What is Nest? Why did Google buy it for $3.2 Billon
AdultsArtificial IntelligenceDesign...Nest builds products like this thermostat that can be remotely set via your smartphone or tablet to automatically adjust to a particular temperature. It also connects to Wi-Fi to analyze and compare the outside weather with your indoor environment in real-time. The thermostat even has a sensor with a 150-degree range to detect when you're not home, so it can adjust the temperature accordingly, and save energy.
The mystery of motion sickness
AdultsHealthScienceAlthough one third of the population suffers from motion sickness, scientists aren't exactly sure what causes it. Like the common cold, it's a seemingly simple problem that's still without a cure. And if you think it's bad on a long family car ride, imagine being a motion sick astronaut! Rose Eveleth explains what's happening in our bodies when we get the car sick blues.
Get Every Last Bit Out Of Bottles Of Lotion, Mayo, And Even Glue
AdultsCreativityFoodWatch never-before-seen videos of an MIT-developed lubricant called LiquiGlide that makes anything--syrup, ketchup, paint--slide right out of the bottle so you don't waste a drop. The applications start in the kitchen, but they extend into almost every industry. More Videos
The Quest for a Better Digital Record of Our Lives
AdultsSoftware EngineeringStartups...Have you thought about how much of life goes missing from your memories? Many fantastic and special moments become blurred together after a while and it feels like life just rushes by, too fast for us to grasp. The team at Narrative wanted to find a way to relive more of our lives in the future - and enjoy the present as it happens. Narrative Website
What Causes Traffic Jams?
AdultsScienceTransportation...It's happened to all of us: we're cruising down the freeway and suddenly find ourselves stuck in a thick jam of other cars. Where did they come from? What caused the traffic mess? Scientific American editor Larry Greenemeier explains.
How sugar affects the brain
AdultsBiologyHealth...When you eat something loaded with sugar, your taste buds, your gut and your brain all take notice. This activation of your reward system is not unlike how bodies process addictive substances such as alcohol or nicotine -- an overload of sugar spikes dopamine levels and leaves you craving more. Nicole Avena explains why sweets and treats should be enjoyed in moderation.
The Invisible Universe Of The Human Microbiome
AdultsBiologyHumanThe next time you look in a mirror, think about this: In many ways you're more microbe than human. There are 10 times more cells from microorganisms like bacteria and fungi in and on our bodies than there are human cells. But these tiny compatriots are invisible to the naked eye. So we asked artist Ben Arthur to give us a guided tour of the rich universe of the human microbiome.
MiniDrone And Leaping Sumo Rolling Bot
AdultsGadgetsTechnologyParrot MiniDrone: A miniature drone piloted in Bluetooth Smart with a Smartphone or a tablet, that flies... and rolls from floor to ceiling. Parrot Jumping Sumo: The first robot-insect, controlled in Wi-Fi 2.4 or 5GHz with a Smartphone or a tablet that spins, jumps up to 80 cm and takes 90 degree turns.
These Japanese Scientists Discovered A Way To Levitate Objects Using Sound
AdultsScienceTechnologyDroplets, pellets, a stick of wood, nuts, screws, diodes, if the object in question is small enough, than this machine can not only lift them into the air and hold it in place, but move them around on all three axes
Should we eat bugs?
AdultsFoodHealthWhat's tasty, abundant and high in protein? Bugs! Although less common outside the tropics, entomophagy, the practice of eating bugs, was once extremely widespread throughout cultures. You may feel icky about munching on insects, but they feed about 2 billion people each day (Mmm, fried tarantulas).
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
AdultsFilmMarketingA growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth's dominant species.
300 Years of Fossil Fuels in 300 Seconds
AdultsGlobal WarmingHistoryFossil fuels have powered human growth and ingenuity for centuries. Now that we're reaching the end of cheap and abundant oil and coal supplies, we're in for an exciting ride. While there's a real risk that we'll fall off a cliff, there's still time to control our transition to a post-carbon future.
How we found the giant squid
AdultsAnimalsWorld...Humankind has been looking for the giant squid (Architeuthis) since we first started taking pictures underwater. But the elusive deep-sea predator could never be caught on film. Oceanographer and inventor Edith Widder shares the key insight that helped to capture the squid on camera for the first time.
A quick tour of Tesla's electric car factory in California
AdultsTechnologyTransportation...Tesla Motors has kicked off production of the gorgeous Model S into overdrive, cranking out some 400 cars a week on one of the world's most advanced automotive production lines.
Hong Kong's bamboo scaffolding
AdultsCitiesConstruction...It takes strength, skill and, most importantly, intellect to erecting intricate webs of sky-high walls and platforms strong enough to hold a legion of construction workers.
Google Just Bought This Company Which Makes Robots Like This One
AdultsGadgetsTechnologyWildCat is a four-legged robot being developed to run fast on all types of terrain. So far WildCat has run at about 16 mph on flat terrain using bounding and galloping gaits.