Robot roundup

World's oldest pair of pants

To view this email as a web page, go here.

3/28/22 Thank you for subscribing to The Cheat Sheet, from Science News for Students. If you like this newsletter, share it with a friend or colleague. Did someone forward this to you? Sign up for our weekly updates. Got questions, suggestions or comments? Email us at sns@sciencenews.org and put “The Cheat Sheet” in the subject line. We’d love to hear from you. Coming Soon  National Robotics Week is April 2–10. In honor of this annual event to get students excited about robotics, here are a few of our favorite robots that have been highlighted in Science News for Students stories:   (1) A robot named Jackal moves like R2-D2 but has the manners of C-3PO. It learned human social rules for politely navigating a crowd — keeping right, passing left and respecting other pedestrians’ personal space.  (2) A machine called OroBot was built to reveal how the ancient lizardlike creature Orobates pabsti might have gotten around. OroBot’s gait — based on O. pabsti fossils and footprints — suggests the animal walked, rather than slithered like a salamander. (3) Not all robots are bulky metal machines. A team at Harvard built one bot that gently captures jellyfish in soft silicone fingers to avoid squishing the fragile creatures.   (4) Some robots might be considered bio-machine hybrids. By attaching electrodes to the leaves of Venus flytraps, researchers created nimble bionic grippers. (5) One fleet of small robots has mastered the quick change. These bots put on different origami outfits to walk, roll or sail around.  Science News is a nonprofit. We depend on our readers to support our journalism. You can help by subscribing for as little as $25.   SUBSCRIBE NOW   Catch up with the latest from Science News for Students Explainer: The body’s immune system: An army of cells — and their protein arsenal — work to keep us safe. Several squads of special forces possess unique superpowers to disable or kill intruders. Readability: 7.5 Resources: power words, video The earliest known pants are surprisingly modern — and comfy:This 3,000-year-old garment was not only stylish but also functional. By recreating it, scientists also unraveled its complex and multicultural origins. Readability: 7.7 Resources: classroom questions, power words, alternate version at Science News Sickle-cell gene therapies offer hope — and challenges: Doctor Erica Esrick discusses existing treatments and an ongoing clinical trial for a gene therapy to treat sickle cell disease. Readability: 7.6 Resources: classroom questions, power words, video, alternate version at Science News The end of the dinosaurs appears to have come in springtime: Fish fossils from North Dakota suggest in what season the Chicxulub asteroid devastated Earth, triggering the mass extinction of dinosaurs and other species. Readability: 8.0 Resources: classroom questions, power words, alternate version at Science News Explainer: What is sickle cell disease?: Gene mutations can alter an individual’s hemoglobin in ways that curl their blood cells. This can cause painful disease. Readability: 7.7 Resources: power words, video A disinfectant made from sawdust knocks out deadly microbes: It’s made by pressure-cooking sawdust and water. Cheap and easy to make, it could also lead to greener cleaning products than chemicals used today.  Readability: 7.2 Resources: classroom questions, power words Scientists Say: Machine learning: Machine learning allows computers to learn new skills without programmers having to write out step-by-step instructions. Readability: 6.8 Resources: power words, audio recording Inside Science News for Students This year’s Regeneron Science Talent Search brought together high school seniors from across the country who have achieved remarkable feats of science and engineering. Some of the teens invented new tech , including at-home earthquake detectors and mind-controlled prostheses. Others explored the effects of existing technology, such as how social media feeds expose users to unhealthy ads. Read these and other stories in our Competition Science collection.    Find out more about the resources available for using Science News for Students stories for learning. And if you like this newsletter, please share it with a friend or colleague. Did someone share this with you? Subscribe to this newsletter here. If you’ve got questions, suggestions or comments, email us at sns@sciencenews.org. Thank you for reading! Privacy policy  |  Update Profile  | Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe This email was sent by: Society for Science 1719 N Street NW Washington, DC, 20036, US