Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Evolution Gym Sculpts Novel Robot Bodies and Brains

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December 14, 2021

Dear Reader,

Researchers have created a virtual "gym" for testing robot designs. Within this digital space, they can apply the principles of evolution to develop odd-looking machines that excel at specific tasks. 

Sophie Bushwick, Associate Editor, Technology
@sophiebushwick

Robotics

Evolution Gym Sculpts Novel Robot Bodies and Brains

The virtual robots look weird, but they get the job done

By Prachi Patel

Engineering

3-D-Printed Chicken Dinner Cooked by Lasers

A laser-focused chef prints and cooks complex designs

By Huanjia Zhang

Privacy

Hacking the Ransomware Problem

Organizations can act to protect themselves, but collaboration is the best defense

By The Editors

Archaeology

Pompeii's Ruins to Be Reconstructed by Robot

An ambitious project is underway to develop a robot with enough smarts, strength and sensitivity to restore fragmented archaeological remains

By Jen Pinkowski

Robotics

To Better Persuade a Human, a Robot Should Use This Trick

A new study finds that, for robots, overlords are less persuasive than peers.

By Karen Hopkin | 12:00

Renewable Energy

Chip Shortage Threatens Biden's Electric Vehicle Plans, Commerce Secretary Says

The administration hopes to gain support for a bill to domestic semiconductor manufacturing

By David Ferris,E&E News

Aerospace

Sustainable Aviation Fuel Aces Helicopter and Plane Flight Tests

The biofuel, made from used cooking oil, could help the aviation industry cut climate-threatening carbon emissions

By Dhananjay Khadilkar

Engineering

Top 10 Emerging Technologies for 2021

Innovations to help tackle societal challenges—especially climate change

Computing

What is 'The Cloud' and How Does it Pervade Our Lives?

It governs a lot of your digital life these days, but the story of where it first materialized is likely deeper than you know. 

By Michael Tabb,Jeffery DelViscio,Andrea Gawrylewski
FROM THE STORE

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"If left unpatched, the bug in the Java-logging library Apache Log4j could be used by cyberattackers to take over computer servers, potentially putting favorite online services, as well as consumer devices, at risk of failure."

Bree Fowler, CNET

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FROM THE ARCHIVE

Soft Robot Hand Is First to Be Fully 3-D-Printed in a Single Step

Then it played Super Mario Bros.

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