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Globular clusters (GCs) are big, round groups of stars that are some of the oldest things in our universe. They help scientists learn how stars and galaxies formed. A team led by Jiaqi Ying studied 8 old globular clusters in our Milky Way to find out their exact ages. They used powerful computer models and real data from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to match star patterns and test different star evolution factors. These included things like how stars mix inside, how hot they are, and how fast they burn fuel. By using 10,000 models and millions of data points, they found that the clusters are between 11.5 to 13.5 billion years old . They also discovered that the lower the metal content in a cluster, the older it usually is. More than half of the age uncertainty comes from figuring out how far the clusters are and how dust affects the light from them. This study is important because it gives scientists better tools to understand the age of the universe and how our Milky Way galaxy gr...

Imagine a robot that can "feel" the difference between cotton and corduroy or twill and wool—just like you do with your fingertips. Sounds futuristic? It's not. A team of researchers led by Dr. Chuan Fei Guo from the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China, has achieved something groundbreaking. They’ve developed a flexible robotic sensory system that can recognize tiny textures with human-like precision. The system can accurately identify 20 different types of textiles with a stunning 98.6% accuracy , mimicking the natural human sense of touch. This innovation not only holds promise for robotics and prosthetics but could also revolutionize fields like virtual reality, rehabilitation, and smart devices . Let’s explore this breakthrough in simple terms and understand why it’s such a big deal. How Do Humans Sense Textures? Before we dive into the technology, let’s understand how our own fingers work. When you touch a surface, your fingers ...

Imagine a robot that can feel pain like a human, recognize that it's been hurt, and then heal itself — all within one minute. Sounds like science fiction, right? But thanks to the brilliant minds at Cornell University, this science fiction has become a reality. A team of engineers, led by Associate Professor Rob Shepherd, has developed a soft robot that can detect damage and heal itself automatically. This breakthrough could change how we use robots, especially in dangerous environments where human presence is risky. In this article, we will explore how this robot works, what makes it special, and what it could mean for the future of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI).  What Is a Soft Robot? A soft robot is a robot made from flexible materials instead of hard metal or plastic. These materials allow the robot to bend, twist, and move more like living creatures. Soft robots are perfect for exploring tight spaces or handling delicate objects. However, their biggest probl...

In the quest to develop robots that mimic the behaviors of living organisms, one of the biggest hurdles has been replicating the fluidity and adaptability of biological cells. These cells possess an extraordinary ability to deform, divide, fuse, and capture foreign substances—traits that traditional solid robots struggle to emulate. But what if robots could harness the power of liquids to overcome these limitations? A breakthrough study led by Professor Ho-Young Kim and his team has introduced a new generation of liquid robots that can deform, split, merge, and even carry cargo, mimicking the behavior of living cells in a way that was previously unimaginable. This innovative robot, named the Particle-armored liquid robot (PB), promises to revolutionize the fields of soft robotics and biomedical applications. The Challenge of Replicating Biological Functions in Robots For years, engineers and scientists have attempted to replicate the versatility and deformability found in biological ...

The deep sea is one of the least explored areas on Earth, full of mysterious creatures and extreme environments. Exploring it requires advanced technology, especially robots that can survive and operate in high-pressure, low-light conditions. Recently, a team of engineers from Beihang University, in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Zhejiang University, has made a significant breakthrough. They have developed a miniature marine robot that can swim, crawl, and glide— completely untethered —in the deepest parts of the ocean. This tiny but powerful robot is a milestone in the field of marine robotics. Weighing just 16 grams and built with smart materials, it has successfully explored regions as deep as the Mariana Trench—10,666 meters below the surface. In this article, we will explore how this robot works, what makes it special, and how it is changing the way we interact with the deep sea. Why Do We Need Deep-Sea Robots? The ocean covers more than 70% of the Ear...

Neutron stars are very dense and hot objects formed after big stars explode. When they are in a binary system, they pull matter from their companion star. This falling matter heats up the neutron star, both on the surface and deep inside. Scientists want to understand how this heat moves through the star, but the process is complex and slow to simulate using traditional computer models. A team led by Martin Nava-Callejas has now created a faster and simpler way to study this. They used stationary models , which assume the star’s heat stays steady over time. This helps calculate how heat flows between the outer layer and the inside of the star. Their method showed something interesting: heat can sometimes flow inward from the surface instead of outward. This happens when the outer layers are hotter than the crust. They also confirmed that an extra heat source , called shallow heating , is needed to explain what we see in real neutron stars. This new method saves time and helps scient...

Imagine a robot that can roll like a wheel, stand on two legs, balance itself without help, and even get back up if it falls over. Sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, right? But it’s real — and it’s called Ringbot . Engineers at the Kinetic Intelligence Machine (KIM) Lab at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have created this amazing one-wheeled robot. Unlike traditional robots that walk or roll on multiple wheels, Ringbot is a monocycle — a robot that moves on a single large wheel. But what makes it truly special is that it also has two tiny legs hidden inside the wheel. These legs help it balance, turn, and stand back up when it falls. This invention may look simple, but it could open the doors to a new future of personal transportation and smart city mobility . From Sci-Fi to Reality: A New Age of Robotics For many years, science fiction movies have shown us robots with incredible abilities — robots that walk, talk, fly, and roll. Slowly but sure...