Robot Babies
Can scientists build a machine that learns as it goes and plays well with others? A new robot design draws on ways human babies learn about the world
By Abigail Tucker
Catching a Wave, Powering an Electrical Grid?
Electrical engineer Annette von Jouanne is pioneering an ingenious way to generate clean, renewable electricity from the sea
By Elizabeth Rusch
High Hopes for a New Kind of Gene
Scientists believe that microRNA may lead to breakthroughs in diagnosing and treating cancer
By Sylvia Pagán Westphal
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Gene Therapy in a New Light
A husband-and-wife team's experimental genetic treatment for blindness is renewing hopes for a controversial field of medicine
By Jocelyn Kaiser
Brain Cells for Socializing
Does an obscure nerve cell help explain what gorillas, elephants, whales—and people—have in common?
By Ingfei Chen
Homing in on Black Holes
To gain insight into the most mysterious objects in the universe, astronomers shine a light at the chaotic core of our own Milky Way
By Robert Irion
Termite Bellies and Biofuels
Research into termite digestion may hold solutions to our energy crisis
By Julia Olmstead
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Diamonds on Demand
Lab-grown gemstones are now practically indistinguishable from mined diamonds. Scientists and engineers see a world of possibilities; jewelers are less enthusiastic
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Who's Laughing Now?
Long maligned as nasty scavengers, hyenas turn out to be protective parents and accomplished hunters. And new research is revealing that their social status may even be determined in the womb
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The Spotted Owl's New Nemesis
An epic battle between environmentalists and loggers left much of the spotted owl's habitat protected. Now the celebrity species faces a new threat—a tougher owl
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What's So Hot About Chili Peppers?
An American ecologist travels through the Bolivian forest to answer burning questions about the spice
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Albert Einstein Lives OnThrough the science of robotics, researchers in California have created a lifelike bust of Albert Einstein to teach others, and themselves, about the breakthroughs made with robots |
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Deploying the Wave Energy BuoySee a prototype of a wave energy buoy bob up and down on the water's surface as researchers from Oregon State University study its efficacy |
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Gene Therapy Experts Look Ahead in Treating BlindnessTwo of the preeminent researchers of gene therapy hope to improve their patients' sight in an experimental operation |
