Machine behavior: A field of study to explore intelligent machines as independent agents

In 1969, artificial-intelligence pioneer and Nobel laureate Herbert Simon proposed a new science, one that approached…

Getting the oil out of befouled water

Oil and water are famously reluctant to mix fully together. But separating them completely—for example, when…

Finding and fixing natural gas leaks quickly and economically

As it flows through pipelines from wells to stovetops, natural gas is prone to leaking, threatening…

Training robots to relieve chronic pain

Researchers at Swinburne have developed a collaborative robot system to automatically treat back, neck and head…

New insect species discovered on the slopes of the Maungatua Range

A team of zoologists from the University Otago has discovered a new species of insect—the Maungatua…

Scorpions adapt their stinging, stingers and sting contents to minimize costs of venom use

Replenishing venom takes time and energy—so it pays to be stingy with stings. Click…

Samantha dives back into operations

ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti will swap her spacesuit for dive gear this month as commander of…

How Qantas and other airlines decide whether to fly near volcanoes

Mount Agung volcano in Bali, Indonesia, has been erupting intermittently since November 2017. The volcano erupted…

Op-ed: When did GMO become a dirty word?

Do you know someone with diabetes? While most people may associate GMOs with food products, their…

Two distinct physical mechanisms identified for how simple foams collapse

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have discovered two distinct mechanisms by which foams can collapse, yielding…