It's hard to believe that we at Machines Like Us have posted articles daily without a break for 7 years. We're taking a well-deserved vacation from May 12th - May 15, and will resume posting on May 16th. In the mean time, feel ...

The sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is a symbol of spiritual purity and longevity. Its seeds can survive up to 1,300 years, its petals and leaves repel grime and water, and its flowers generate heat to attract pollinators. Now researche...

There is a fundamental chasm in our understanding of ourselves, the universe, and everything. To solve this, Sir Martin takes us on a mind-boggling journey through multiple universes to post-biological life. On the way we learn of the di...

All measurements of a continuously varying quantity (length, weight, mass, etc.) have some level of uncertainty (more commonly referred to as the ‘error’) associated with them, due to the limits of the measuring instrument or limitations...

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have successfully tested their novel anti-cocaine vaccine in primates, bringing them closer to launching human clinical trials. Their study, published online by the journal Neuropsychopharmac...

Many people express objections against child labor, exploitation of the workforce or meat production involving cruelty against animals. At the same time, however, people ignore their own moral standards when acting as market participants...

To eventually use stem cells in regenerative medicine, scientists need to understand how stem cells become organized into particular tissue patterns and shapes. With that in mind, researchers at USC recently found clues by studying the c...

For plants and animals forced to tough out harsh winter weather, the coverlet of snow that blankets the north country is a refuge, a stable beneath-the-snow habitat that gives essential respite from biting winds and subzero temperatures....

Many states are using the technology to scan driver’s licenses to prevent identity fraud. It led to the arrest of a suspected arsonist in New York. And while facial recognition technology could not identify the Boston Marathon bombing su...

A comprehensive five-year study by University of Calgary ecologists—which included monitoring the activity of wolves, elk, cattle and humans—indicates that two accepted principles of how ecosystems naturally operate could be overshadowed...