New Scientist – Robots - Latest News and Information
Technology Pulse
EMAIL DIGESTS
Daily
Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
EMAIL DIGESTS
Daily
Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
Barcelona‑based Qilimanjaro has unveiled EduQit, a DIY quantum‑computer kit that bundles a superconducting qubit chip, a dilution refrigerator, and the necessary microwave control electronics in a flat‑pack format. The company markets the system as a relatively affordable entry point for institutions and skilled engineers willing to assemble the hardware themselves. By providing all components—including power racks and cabling—in a single package, Qilimanjaro aims to lower the barrier to hands‑on quantum experimentation. The kit arrives as the quantum ecosystem seeks broader participation beyond large research labs.
On 21 March 2026 CERN performed the world’s first road transport of antiprotons, moving roughly a hundred particles in a compact, vacuum‑sealed trap aboard a truck. The demonstration used the BASE‑STEP transportable trap system, a filing‑cabinet‑sized container that weighs slightly less than...
Researchers at Nectome have successfully cryopreserved an entire pig brain, locking cellular activity with minimal damage. The method uses rapid vitrification to prevent ice formation, preserving neural architecture and synaptic connections. Nectome now plans to offer the service to terminally...
Katrina Manson’s new book, *Project Maven*, chronicles the U.S. military’s decade‑long push to embed artificial intelligence in drone surveillance, beginning with the 2017 initiative that automated video analysis. Drawing on more than 200 interviews, the work reveals a hidden ecosystem...
Sleeping with a partner leads to significantly more nighttime awakenings, with research showing up to six disturbances per night compared to sleeping alone. While many couples subjectively feel they sleep better together, objective measurements reveal increased sleep fragmentation. The study...
Astronomers have confirmed that interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS carries water and carbon compounds with a deuterium abundance at least ten times higher than any comet observed in our solar system. The comet also shows unusually high carbon‑dioxide levels and is estimated...
The article introduces the "pluriverse" concept, arguing that reality emerges from interlocking subjective perspectives rather than an objective, detached view. It claims this relational framework can dissolve longstanding quantum paradoxes by placing observers at the core of the cosmos. The...
Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft retrieved Ryugu asteroid samples in 2020 after impacting the surface in 2018. Laboratory analysis has now identified all five nucleobase precursors needed for DNA and RNA within the debris. The discovery strengthens the hypothesis that asteroids delivered...
Over the past three years, global temperatures have risen faster than most climate models predicted, confirming a consensus that warming is accelerating. Some researchers argue the surge reflects systematic model underestimation, while others attribute it to short‑term natural variability that...
The article highlights that artificial‑intelligence systems are overwhelmingly created by men, leading to gender‑bias in products such as transcription tools that misrecognize women’s names. It draws on observations from the Royal Society’s Women and the Future of Science conference, where...
A new ancient‑DNA study of Gothic burial sites reveals that the Goths were a genetically heterogeneous population, drawing ancestry from Scandinavia, the Near East and North Africa. The findings overturn the long‑held view that the Goths originated solely as a...
A new analysis of Australopithecus pelvis fossils reveals that these early hominins experienced birth forces comparable to modern humans, exposing mothers to significant perineal stress and potential tearing. Researchers, including midwife Pierre Frémondière, argue that the pelvic floor was subjected...
Cybersecurity expert Jake Moore urges users to adopt password managers, citing low global adoption of roughly one‑third. He explains that managers generate long, unique passwords and store them securely, eliminating the need to remember multiple credentials. The article highlights that...
Researchers have demonstrated that the unicellular ciliate Stentor coeruleus can perform Pavlovian learning, specifically habituation, despite lacking a brain or neurons. The organism reduced its response to a repeated, harmless stimulus, mirroring the simplest form of learning observed in animals...
Quantum computers remain hampered by high error rates that prevent practical use. Recent advances in quantum error correction—particularly the development of logical qubits that spread information across entangled groups—are narrowing the gap to fault‑tolerant operation. Researchers have demonstrated surface‑code implementations...
