Η ΓΝΩΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΣΤΟ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟ ΚΑΙ ΠΕΡΑ ΑΠΟ ΑΥΤΟ
For years, the CRISPR-Cas9 genome technology has been reshaping genetic engineering, a precision tool to transform everything from agriculture to medicine. With its incredible efficiency, this molecular tool has been applied to plants, animals, and even bacteria. But until now, no one has used CRISPR-Cas9 on spiders.
I've lost count of the number of things I use around the house that I've replaced, simply because I lost or broke a small piece of them. They were otherwise perfectly usable and could easily be kept around for years more if I could just find a spare part – like the handle for my manual food processor, the nose pads for my eyeglasses, and the trigger buttons on my game controller.
Category: Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Philips, Repair, Sustainability, 3D Printing
While we've seen a number of wearable underwater propulsion systems, they've typically been strapped to the user's arms or legs. The newly refreshed CudaJet is different, in that it's a true backpack-style underwater jetpack.
Tags: Underwater, Jetpack, 2025 Updates, Swimming, Diving
Last week, Panasonic announced its S 24-60mm F2.8 lens, which is meant to provide an option between the variable aperture Panasonic 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 and the higher-end S Pro 24-70mm F2.8.
We were able to take a few sample pictures with it, and run them through our standard Capture One processing flow. You can check them out below to get a feel for how it performs, especially when it comes to rendering bokeh.
Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing; we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.
Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab.Photographing birds can be thrilling and frustrating at the same time. These creatures are fast and unpredictable, so documenting them requires more than a sharp eye. You need the right camera settings to freeze motion, capture fine detail, and handle challenging light. Whether you're tracking birds in your yard or out in the wild, photographing them perched or in flight, the right combination of shutter speed, aperture and autofocus can make all the difference when getting the shot. Here are some quick recommendations to get you started.
Camera settings for bird photographyYour camera settings will depend on the conditions, but there are some general rules of thumb. First, choose a shutter speed that, at minimum, matches your focal length to avoid camera shake. For example, if you're using a 400mm focal length, choose a shutter speed of at least 1/400s. In some scenarios, IBIS may let you get away with slower shutter speeds, but given how quickly birds move, you'll likely want to avoid those if you're trying to capture birds in flight or in action. For moving birds, something around 1/2000s or faster will typically be necessary to freeze the motion.
A relatively wide aperture, such as F5.6, will allow plenty of light through your lens while blurring the background to keep your bird the star of the image. Finally, a low ISO will help you maximize image quality. However, depending on how bright it is outside, you may need to raise your ISO to compensate for the lack of available light.
Canon EOS R5 | Canon RF 800mm F11 STM | 1/1600 sec | F11 | ISO 800There are more settings to consider beyond exposure, too. Autofocus settings are especially important. Single-point autofocus is ideal for small or well-camouflaged birds, while zone or area autofocus is best for flocks. You'll also want continuous autofocus so that the camera adjusts focus as the bird moves. Finally, choose a burst or continuous drive mode so that you can take multiple shots in rapid succession, giving you better chances of documenting the perfect moment. If your camera offers a pre-burst mode, it can help you get the shot even if you're a little late to the shutter button.
Wrapping it upIn bird photography, even small tweaks to your settings can lead to big improvements. With the right shutter speed, aperture and focus mode, you'll be better equipped to capture sharp, striking images of your feathered friends. Practice, patience and the ability to improvise as conditions change will help immensely.
If you're also looking to expand your bird photography gear or learn more about how to find birds, be sure to check out our additional guide.
UK firm Bare Root Creation offers an interesting take on small living with this unnamed tiny house. The firm has transformed a dilapidated 1940s railway car into an affordable two-person model that would be well-suited for vacation use or as a guest house.
Category: Tiny Houses, Lifestyle
Tags: Building and Construction, Tiny Footprint, House, Home, Railways
Oukitel has launched what it's calling as the world's first industrial-grade modular rugged phone, the WP300. It's seriously tough, but also the most fun I've had with a smartphone in a long time.
Category: Mobile Technology, Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Rugged, Modular, Kickstarter, smartphones, Reviews
It was race against time as NASA engineers recently raced to fix a thruster problem aboard the vintage Voyager 1 deep space probe. It's hard enough to repair a craft at the edge of the solar system, but this time they faced a potentially deadly deadline.
Unexpected mashups are in vogue in skyscraper design lately, with Mercedes and Bentley themed towers two notable examples. Now we have an even more left-field collaboration: English soccer team Chelsea Football Club has partnered with developer Damac Properties to create a soccer-inspired Dubai skyscraper project – complete with a rooftop pitch.
Category: Architecture, Lifestyle
Tags: Building and Construction, Dubai, Skyscrapers, Soccer, Residential towers
Luxury electric boat maker Arc is breaking out the champagne for the launch of a new center console member of the family. The Arc Coast model is "purpose-built for hosting and entertaining" and comes in markedly cheaper than both the Sport and the One models before it.
Tags: Electric Boats, Cruise, Boating
Some people can’t get their bad cholesterol levels down, even if they take cholesterol-lowering meds. A new clinical trial using a combination of existing and not-yet-released cholesterol tablets lowered bad cholesterol by almost half in people at high risk of heart disease.
Category: Heart Disease, Illnesses and conditions, Body & Mind
Tags: Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, Cholesterol, Statins, clinical trials, Cleveland Clinic
General Motors and LG Energy Solution have announced plans to put lithium manganese-rich (LMR) prismatic battery cells into production. The cells will be used in future full-sized trucks and SUVs as part of GM's Ultium platform.
Category: Automotive, Transport
Tags: Batteries, Battery Electric Vehicles, GM, General Motors, LG, Electric Vehicles
The patient cyclist
This photo was taken during a late-night walk through Miami Beach, where plenty of people were out walking, biking, skateboarding and more. Even though it was November, it was warm enough that plenty of people were wearing shorts and T-shirts – that's Florida for you.
Sony a1 II | Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM @ 64mm | 1/80 sec | F2 | ISO 2500
Submissions have closed for our May editor's challenge, where we were looking for photos of human-powered travel. That means it's time to vote for your favorites submitted by the community.
You can head to the challenge page to see the entries and to vote on them. User votes don't determine which photos end up getting selected to be displayed on our homepage next week – it is the Editor's challenge, after all – but they do help show support for community members who share their photography. The voting period will end on Saturday, May 24th.
While you're there, don't forget to check out some of the other community-run contests. The "Look What I Have For You!" challenge hosted by RHES is currently open for voting, and submissions have opened for DrLex's bird-focused "A Big Year 2025" challenge and RHES' "A Bench or Table" challenge.
Researchers in Australia are working on a way to lower the cost of producing solar thermal energy by as much as 40% with the help of shatterproof rear-view mirrors originally designed for cars.
Category: Energy, Technology
Tags: Solar Thermal, Clean Energy, Renewable Energy, University of South Australia, Australia, Plastics, Mirror
We usually associate friendship with human behavior, considering our exclusive domain. And that’s a fair assumption, as we don't often find animals boasting cooperative relationships beyond their blood relatives. The only complex "friend-like" relationship seen in vertebrates is known as cooperative breeding, in which two individuals assist in raising the young. Yet, for African starlings, the bonds they form go far beyond mere parenting duties.
Tags: Animal science, Animals, Birds, Columbia University, Behavior
San Francisco mobility company Lit Motors has announced a new production plan for its self-balancing, fully-enclosed C-1 electric motorcycle. We got to see a functioning prototype for ourselves, back in 2021.
Category: Motorcycles, Transport
Tags: Self-balancing, Electric Motorcycles, urban transport, 2025 Updates
In the world of motorcycles, there are so many "special edition’" trims it's hard to keep track – especially considering most aren't that different from the stock bikes they are based on. But Triumph is bucking the trend with this Triple Tribute Edition Trident 660, which should appeal to those passionate about Triumph Motorcycles and the storied Isle of Man TT.
Category: Motorcycles, Transport
Tags: Triumph, Isle of Man TT, Racing
Horizon Aircraft just made aviation history, becoming the first eVTOL to achieve a stable wing-borne flight transition using a fan-in-wing design with its "large-scale" Cavorite X7 demonstrator. The best part is that this particular aircraft is meant to be just that, a conventional aircraft – that just happens to be able to take off and land vertically like a helicopter.
Tags: Horizon Aircraft, eVTOL, Air Taxis, Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation
We've been looking closely at the reinvigorated ultralight freestanding backpacking tent segment lately, but it hasn't escaped us that there are much lighter ways of sheltering down in the backwoods. They just tend to offer a little less protection and require a little more set-up finesse. The Hyperlite Bug Bivy is about as light as a full-body shelter gets, designed to pack down to water bottle size and carry easily on the longest of journeys. At camp, it provides full protection from the biting bugs that would otherwise make the entire trip miserable.
Tags: Backpacking, Bikepacking, Shelter, Camping, Outdoors and Camping, Lightweight, Tent
The Bellbird is a compact, single-level tiny house designed for up to two people. Best suited for warmer climates, it encourages indoor/outdoor living via its porch and offers lots of optional upgrades, including off-grid functionality.
Category: Tiny Houses, Lifestyle
Tags: Micro-House, Tiny Footprint, Building and Construction, House, Home
