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Forgiveness is associated with humans, but may play an integral role in human-robot interactions. A study asks whether we can forgive a robot for commiting a crime. Debating forgiveness rather than punishment, the study adds another ethical dimension to…

by Ziqi Chen figures by Rebecca Senft We live in a universe of viruses. It is estimated that there are billions of types of viruses on earth, and ~320,000 types that infect mammals alone. Many viral species exist in our surrounding environment. As we…

by Stephanie Smelyansky figures by Jovana Andrejevic Nature knows to quit when it’s ahead–just take a look at the horseshoe crab. Since its origins 450 million years ago, the animal has remained relatively unchanged. This living fossil continues to…

Scientists have uncovered a new mechanism by which important components of cells can be damaged. Such a discovery could provide new insight into the biology of aging, cancer, and degeneration, as well as development of new drugs and strategies for food…

In order to combat the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, a group of scientists from MIT are using artificial intelligence to discover new and effective antibiotics. They were able to predict a powerful new antibiotic compound that is effective…

Engineers at Beihang University and Harvard's Wyss Institute use models to zero in on creating the perfect octopus tentacle for industrial gripping uses.

Data from the New Horizons probe, flying in the asteroid field far beyond Pluto, have finally been downloaded and analyzed. They challenge our previous views of the formation of the solar system.

A team from the University of Colorado Boulder finds a new way to measure how much extra snow can be produced by cloud seeding.

by Kevin Dervishi figures by Tal Scully You’re in the frozen goods aisle of the grocery store, surveying ice cream flavors. You’re cradling a bottle of wine–or maybe it’s a six-pack of beer. It doesn’t matter. Suddenly, someone down the aisle calls your…

by Rebecca Silberman figures by Aparna Nathan Seen through the harsh, unsentimental lens of evolutionary biology, menopause doesn’t make sense. Why don’t women live like giraffes, like tarantulas, like pigeons, reproducing throughout their lives in…