Plotting

 Popular Science


Robots square off in world's first humanoid boxing match

Popular Science

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. After decades of being tortured, shoved, kicked, burned, and bludgeoned, robots are finally getting their chance to fight back. This weekend, Chinese robotics maker Unitree says it will livestream the world's first boxing match between two of its humanoid robots. The event, titled Unitree Iron Fist King: Awakening, will feature a face-off between two of Unitree's 4.3-foot-tall G1 robots. The robots will reportedly be remotely controlled by human engineers, though they are also expected to demonstrate some autonomous, pre-programmed actions as well.


Forget Cocomelon--this kids' app won't rot their brains

Popular Science

If your child loves their tablet, but you struggle with finding appropriate games, try Pok Pok, a learning app for kids aged 2-8 that doesn't feel like learning. It features a collection of calming, open-ended digital toys that help children explore STEM, problem-solving, creativity, and more without ads, in-app purchases, or overstimulation. Built by parents in collaboration with early childhood experts, Pok Pok offers a Montessori-inspired experience that supports healthy screen time and lifelong learning. Kids using Pok Pok build foundational skills in STEM, problem-solving, language, numbers, cause and effect, and emotional development. Each game is open-ended, so there's no "winning" or "losing."


Florida man rigs drone to save drowning teen

Popular Science

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Drones can be a divisive subject, but they do have their uses (beyond causing mass panic). Professional unpiloted aerial vehicles (UAVs) are already instrumental in conservation efforts and engineering projects, but even personal use drones do more than recording cool aerial shots of your vacation. In the case of a recent emergency in Florida, one man's drone helped save a teenager's life. Earlier this month, amateur shark fisherman Andrew Smith was convinced by a friend to come with them to Pensacola Beach after getting off from work.


Got a million-dollar idea? This AI-powered business software helps you build it and now it's 73% off

Popular Science

Do you have a million-dollar business idea? Sellful is ready to help you bring it to market. This AI-powered white-label website builder and software is an all-in-one tool to get your business up and running, and right now it's just 349.97 (reg. Whether you want to start a side hustle or quit your job and pour everything into your new venture, Sellful will be your first hire. This AI-powered platform can be an employee who wears multiple hats, acting as a web developer, marketer, and HR consultant.


Boost your workflow for life with this 60 AI assistant

Popular Science

How often do you wish you had an assistant at work? Let Swatle be your AI-powered partner, helping you tackle your projects efficiently. And luckily, a premium lifetime subscription can be yours now for just 59.99 (reg. Think of Swatle as your right-hand tool, serving as an AI-powered productivity partner ready to help you manage projects, automate repetitive tasks, and even organize your whole team's workflow. Thanks to Swatle's artificial intelligence, it even adapts to your individual needs as you go.


Dogs can fulfill our need to nurture

Popular Science

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Just as birth rates decline in many wealthy and developed nations, dog parenting is remaining steady and even gaining in popularity. Up to half of households in Europe and 66 percent of homes in the United States have at least one dog and these pets are often regarded as a family member or "fur baby." To dig into what this shift says about our society, researchers from Eรถtvรถs Lorรกnd University in Budapest, Hungary conducted a literature review to analyze the data. They propose that while dogs do not replace children, they can offer a chance to fulfill an innate nurturing drive similar to parenting, but with fewer demands than raising biological children.


143,000 people teamed up to tie the world's top chess player

Popular Science

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Magnus Carlsen is an undisputed titan in the world of chess. In 2011 at the age of 19, the Swedish grandmaster became the youngest person to ever top the International Chess Federation (FIDE) world rankings--a position he's occupied ever since. Carlsen holds the record for the highest official rating level in history, and currently trails only Gary Kasparov for the longest time spent as the sport's highest ranking player. So what would it take for the everyday chess enthusiast to give him a run for his money?


Plants can hear tiny wing flaps of pollinators

Popular Science

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Our planet runs on pollinators. Without bees, moths, weevils, and more zooming around and spreading plants' reproductive cells, plants and important crops would not grow. Without plants we would not breathe or eat. When these crucial pollinating species visit flowers and other plants, they produce a number of characteristic sounds, such as wing flapping when hovering, landing, and taking off.


College students demolish world record for fastest Rubik's cube robot

Popular Science

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Mitsubishi's bragging rights for designing the world's fastest Rubik's cube-solving robot have officially been stolen by a team of undergrads in Indiana. Earlier this month, Purdue University announced four collaborators in its Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) successfully designed and built a bot that not only set the new Guinness World Record--it absolutely demolished the multinational company's previous time. Meet Purdubik's Cube: a machine capable of completing a randomly shuffled Rubik's cube in just 0.103 seconds. At 1-2 times faster than the blink of a human eye, the feat is difficult to see, much less comprehend.


31 million tons of seaweed ready to stink up Florida's beaches

Popular Science

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. A smelly, sometimes toxic "killer belt of seaweed" might put a damper on Floridians' Memorial Day weekend plans. Sargassum is back just in time for the unofficial start of summer and this year's influx of the brown algae would be record breaking at 31 million tons. Sargassum is a genus of large brown seaweed. As a seaweed, it is also a type of algae.