelligence posits future computer systems to run on networks of human brain cells. Organoids are stem-cell derived 3D
Hello computer: Brain powered biocomputers Read More »