How Webb’s 18 mirror segments work as one
Webb’s mirror folded for launch and was precisely aligned afterward. Beneath its thin gold coating lies lightweight, stable beryllium.
Tech
A flying robot with 40 pigeon feathers
PigeonBot folds feathered wings through wrist- and finger-like movements. It studies wing shape and control rather than flapping propulsion.
A gripper for space robots, inspired by gecko feet
JPL’s Gecko Gripper explores controlled attachment and release, using directional adhesion to handle objects ordinary jaws struggle to grasp.
122 grams of oxygen made on Mars
MOXIE made 122 grams of oxygen from Martian carbon dioxide, testing a process relevant to both breathing and a return rocket.
A satellite measuring river width and water level together
SWOT records water height and width to help examine stretches of river between ground stations.
What specimens go into a zoo’s freezer?
The Smithsonian’s cryopreservation work keeps biological specimens alongside efforts to care for living animals.
Gaia’s map keeps taking shape after its last starlight
ESA’s Gaia repeatedly measured the positions of stars. Turning those observations into a map continues after observing has ended.
Pointing to documents with the Xerox Alto’s rolling mouse
The Xerox Alto of the 1970s demonstrated a way of working with things on a screen by pointing to them.
Why parks and parking lots show different colors on satellite heat maps
Landsat thermal imagery shows how differently sunlit surfaces can warm up within the same city.
Seaboard: a keyboard you play by pressing and sliding
ROLI's Seaboard 2 responds to finger movements after the initial strike. Pressing, wiggling, and sliding let players shape the pitch and timbre of a sustained note.
The new MacBook Pro adds a touchscreen
Apple has announced MacBook Pro models with a touch-enabled PROLED XDR display. Ahead of their November 6 release, we look at what changes for the screen and its controls.
Dot Pad puts pictures and graphs beneath the fingertips
Moving pins turn images and graphs into tactile information. Dot Pad X’s main graphic area and separate Braille line serve different purposes.