Cyborg cockroach production nears one per minute

Singapore's Nanyang Technological University mass-produces cyborg cockroaches by implanting electronic backpacks into their carapaces. They can "assemble" one in 68 seconds—much faster than manually inserting the gear. The research is to be published as Cyborg Insect Factory: Aut … | Continue reading


@boingboing.net | 42 minutes ago

Your Teeth Could Hold a Neanderthal Legacy, Study Reveals

Researchers have identified genes linked to tooth size and shape, including one likely inherited from our long-lost cousins. | Continue reading


@gizmodo.com | 52 minutes ago

Scientists develop record-breaking tech that could slash the cost of solar power: 'We've significantly advanced the durability'

"This work addresses one of the critical barriers to widespread adoption of perovskite solar cells." Scientists develop record-breaking tech that could slash the cost of solar power: 'We've significantly advanced the durability' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading


@thecooldown.com | 53 minutes ago

NBA team gives lucky child a PlayStation 5, then takes it away backstage

I get that the new console generation is expensive, but this feels excessive. At a recent home game, the Charlotte Hornets hosted a "special segment" in which a few children selected from the audience received various goodies including a signed jersey and a PS5, presumably becaus … | Continue reading


@boingboing.net | 53 minutes ago

Leaf sheep: The adorable solar-powered sea slug that looks like Shaun the Sheep

Known for its uncanny resemblance to the TV character Shaun the Sheep, this adorable sea slug munches on algae to steal its ability to photosynthesize and become solar-powered. | Continue reading


@livescience.com | 53 minutes ago

The Catch-and-Release Trap: How Sportfishing Is Silently Endangering Giant Trevally

Researchers studied the impact of sport fishing on giant trevally, revealing that catch-and-release practices, while preserving fish in the short term, can alter fish behavior and movement over time. Their findings suggest that sustainable fishing policies are needed to manage th … | Continue reading


@scitechdaily.com | 55 minutes ago

Dungeon crawler takes place entirely on a Windows 98 desktop

Hey there! It looks like you're trying to put together an indie game using iconic, nostalgic imagery from a bygone millennium. Would you like help with that? CLICK HERE TO GET BOING BOING AD-FREE If those words sent a shiver down your spine, you're the target audience for Desktop … | Continue reading


@boingboing.net | 1 hour ago

Joy & Curiosity #20

Interesting & joyful things from the previous week | Continue reading


@registerspill.thorstenball.com | 1 hour ago

3D-printed harness fixes sea turtle's "bubble butt"

Positive buoyancy syndrome, also known as Bubble Butt, is a serious condition affecting sea turtles. Sea turtles are unfortunately often struck by boats, causing their shells to be deformed. Air bubbles can form in the deformed shell, throwing off their natural buoyancy and makin … | Continue reading


@boingboing.net | 1 hour ago

Book Review: Platformland by Richard Pope ★★★★★

This is an exquisitely detailed and righteously determined look about the how and why of Digital Government. Richard Pope was there at the beginning of GOV.UK and helped steer it to the magnificent beast it is today. He reflects, clear eyed, on the various successes and failures … | Continue reading


@shkspr.mobi | 1 hour ago

iFixit's Furby teardown is not for the faint of heart

iFixit's teardown videos show the inside of your tech, breaking it down to determine how to repair it. However, not all tech survives the teardown process, like this unfortunate Furby. CLICK HERE TO GET BOING BOING AD-FREE For its final teardown of 2024, iFixit takes a look insid … | Continue reading


@boingboing.net | 1 hour ago

Painting poetry: John Keats

Paintings based on Endymion, The Eve of St. Agnes, and La Belle Dame Sans Merci, mainly from the Pre-Raphaelites. | Continue reading


@eclecticlight.co | 1 hour ago

Startup harnesses cutting-edge technology to power the nation with old electric car batteries: 'We can operate batteries that others can't'

The batteries address grid strain during peak evening hours, when the sun goes down but energy demand increases. Startup harnesses cutting-edge technology to power the nation with old electric car batteries: 'We can operate batteries that others can't' first appeared on The Cool … | Continue reading


@thecooldown.com | 1 hour ago

Dan Mecca on some underrated movies from “the best movie year ever”

For Letterboxd, Dan Mecca picked some underrated movies from the year 1999 aka “the best movie year ever”: 1999 is often referred to as the single greatest movie year of all time. It’s such a common refrain, in fact, that author Brian Raftery wrote a whole book about it. Along wi … | Continue reading


@cultrface.co.uk | 1 hour ago

Green sea turtle gets relief from “bubble butt” syndrome thanks to 3D printing

Boat collision left Charlotte stranded at the surface and in danger of predation. | Continue reading


@arstechnica.com | 1 hour ago

Fighting food allergies the natural way – with flavonoids

New research has found that a chemical abundant in fruits, vegetables and plant products can suppress the immune response seen in food allergies. It paves the way to developing a natural treatment for this globally increasing problem. Continue Reading Category: Wellness & Healthy … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 1 hour ago

Tree kangaroos: the best animal ASMR on the internet

Rejoice, dear readers, because I've found the absolutely best animal ASMR on the entire internet! The search is over, as nothing can top tree kangaroos crunching on raw vegetables. The tree kangaroos in question—Paia, Keweng, LaRoo, and Morobe—live at the Rhode Island Zoological … | Continue reading


@boingboing.net | 1 hour ago

Frustrated homeowner shares struggles after trying to rid yard of weeds: 'Did I screw up?'

The consensus was that Roundup could indeed be the culprit. Frustrated homeowner shares struggles after trying to rid yard of weeds: 'Did I screw up?' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading


@thecooldown.com | 1 hour ago

Future robots could one day tell how you're feeling by measuring your sweat, scientists say

Scientists say a phenomenon called "skin conductance," which changes when you sweat, is a surprisingly accurate method for detecting emotions — with future robots that detect this able to tell your emotions. | Continue reading


@livescience.com | 1 hour ago

Why do iguanas fall from trees in Florida?

Florida's non-native green iguanas become paralyzed and drop from trees when temperatures dip. Climate change could bring this problem to new areas. | Continue reading


@livescience.com | 1 hour ago

Astronomers Discover Planets Building Each Other in Space

New observations show that planets forming in protoplanetary disks like that around PDS 70 can trigger the formation of subsequent planets. This finding, based on high-resolution images from ALMA, supports the domino effect in the sequential formation of planetary systems. Discov … | Continue reading


@scitechdaily.com | 2 hours ago

The Air Show’s Last Episode of the Year + Holiday Posting Schedule

It’s that time of the year when everything grinds to a halt. That means there’s […] | Continue reading


@crankyflier.com | 2 hours ago

"100% successful" cancer drug gets landmark FDA approval

Hugely promising cancer drug dostarlimab is one step closer to being widely available, after the Food and Drug Administration granted it Breakthrough Therapy Designation status that, if successful, will expedite its path to market. Continue Reading Category: Cancer, Illnesses and … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 2 hours ago

Exploring an undersea terrain sculpted by glaciers and volcanoes

Researchers found a fossilized seascape while studying the impact of a volcanic eruption. | Continue reading


@arstechnica.com | 2 hours ago

What We Learned This Year

Mayor Eric Adams, David Sedaris, Bill Maher, Amy Chua, and more on what they learned in 2024. | Continue reading


@thefp.com | 2 hours ago

Good, Or Something Else

I set out on my morning run in 5° temperatures, which Apple’s weather app assured me felt like 1°, and you will hear no argument from me on this point. I got about three-quarters of a mile in, when I noticed that the atmosphere around me was no longer simply cold, but had become … | Continue reading


@akma.disseminary.org | 2 hours ago

NASA Plans for ‘Continuous Heartbeat’ in Space After ISS Retirement

The space agency is looking to maintain human presence in the microgravity environment as it transitions to commercial stations. | Continue reading


@gizmodo.com | 2 hours ago

Star Trek's Riskiest Showrunner Talks About the End of Its Most Experimental Era

"We really got away with something." Mike McMahan opens up about the end of 'Star Trek: Lower Decks.' | Continue reading


@inverse.com | 2 hours ago

A Miscellany of 19th-century Tennessee Cabinetmakers & Chairmakers

Well before gaining statehood in 1796, carpenters, cabinetmakers and chairmakers were leaving Eastern Seaboard states to settle in Tennessee. They crossed the mountains using The Great Road (also known as The Great Wagon Road). They advertised their services in local newspapers a … | Continue reading


@blog.lostartpress.com | 2 hours ago

Shopper intrigued after uncovering items hidden in antique book purchased from thrift store: 'Love when they come with extra surprises'

"That is such an interesting piece of history." Shopper intrigued after uncovering items hidden in antique book purchased from thrift store: 'Love when they come with extra surprises' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading


@thecooldown.com | 2 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Bitter cold this solstice morning, with the half moon moving in and out of clouds—the trees with their shadows, and then just shadow. | Continue reading


@morningporch.com | 3 hours ago

How cryopreservation could end death as we know it

The technology could one day allow people with terminal illnesses to go into "hibernation" until a cure is found. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 3 hours ago

Unlock the Science of Deep Sleep and Memory Formation

Slow-wave sleep plays a crucial role in strengthening memory by enhancing synaptic connections in the brain, with new findings suggesting potential methods for boosting memory through targeted stimulation. For nearly two decades, scientists have known that slow, synchronized elec … | Continue reading


@scitechdaily.com | 3 hours ago

Another Photo From The Backyard Deck (Six Word Saturday)

Visit the post for more. | Continue reading


@cimple.life | 3 hours ago

What if the Persians had defeated Alexander the Great?

The world we live in might be unrecognizable if Alexander the Great had been defeated by the Persians. | Continue reading


@livescience.com | 3 hours ago

How a College Gym Teacher in Massachusetts Invented a New Sport to Keep His Students Entertained and Fit During the Frigid Winter

From a humble first game with peach baskets and a soccer ball on this day in 1891, basketball evolved quickly into one of the world's most popular sports | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 3 hours ago

Scientists develop revolutionary image sensors that could be key to solving major recycling problem — here's how they work

One of the sensors could generate a map of the plastics being assessed and locate a few specific types of plastic. Scientists develop revolutionary image sensors that could be key to solving major recycling problem — here's how they work first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading


@thecooldown.com | 3 hours ago

Internet user seeks the truth after aunt shares worrisome post filled with misinformation about energy source: 'It's nonsense'

Misinformation is all over the internet and spreads quickly. Internet user seeks the truth after aunt shares worrisome post filled with misinformation about energy source: 'It's nonsense' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading


@thecooldown.com | 4 hours ago

Blind Date with a Book Reveals Danielle Steel’s latest book – Trial by Fire

My niece and I decided to challenge each other to a “Blind Date with a Book.” The idea was simple: she would choose a book from my favourite category, True Crime, while I would pick a Romance novel for her. This was no easy task for me, as I am not a big fan […] The post Blind Da … | Continue reading


@goodereader.com | 4 hours ago

Mediocre tools

Lousy tools are dangerous. They endanger our safety (physical or emotional) and undermine our work. Lousy tools are pretty easy to avoid, because they reveal themselves whenever we use them. Great tools are magical. They multiply our effort, amplify the quality of our work and de … | Continue reading


@seths.blog | 4 hours ago

“Mirror Bacteria” Warning: A New Kind of Life Could Pose a Global Threat

Mirror life, a concept involving synthetic organisms with reversed molecular structures, carries significant risks despite its potential for medical advancements. Experts warn that mirror bacteria could escape natural biological controls, potentially evolving to exploit resources … | Continue reading


@scitechdaily.com | 4 hours ago

Dive! Dive! ESA studies space travel using Portuguese Navy submarines

In what seems like a remarkably obvious move, ESA is working with the Portuguese Space Agency and the Portuguese Navy to use life aboard a naval submarine to learn more about the effects of isolation during long-term space missions. Continue Reading Category: Space, Science Tags: … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 4 hours ago

What are the checks and balances on the power of Elon Musk?

The question we'll all be asking over the next year or more. | Continue reading


@noahpinion.blog | 4 hours ago

Progress, Tyson, and Messiah

I’ll be taking the next couple of weeks off for the Christmas holidays. Look for these to resume in January. “Can a Phone-Free Learning Environment Work? This College President Emphatically Says Yes.” Charlie Camosy talks with Wyoming Catholic College president Kyle Washut about … | Continue reading


@frontporchrepublic.com | 4 hours ago

Dashcam footage captures disgusting scene as ignorant driver infuriates other travelers: 'Absolutely rage-inducing'

"These people need to ... be fined 1k every time they do this." Dashcam footage captures disgusting scene as ignorant driver infuriates other travelers: 'Absolutely rage-inducing' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading


@thecooldown.com | 4 hours ago

🔗 Don't Do This in PostgreSQL

About programming, AI and devops | Continue reading


@yellowduck.be | 4 hours ago

Saturday Mac riddles 287

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation. 1: Comfort for […] | Continue reading


@eclecticlight.co | 4 hours ago

This site turns 20 today

It’s official, my blog is now older than some people attending university today! And driving! And drinking outside the US! Have I mentioned I’m in my late thirties and feeling old? I went for an eye checkup today, and the word bifocals was mentioned for the first time. NO SIR, I … | Continue reading


@rubenerd.com | 5 hours ago