science
With this brain map we are one step closer to total fruit fly simulation
In a way, fruit flies are just like us. They have eyes, legs, nervous systems, and they love fruit. Unlike us, however, they only have a few thousand neurons in their brains, which means scientists ca
Space tomatoes and prescription yogurt incubator rocket to the ISS
If astronauts are going to undertake multiyear missions or establish a sustainable presence on the moon and Mars, they’ll need fresh food and medical supplies, not exactly easy to come by off-pl
Perceptron: Multilingual, laughing, Pitfall-playing and streetwise AI
Research in the field of machine learning and AI, now a key technology in practically every industry and company, is far too voluminous for anyone to read it all. This column, Perceptron, aims to col
Finally, an underwater messaging app
Don’t you hate it when, after going just five or 10 meters underwater, you lose signal completely? Now this vexing limitation of modern technology is being addressed by researchers at the Univer
Perceptron: Face-tracking ‘earables,’ analog AI chips and accelerating particle accelerators
Research in the field of machine learning and AI, now a key technology in practically every industry and company, is far too voluminous for anyone to read it all. This column, Perceptron, aims to col
New White House directive will require free access to studies funded by tax dollars
A new White House directive will require academic journals to provide immediate access to papers that are publicly funded. Announced Thursday, the policy, which will be phased in over the next several
From ‘literally zero’ experience to $100M, this VC is raising his second climate tech seed fund
If you ask me, climate tech investor Contrarian Ventures isn’t so contrarian anymore. The five-year-old firm is targeting $100 million for its second seed-stage fund, and it’s doing so sma
A year in the making, BigScience’s AI language model is finally available
After more than a year of planning and training, a volunteer-led project has produced an open source language model that they claim is as powerful as OpenAI’s GPT-3, but free and open for anyone
‘How can you understand life if you don’t look at it live?’ — Eikon Therapeutics rakes in $518M
Adam Goulburn, a partner at Lux Capital, was first struck by Eikon Therapeutics’ pitch to use super microscopes to develop drugs when founder Eric Betzig posed a simple question: How can you underst
‘Flying’ microchips could ride the wind to track air pollution
Researchers have created a winged microchip around the size of a sand grain that may be the smallest flying device yet made. They're designed to be carried around by the wind and track pollution.
GSK and R/GA Ventures are launching a health studio for startups
GSK Next, the innovation arm of GSK Consumer Healthcare, is launching a new mentorship and business development program. Called the Re/Wire Health Studio, the program will eventually select six startu
With its newest round, Liquid Death will exclusively ‘murder your thirst’ at Live Nation events
Liquid Death, a four-year-old, LA-based canned mountain water startup that has steadily garnered market share and press coverage by promising, amusingly, to “murder your thirst,” just ra
Erase All Kittens raises $1M seed round for Mario-style game which teaches girls to code
Erase All Kittens (EAK) is an edtech startup that created a “Mario-style” web-based game designed for kids aged 8-12. However, the game has a twist: it places an emphasis on inspiring girl
Watch a monkey equipped with Elon Musk’s Neuralink device play Pong with its brain
Elon Musk’s Neuralink, one of his many companies and the only one currently focused on mind control (that we’re aware of), has released a new blog post and video detailing some of its rece
Curran Biotech’s new nanocoating could prevent indoor transmission of COVID-19
A new nanocoating from Curran Biotech could dramatically improve air filtration to prevent the spread of COVID-19 indoors. Their Capture Coating technology acts as a supplement to any household or com
VC Lindy Fishburne on the seemingly sudden democratization of science
Deep science investor Lindy Fishburne cofounded the seed- and early-stage venture firm Breakout Ventures several years ago, after cofounding Breakout Labs within the Thiel Foundation back in 2011, and
Toronto’s UHN launches a study to see if Apple Watch can spot worsening heart failure
A new study underway at Toronto’s University Health Network (UHN), a group of working research hospitals in the city, could shift our approach to treatment in an area of growing concern in human
Tappity raises $1.3M for its interactive and educational video library for kids
When kids today want to learn about a new topic they’re interested in, they’ll often turn to YouTube. But the quality of the educational content on the platform can be hit or miss, dependi
Watch SpaceX’s stunning Starship prototype ‘hop’ test flight and landing
SpaceX achieved a big win in their Starship spacecraft development program on Tuesday evening, flying the SN5 prototype of that future vehicle to a height of around 500 feet, propelled by a single Rap
NASA signs agreement with Japan to cooperate across Space Station, Artemis and Lunar Gateway projects
NASA has signed a new agreement with Japan that lays out plans for the two nations to cooperate on the International Space Station (continuing existing partnership between the countries there) as well