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The phrase E pluribus unum —“out of many, one”—is famously inscribed on the United States’ Great Seal, symbolizing unity from diversity. Surprisingly, this idea also captures the essence of cutting-edge microrobotics research. A team of scientists from Cornell University and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems has demonstrated how a swarm of tiny microrobots can work together to manipulate objects on a water surface without ever touching them. Their work, recently published in Science Advances , could pave the way for performing microscale tasks and delicate biomedical procedures that traditional robots cannot achieve. The Challenge of Micromanipulation Microrobots operate on scales too small for conventional mechanical designs or onboard computers. When dealing with delicate tasks at the microscale, direct physical contact can be limiting or even destructive. This makes alternative methods of manipulation crucial. As Kirstin Petersen , associate professor at Cornell and...

For centuries, comets have been seen as mysterious travelers of the Solar System—icy bodies that light up the sky with glowing tails as they pass near the Sun. Astronomers have studied their paths, compositions, and behavior in great detail. Yet even today, comets can still surprise scientists in completely unexpected ways. One such surprise came from 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák , a small, short-period comet that made history by doing something never observed before: it changed the direction of its rotation . In simple terms, this comet slowed its spin, stopped, and then began rotating backward. This remarkable discovery has given astronomers new clues about how comets evolve—and how they may ultimately be destroyed. Meet Comet 41P: A Small but Extraordinary Visitor Comet 41P is a relatively small object that orbits the Sun every five years or so. Like most comets, it is made of ice, dust, and rocky material. When it approaches the Sun, heat causes its icy surface to release gas and du...

Rice is one of the most common foods on Earth. It fills plates, feeds billions, and is usually associated with agriculture and nutrition—not high-tech engineering. Yet a surprising scientific discovery has now placed humble rice grains at the center of advanced materials research. Scientists have found that rice behaves in an unusual way under pressure, opening the door to a new generation of smart materials that can automatically adapt to how fast they are hit, bent, or compressed. This discovery could transform fields such as soft robotics, protective equipment, and adaptive structures—without using electronics, sensors, or external power. A Simple Observation With Big Consequences Most materials behave in a predictable way when force is applied. Push or compress them slowly, and they deform. Push them quickly, and they usually become stiffer and stronger. Think of how a car’s metal frame resists a crash, or how a helmet hardens under impact. This behavior is known as rate hardening ...

Imagine a future where your electronic devices never stop working—whether the sun is shining brightly or rain is pouring from the sky. A new scientific breakthrough from Spain brings this vision much closer to reality. Researchers have developed a smart hybrid device that can generate electricity from both sunlight and raindrops at the same time , offering a powerful solution to one of the biggest challenges in renewable energy: reliability in changing weather. This innovative technology comes from scientists at the Institute of Materials Science of Seville (ICMS) , a joint research center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Seville . Their work combines advanced solar cell materials with cutting-edge nanotechnology to harvest energy in a way that has never been done so efficiently before. The Promise and Problem of Perovskite Solar Cells Solar energy is one of the cleanest and most abundant energy sources available. Traditional solar panels, mostly m...

Walking is something many of us do without thinking. We stand up, take a step, and move forward. But for millions of people who have survived a stroke, walking can become one of the hardest daily challenges. Weakness, stiffness, and poor coordination on one side of the body can turn every step into a tiring and painful effort. Now, researchers have developed a new solution that offers real hope: a lightweight, wearable hip exoskeleton that helps stroke survivors walk with less effort and more confidence. This innovation shows how modern robotics can directly improve quality of life. Understanding Hemiparesis: A Hidden Disability One of the leading causes of long-term disability in the United States is hemiparesis . This condition causes muscle weakness, poor motor control, and stiffness on one side of the body. It affects around 80% of stroke survivors , making it extremely common. For people with hemiparesis, everyday activities such as standing, walking, or climbing stairs become di...

The universe is full of dazzling sights—spiral galaxies glowing with billions of stars, colorful nebulae, and violent explosions of supernovae. But not everything in space shines brightly. Some galaxies are so faint that they are almost invisible, hiding in plain sight among brighter cosmic structures. Recently, astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have identified one such extraordinary object: a galaxy that may be 99% dark matter . This mysterious object, named CDG-2 , is one of the most extreme examples ever found of a dark-matter-dominated galaxy . Its discovery and analysis were reported in the The Astrophysical Journal Letters , offering new clues about how galaxies form, evolve, and sometimes nearly disappear. What Makes a Galaxy Almost Invisible? Most galaxies are easy to spot because their stars emit light. Even distant galaxies usually appear as glowing smudges in powerful telescopes. CDG-2, however, belongs to a rare class known as low-surface-brightness galaxies . T...

Superhydrophobic surfaces are often called “never-wet” materials. They are specially designed so that water forms tiny beads and rolls away instead of soaking in. You may have seen this effect on lotus leaves, waterproof jackets, or stain-resistant sprays. But these remarkable surfaces have a serious weakness: hot water . When temperatures rise above about 40°C , many superhydrophobic coatings suddenly lose their magic. Instead of rolling away, hot droplets cling, spread, and leave behind stains or residue. This long-standing problem has limited their use in industries where hot liquids are common. Now, mechanical engineers at Rice University have found a surprisingly simple and affordable solution. Instead of changing the surface’s chemistry, they redesigned how heat moves through it. Their new technology keeps surfaces water-repellent even when droplets reach 90°C , close to boiling. The study was recently published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces and could transform indust...