"Ballistic seed dispersal" is not something you see often in plants – and for good reason, perhaps, when you see just what the affectionately called squirting cucumber is capable of. Shunning external helping hands like wind or animals, this cucumber gets it done on its own, shooting a rapid-fire watery jet of liquid and seeds into the air from one end of its elongated, prickly form. And now we know just how it does it.

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Category: Biology, Science

Tags: Oxford University, University of Manchester, Plants, nature, Biodiversity, Physics

Washington, DC is arguably the most closely defended airspace in the world. Now it's getting an upgrade thanks to a new AI camera system that can quickly identify unauthorized intruders and warn them off with a laser beam.

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Category: Military, Technology

Tags: Missile Defense

In the simplest terms, nearly every modern car on the planet uses disk brakes: a rotor attached to a hub with a caliper with brake pads fixed to the control arm at each wheel. The driver presses the brake pedal and hydraulic fluid is pushed down the brake lines into the caliper, expanding the pistons and pushing the brake pads against the rotor, slowing down the rotation of the rotor connected to the hub, thus slowing down the wheel.

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Category: Automotive, Transport

Tags: Mercedes-Benz, Electric Vehicles

Many disposable objects are made of black plastic, which has so far proven to be very hard to recycle. US scientists have devised a new method of recycling black polystyrene, however, simply using sunlight and an ingredient that's already present in the plastic.

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Category: Environment, Science

Tags: Plastic waste, Recycling, Princeton University, Cornell University, Sunlight

Honda doesn't just want to power future vehicles with solid-state batteries; the company wants to develop and ultimately mass-produce the batteries itself. Solid-state tech represents a deep-anchored cornerstone of both its midterm electric vehicle plans and its greater goal of achieving full carbon neutrality by 2050. It took a big step toward those objectives this month, unveiling its first demonstration solid-state production line, which will allow it to refine both the battery construction and the manufacturing processes behind it.

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Category: Automotive, Transport

Tags: Honda, Battery Technology, Electric Vehicles, Electric Aircraft, Solid-state, Electric Motorcycles, Manufacturing Technologies

Chinese projector brand ETOE has launched a portable Google TV Full HD smart projector that's about the height of a soda can. The Dolphin also boasts easy positioning technology and a huge battery.

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Category: Home Entertainment, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Kickstarter, Projectors, HD, Portable, All-in-one, Dolby

Swedish electric foiling innovator Candela has revealed that its P-12 ferry is heading to the US for the first time. Thanks to a partnership with Fly Tahoe, the craft will drastically cut travel times for tourists heading to Lake Tahoe's ski resorts.

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Category: Marine, Transport

Tags: Hydrofoil, Electric Boats, Candela

Following its Mondo and 28' Model Tiny, Tiny House Listings has created a new towable dwelling named the Lad. Suited to those looking for a low-budget downsizing option, it features a compact and utilitarian interior suitable for up to two people.

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Category: Tiny Houses, Lifestyle

Tags: Building and Construction, Tiny Footprint, Micro-House, House, Home

If you attend a lot of your kids' league games, tailgate often, or can't get enough of Mother Nature, consider treating yourself a well-appointed outdoor wagon that's purpose-built for a good time. The Lawn Chariot comes with plenty of space for all your gear, seats two comfortably, and includes an adjustable canopy in a clever design.

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Category: Outdoors, Lifestyle

Tags: Camping, Wagon, Fishing, Kickstarter

Astronomers have clocked a cosmic collision at 3.2 million km/h (2 million mph). A new instrument has spotted a galaxy crashing through a group of others at incredible speeds, creating a shock wave that’s changing the region completely.

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Category: Space, Science

Tags: Astronomy, Galaxy, Telescope, Collision

The body has a remarkable ability to heal itself when injured, but of course it has its limits. Now scientists at the University of Nottingham have developed a way to improve on the natural process, making implants created from a patient’s own blood to regenerate injuries, even repairing bone.

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Category: Medical Devices, Medical Innovations, Body & Mind

Tags: Bones, Regenerative, Regenerative Medicine, Regeneration, Healing, wound-healing, University of Nottingham, Blood

The first direct visualization of the shape of a photon has been created. These particles of light are impossible to photograph, but physicists at the University of Birmingham have now calculated their wave function to produce an accurate image of a photon as it’s emitted.

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Category: Physics, Science

Tags: Photon, Photonics, Image, Images, Visualization, University of Birmingham, Light, Particle physics, Elementary particles

Even if you don't know what 3D microfluidic networks are, that doesn't change the fact that they have some very valuable possible uses. Scientists have now devised a much easier method of making the things, by taking casts of plant roots.

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Category: Science

Tags: Kyushu University, Microfluidic, Glass, Plants, Biomimicry

Following its recent unveiling of Hora Verticale, Portugal's OODA continues to make its mark on Tirana, Albania, with another remarkable project. Named Ndarja, it's envisioned as a square high-rise building that has been pulled apart to create a pair of eye-catching towers.

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Category: Architecture, Lifestyle

Tags: Building and Construction, Tirana, Skyscrapers, High-rise

Nissan first introduced the Ariya as a new electric car and eventual replacement for the Leaf. The Leaf, long the "everyman’s EV," was small, practical, and low-priced. The Ariya is a good replacement, though it’s neither as cheap nor as small.

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Category: Automotive, Transport

Tags: Nissan, Electric Vehicles, Sedan, Crossover, Reviews

A collection of studies presented at a recent American Heart Association (AHA) conference has confirmed the heart health benefits provided by the new anti-obesity drugs, semaglutide and tirzepatide, and how lifestyle interventions for weight loss affect heart biomarkers in diabetics.

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Category: Heart Disease, Illnesses and conditions, Body & Mind

Tags: GLP-1, Obesity, Cardiovascular, American Heart Association

Eight years on from the formation of the Human Cell Atlas (HCA) consortium, which set out with the hugely ambitious task of mapping the entire human body – around 37.2 trillion cells – scientists reveal that it's nearly at its first draft stage. This week, we got more of a glimpse of what's coming, with stunning images that belie the thousands and thousands of hours invested in creating this historic 'cell atlas.'

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Category: Biology, Science

Tags: Cells, Human, Disease

It was just a couple of years ago that Pierer Mobility-owned KTM celebrated 12 straight years of record growth. Now, the company is in a dire crisis that requires a halt in production and the sacking of more than 300 employees. How did it get here?

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Category: Motorcycles, Transport

Tags: KTM, Automotive, Gas Gas, Husqvarna

Canada's Rover Tiny Homes takes an interesting approach to downsizing with its Cypress model. The tiny house isn't mounted on a trailer, but what it loses in portability it gains in space, with a remarkably roomy interior that's suitable for a family.

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Category: Tiny Houses, Lifestyle

Tags: Tiny Footprint, House, Home, Building and Construction, Micro-House

If you're a surfer who doesn't want to be attacked by great white sharks, your surfboard should be as dark and stealthy as possible … right? Perhaps not, as a new Australian study suggests that a lit-up board may actually be better at keeping the sharks away.

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Category: Biology, Science

Tags: Macquarie University, Sharks, Surfing, camouflage, Biomimicry