Robotic termites build without a boss
US scientists showed off tiny robots Thursday that can tackle tasks much like real-life termites, working collectively to build structures without following orders from a boss.
14 February 2014
China's Jade Rabbit rover comes 'back to life': officials
China's troubled Jade Rabbit lunar rover has survived a bitterly cold 14-day lunar night, officials said Thursday, prompting hopes it can be repaired after suffering a malfunction last month.
13 February 2014
Mass extinction happened fast: study
Something wiped out nearly all life on Earth more than 250 million years ago, and whatever unleashed this mass die-off acted much faster than previously thought.
Kazakh diet potatoes: New healthy alternativeKazakhstani plant-breeders have produced a new type of vitamin intensive potatoes that can be red, blue or even purple depending on the breed.
China's Baidu paints New Year travel map from mobilesPale blue, fibre-optic-like lines linking dots in an outline of China emerging from darkness -- technology giant Baidu has launched an astronomical chart-style image of the country's New Year travels.
29 January 2014
DNA from ancient plague points to modern peril"In some cases death came immediately; in others, after many days," the historian Procopius wrote as a terrifying disease scythed through Constantinople in 542 AD.
'Goodnight, humans': China's Jade Rabbit moon rover postingChinese Internet users flooded the country's social media networks on Monday with condolences for the troubled Jade Rabbit moon rover, which experienced a "mechanical control abnormality" over the weekend.
27 January 2014
NASA launches communications satelliteNASA on Thursday launched a new satellite to boost its growing communications network between Earth and the International Space Station, allowing for nearly uninterrupted video, voice link and data transmission.