Race car roars into space. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk grabbed the world’s attention last week after launching his Tesla Roadster into space, which should continue to orbit through the solar system, perhaps slightly battered by micrometeorites, for tens of millions of years.
Tech help uncover hidden details in Picasso painting. Researchers used non-invasive portable imaging techniques, including infrared reflectance hyperspectral imaging adapted by the National Gallery of Art and then an X-ray fluorescence imaging instrument developed at Northwestern, to uncover details hidden beneath the visible surface of Pablo Picasso's painting "La Miséreuse accroupie" (The Crouching Woman). The buried images are connected to other works by Picasso -- including a watercolor recently sold at auction -- as well as the presence of a landscape likely by another Barcelona painter underneath "La Miséreuse accroupie."
Nanobots seek and destroy tumors. A team of researchers have successfully programmed nanorobots to shrink tumors by cutting off their blood supply, which is a first fully autonomous, DNA robotic system for a very precise drug design and targeted cancer therapy.
Disposable wearable sensor made with cheap tissue paper. Tearing tissue paper that's loaded with nanocomposites and breaking the paper's fibers acts as a sensor, which can detect a heartbeat, finger force, finger movement, and eyeball movement, among other parameters.
Lego and drones a perfect match? In February at Lego World Copenhagen, families could build interactive drones with Legos. The system allows children to arrange Lego elements into a shape of their choice and watch as a group of miniature drones takes flight to mimic the shape and color of their creation in mid-air. With the aid of tiny sensors and gyroscopes, the system also tracks when the children move, twist, and bend their designs. The drones faithfully replicate any shape alterations as an in-air animation.
