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Saturday, July 19, 2014

ScienceDaily: Top Science News

ScienceDaily: Top Science News


New material puts a twist in light

Posted: 18 Jul 2014 08:04 AM PDT

Scientists have uncovered the secret to twisting light at will. It is the latest step in the development of photonics, the faster, more compact and less carbon-hungry successor to electronics. A random find in the washing basket led the team to create the latest in a new breed of materials known as metamaterials. These artificial materials show extraordinary properties quite unlike natural materials.

Getting a grip on robotic grasp: New wrist-mounted device augments the human hand with two robotic fingers

Posted: 18 Jul 2014 06:57 AM PDT

Twisting a screwdriver, removing a bottle cap, and peeling a banana are just a few simple tasks that are tricky to pull off single-handedly. Now a new wrist-mounted robot can provide a helping hand -- or rather, fingers. Researchers have developed a robot that enhances the grasping motion of the human hand.

Revealed: The mystery behind starling flocks

Posted: 18 Jul 2014 06:56 AM PDT

The mystery behind the movements of flocking starlings could be explained by the areas of light and dark created as they fly, new research suggests. The research found that flocking starlings aim to maintain an optimum density at which they can gather data on their surroundings. This occurs when they can see light through the flock at many angles, a state known as marginal opacity. The subsequent pattern of light and dark, formed as the birds attempt to achieve the necessary density, is what provides vital information to individual birds within the flock.

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