Avogadro and the kilogram

A kilogram defined in terms of fundamental constant instead of a physical mass will expand international access to precise measurements.

Microwave launch

Testing shows using microwaves to propel a craft into space might work

Robotic self-awareness

A robot at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York has solved the famous ‘King’s Wise Men’ puzzle, which is a classic logic and self-awareness test.

Foam radiation shield

Research from North Carolina State University shows that lightweight composite metal foams are effective at blocking X-rays, gamma rays and neutron radiation, and are capable of absorbing the energy of high impact collisions. The finding means the metal foams hold promise for use in nuclear safety, space exploration and medical technology applications.

IBM's 7 nanometre node test chips

An alliance led by IBM Research has produced the semiconductor industry’s first 7 nanometre node test chips with functioning transistors.

2015 R&D 100 Award Finalists

The 2015 R&D 100 Award Finalists have been listed.

Take a look inside Google's cute little self-driving car

We've known what the outside of Google's latest self-driving car looks like for more than a year — rounded, compact, and kind of cute — but now we've seen the inside, too. Google brought its prototype vehicles to the Community School of Music and Arts in the company's home town of Mountain View on Saturday, allowing members of the local community to peek inside the automated cars as part of the Paint The Town project. The pictures they took show a surprisingly spacious seating area, no steering wheel, and a chunky, toy-like aesthetic.

Spacesuit, once found on moon is to go on show

The very suit in which pioneering astronaut Neil Armstrong made his historic moonwalks is to go on show to the public – thanks in large part to a successful crowdfunding appeal for half a million bucks that will bankroll the exhibition.

As tough as paper?

Researchers at the University of Maryland recently discovered that paper made of cellulose fibers is tougher and stronger the smaller the fibers get. For a long time, engineers have sought a material that is both strong (resistant to non-recoverable deformation) and tough (tolerant of damage).

Pluto revealed

Pluto sends a breathtaking farewell to New Horizons. Backlit by the sun, Pluto’s atmosphere rings its silhouette like a luminous halo in this image taken by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft around midnight EDT on July 15.

ET the hunt continues

I have no special insights or beliefs as to whether extra-terrestrial intelligence resides somewhere out in the infinite universe. The Fermi Paradox, if intelligent life exists elsewhere then why do we see no evidence of it, seems to me to have merit. Last month saw the announcement of significant funding for project Breakthrough Listen, a comprehensive hunt for alien communications. Radio telescopes at Green Bank in West Virginia, the Parkes Observatory in Australia, and the Lick Observatory's optical telescope in San Jose, California, will scan stars in the Milky Way and a hundred other galaxies. Perhaps the general public consensus is one of expected failure. Suggesting a reading of Greek Myths, especially Pandora’s Box may seem irrelevant. However, as well as putting effort into looking for life beyond earth, I trust that some thought is being given on how to deal with a successful result.