ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• Fossil of 'early spider' discovered; 305 million years old
• Second quantum revolution a reality with chip-based atomic physics
• Indian dancing frog's secretive tadpoles unearthed from sand beds
• Transparent wood could one day help brighten homes and buildings
• Basketball games mimic nature
• Personality influences how one reacts to email errors
• Ant antennae are a two-way communication system
• Wood windows? Transparent wood material used for buildings, solar cells

Fossil of 'early spider' discovered; 305 million years old Posted: 30 Mar 2016 09:42 PM PDT Researchers have discovered the fossil of a 305-million-year-old arachnid, which will help scientists to understand more about the early origins of modern-day spiders.

Second quantum revolution a reality with chip-based atomic physics Posted: 30 Mar 2016 03:44 PM PDT Physicists believe chip-based atomic physics holds promise to make the second quantum revolution -- the engineering of quantum matter with arbitrary precision -- a reality. With recent technological advances in fabrication and trapping, hybrid quantum systems are emerging as ideal platforms for a diverse range of studies in quantum control, quantum simulation and computing.

Indian dancing frog's secretive tadpoles unearthed from sand beds Posted: 30 Mar 2016 12:20 PM PDT A new tadpole that burrows through sand has been unearthed from the streambeds in the Western Ghats of India, according to a recent study.

Transparent wood could one day help brighten homes and buildings Posted: 30 Mar 2016 09:34 AM PDT When it comes to indoor lighting, nothing beats the sun's rays streaming in through windows. Soon, that natural light could be shining through walls, too. Scientists have developed transparent wood that could be used in building materials and could help home and building owners save money on their artificial lighting costs. Their material also could find application in solar cell windows.

Basketball games mimic nature Posted: 30 Mar 2016 09:34 AM PDT Behind the apparent randomness of a basketball game, a process of self-organization is actually taking place amid the teams. The interactions between team mates and opponents are constantly influencing each other while the game itself allows for creative behaviors to emerge. This phenomenon, detected by researchers after analyzing over 6,000 NBA games, resembles the way in which living things must continually evolve in order to survive in nature.

Personality influences how one reacts to email errors Posted: 30 Mar 2016 09:29 AM PDT When reading emails, do you become the 'grammar police?' You no who you aer: the person who thinks its her job too catch every typo or gramatical errur?

Ant antennae are a two-way communication system Posted: 30 Mar 2016 07:33 AM PDT Scientists have shone a new light into the complexities of ant communication, with the discovery that ants not only pick up information through their antennae, but also use them to convey social signals.

Wood windows? Transparent wood material used for buildings, solar cells Posted: 30 Mar 2016 05:57 AM PDT Windows and solar panels in the future could be made from one of the best — and cheapest — construction materials known: wood. Researchers have developed a new transparent wood material that's suitable for mass production.

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An up-close view of bacterial 'motors' Posted: 29 Mar 2016 12:34 PM PDT Over millennia, bacteria have evolved a variety of specialized mechanisms to move themselves through their particular environments. In two recent studies researchers used a state-of-the-art imaging technique to capture, for the first time, three-dimensional views of this tiny complicated machinery in bacteria.

Psychotherapy for depressed rats shows genes aren't destiny Posted: 29 Mar 2016 08:24 AM PDT Genes are not destiny in determining whether a person will suffer from depression, reports a new study. Nurture can override nature. When rats genetically bred for depression received the equivalent of rat 'psychotherapy,' their depressed behavior was alleviated. And, after the depressed rats had the therapy, some of their blood biomarkers for depression changed to non-depressed levels.

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A world map of Neanderthal and Denisovan ancestry in modern humans Posted: 28 Mar 2016 10:35 AM PDT Most non-Africans possess at least a little bit Neanderthal DNA. But a new map of archaic ancestry suggests that many bloodlines around the world, particularly of South Asian descent, may actually be a bit more Denisovan, a mysterious population of hominids that lived around the same time as the Neanderthals. The analysis also proposes that modern humans interbred with Denisovans about 100 generations after their trysts with Neanderthals.

Conspicuous consumption may drive fertility down Posted: 28 Mar 2016 07:57 AM PDT A new mathematical model shows how fertility goes down as the cost of achieving social status goes up. The study authors developed a mathematical model showing that their argument is plausible from a biological point of view.

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Human ancestors explored 'out of Africa' despite impaired nasal faculties Posted: 24 Mar 2016 11:53 AM PDT In humans inhaled air is conditioned poorly in the nasal cavity in comparison with primates, such as chimpanzees and macaques, according a recent study. Unlike our protruding external nose, which has little effect on improving air conditioning performance, other hominins (including australopithecines) were endowed with flat nasal features and faculties to improve air conditioning.

Nanocrystal self-assembly sheds its secrets Posted: 24 Mar 2016 11:32 AM PDT The secret to a long-hidden magic trick behind the self-assembly of nanocrystal structures is starting to be revealed.

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• Boost fundraising with something simple: Sandpaper
• Creation of minimal cell with just the genes needed for independent life
• Moving microswimmers using magnetic vortices

Boost fundraising with something simple: Sandpaper Posted: 25 Mar 2016 06:37 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that touching rough surfaces increases awareness of discomfort in our surroundings, which can trigger empathy. This leads to more interest in donating to charities.

Creation of minimal cell with just the genes needed for independent life Posted: 24 Mar 2016 11:54 AM PDT Researchers have designed and synthesized a minimal bacterial genome, containing only the genes necessary for life, and consisting of just 473 genes.

Moving microswimmers using magnetic vortices Posted: 24 Mar 2016 11:32 AM PDT Scientistshave discovered a way to use a microscopic, swirling flow to rapidly clear a circle of tiny bacteria or swimming robots.

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• Modified maggots could help human wound healing
• Earth's moon wandered off axis billions of years ago
• Brad Pitt's and fruit flies' cowlicks controlled by cancer protein
• Using frog foam to deliver antibiotics
• In the wilds of the Local Group, a lonely galaxy stays set apart

Modified maggots could help human wound healing Posted: 23 Mar 2016 03:56 PM PDT In a proof-of-concept study, researchers show that genetically engineered green bottle fly larvae can produce and secrete a human growth factor -- a molecule that helps promote cell growth and wound healing.

Earth's moon wandered off axis billions of years ago Posted: 23 Mar 2016 12:20 PM PDT A new study reports Earth's moon wandered off its original axis roughly 3 billion years ago. Ancient lunar ice indicates the moon's axis slowly shifted by 125 miles, or 6 degrees, over 1 billion years. Earth's moon now a member of solar system's exclusive 'true polar wander' club, which includes just a handful of other planetary bodies.

Brad Pitt's and fruit flies' cowlicks controlled by cancer protein Posted: 23 Mar 2016 08:55 AM PDT What does Brad Pitt have in common with a fruit fly? His Hollywood hairstyles cover a prominent cowlick -- the swirl of hair that that is caused by a patterning mechanism also active in our two-winged friends -- that similarly feature 'polarized' hair patterns.

Using frog foam to deliver antibiotics Posted: 23 Mar 2016 05:22 AM PDT Scientists have shown that the foam made by Trinidadian frogs represents a new, non-toxic antibiotic delivery system that may help to prevent infections. Researchers have been analysing the frog foam, showing that it is highly stable and capable of taking up drugs before releasing them at a stable rate.

In the wilds of the Local Group, a lonely galaxy stays set apart Posted: 23 Mar 2016 05:20 AM PDT This scene, captured by ESO's OmegaCAM on the VLT Survey Telescope, shows a lonely galaxy known as Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte, or WLM for short. Although considered part of our Local Group of dozens of galaxies, WLM stands alone at the group's outer edges as one of its most remote members. In fact, the galaxy is so small and secluded that it may never have interacted with any other Local Group galaxy -- or perhaps even any other galaxy in the history of the Universe.

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• Astronomers report most 'outrageously' luminous galaxies ever observed
• Printing nanomaterials with plasma
• Single bacteria grows 60 percent better on the International Space Station than on Earth
• More ancient viruses lurk in our DNA than we thought

Astronomers report most 'outrageously' luminous galaxies ever observed Posted: 22 Mar 2016 01:16 PM PDT Astronomers report that they have observed the most luminous galaxies ever seen in the Universe, objects so bright that established descriptors such as 'ultra-' and 'hyper-luminous' used to describe previously brightest known galaxies don't even come close. The lead author says, 'We've taken to calling them 'outrageously luminous' among ourselves, because there is no scientific term to apply.'

Printing nanomaterials with plasma Posted: 22 Mar 2016 09:00 AM PDT Printing has come a long way since the days of Johannes Gutenberg. Now, researchers have developed a new method that uses plasma to print nanomaterials onto a 3-D object or flexible surface, such as paper or cloth. The technique could make it easier and cheaper to build devices like wearable chemical and biological sensors, flexible memory devices and batteries, and integrated circuits.

Single bacteria grows 60 percent better on the International Space Station than on Earth Posted: 22 Mar 2016 07:07 AM PDT Researchers grew microbes collected from sports teams, historical monuments, museums, spacecraft, and schools and sent them to the International Space Station (ISS) for growth in space. While most of the microbes looked similar on Earth and in space, one type of bacteria actually grew much better in space.

More ancient viruses lurk in our DNA than we thought Posted: 22 Mar 2016 07:07 AM PDT Think your DNA is all human? Think again. And a new discovery suggests it's even less human than scientists previously thought. Nineteen new pieces of non-human DNA -- left by viruses that first infected our ancestors hundreds of thousands of years ago -- have just been found, lurking between our own genes.

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• City birds are smarter than country birds
• Seeing isn't required to gesture like a native speaker
• Morphing metal shapes future of soft robotics
• Narcissistic artists sell more art, for more money

City birds are smarter than country birds Posted: 21 Mar 2016 12:40 PM PDT Birds living in urban environments are smarter than birds from rural environments. But, why do city birds have the edge over their country friends? They adapted to their urban environments enabling them to exploit new resources more favorably then their rural counterparts.

Seeing isn't required to gesture like a native speaker Posted: 21 Mar 2016 10:55 AM PDT People the world over gesture when they talk, and they tend to gesture in certain ways depending on the language they speak. Findings from a new study including blind and sighted participants suggest that these gestural variations do not emerge from watching other speakers make the gestures, but from learning the language itself.

Morphing metal shapes future of soft robotics Posted: 21 Mar 2016 08:03 AM PDT Engineers have created a hybrid material featuring stiff metal and soft, porous rubber foam that combines the best properties of both -- stiffness when it's called for, and elasticity when a change of shape is required. The material also has the ability to self-heal following damage.

Narcissistic artists sell more art, for more money Posted: 21 Mar 2016 05:14 AM PDT The pricing of artwork is often left up to the experts, but are they being swayed by unconscious signals the artists may be giving in the presentation of their work? A new study finds narcissism is positively associated with market performance of artworks, and contradicts previous research that concludes narcissism is short term and transient.

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Engineering student’s late night caffeine craving inspires travel mug that brews its own coffee Posted: 16 Mar 2016 11:05 AM PDT When Joseph Hyman '11, mechanical engineering, was a student at UMBC, he was sitting in the library craving a fresh, hot cup of coffee, when an idea struck him: Wouldn't it be great if a travel mug could brew its own coffee?

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• Most eccentric planet ever known flashes astronomers with reflected light
• Out for blood: Fluid dynamics explain how quickly a vampire could drain your blood
• The linguistics of signifying time: The human gesture as clock
• First successful extraction of ancient DNA from a southern African mummy

Most eccentric planet ever known flashes astronomers with reflected light Posted: 18 Mar 2016 03:16 PM PDT A team of astronomers has spotted an extrasolar planet that boasts the most eccentric orbit ever seen. The planet moves in a flattened ellipse, traveling a long path far from its star and then making a fast slingshot around the star at its closest approach. Researchers detected a 'flash' of starlight bouncing off the planet's atmosphere as it made its closest orbital approach to its star.

Out for blood: Fluid dynamics explain how quickly a vampire could drain your blood Posted: 18 Mar 2016 08:15 AM PDT Throughout human history there have been tales of vampires -- bloodsucking creatures of folklore that prey on their victims by draining their life essence, usually via the blood. To coincide with the 85th anniversary of Tod Browning's 'Dracula' (1931), students have used fluid dynamics to examine how long it would take for the undead fiend to drain an average human's blood -- and have calculated that it would take only 6.4 minutes to drain 15 per cent of the blood from the external carotid artery in a human's neck.

The linguistics of signifying time: The human gesture as clock Posted: 17 Mar 2016 12:11 PM PDT A new scientific study documenting the linguistic practices of the Northwestern Amazonian peoples uncovers an unusual method of communicating the human concept of time.

First successful extraction of ancient DNA from a southern African mummy Posted: 16 Mar 2016 07:51 AM PDT Researchers have presented one of the first CT scans of a mummified individual from southern Africa, and also completed the first successful ancient DNA extraction from such remains.

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• Could bread mold build a better rechargeable battery?
• Could Ireland’s ecosystems cope if we introduced St. Patrick’s scaly foes?
• Hubble unveils monster stars
• Communicating vehicles could ease through intersections more efficiently, study finds
• A source accelerating Galactic cosmic rays to unprecedented energy discovered at the center of the Milky Way

Could bread mold build a better rechargeable battery? Posted: 17 Mar 2016 11:58 AM PDT You probably don't think much of fungi, and especially those that turn bread moldy, but researchers have evidence that might just change your mind. Their findings suggest that a red bread mold could be the key to producing more sustainable electrochemical materials for use in rechargeable batteries.

Could Ireland’s ecosystems cope if we introduced St. Patrick’s scaly foes? Posted: 17 Mar 2016 09:06 AM PDT The legend of St. Patrick banishing snakes from the emerald isle some 1,500 years ago is indelibly etched in folklore -- even if science suggests snakes were unlikely to have colonized the country following the last ice age. But what would happen if St. Patrick's scaly foes were introduced now? Experts believe snakes could certainly slither into Ireland's ecosystems if introduced but would likely cause trouble for native ecosystems.

Hubble unveils monster stars Posted: 17 Mar 2016 08:45 AM PDT Astronomers using the unique ultraviolet capabilities of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have identified nine monster stars with masses over 100 times the mass of the Sun in the star cluster R136. This makes it the largest sample of very massive stars identified to date. The results raise many new questions about the formation of massive stars.

Communicating vehicles could ease through intersections more efficiently, study finds Posted: 17 Mar 2016 07:57 AM PDT Imagine a scenario where sensor-laden vehicles pass through intersections by communicating with each other, rather than grinding to a halt at traffic lights. A newly published study claims this kind of traffic-light-free transportation design, if it ever arrives, could allow twice as much traffic to use the roads.

A source accelerating Galactic cosmic rays to unprecedented energy discovered at the center of the Milky Way Posted: 17 Mar 2016 06:50 AM PDT For more than ten years the H.E.S.S. observatory in Namibia, run by an international collaboration of 42 institutions in 12 countries, has been mapping the center of our galaxy in very-high-energy gamma rays. These gamma rays are produced by cosmic rays from the innermost region of the Galaxy. A detailed analysis of the latest H.E.S.S. data reveals for the first time a source of this cosmic radiation at energies never observed before in the Milky Way: the supermassive black hole at the center of the Galaxy, likely to accelerate cosmic rays to energies 100 times larger than those achieved at the largest terrestrial particle accelerator

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• Solving the mystery of the Tully Monster
• This necklace hears what you eat
• Smaller, cheaper microbial fuel cells turn urine into electricity
• Unexpected changes of bright spots on dwarf planet Ceres
• New material could make aircraft de-icers a thing of the past
• Generating electricity with tomato waste

Solving the mystery of the Tully Monster Posted: 16 Mar 2016 12:13 PM PDT The Tully Monster, an oddly configured sea creature with teeth at the end of a narrow, trunk-like extension of its head and eyes that perch on either side of a long, rigid bar, has finally been identified. A team of paleontologists has determined that the 300-million-year-old animal -- which grew to only a foot long -- was a vertebrate, with gills and a stiffened rod (or notochord) that supported its body.

This necklace hears what you eat Posted: 16 Mar 2016 10:09 AM PDT Researchers are developing a necklace that tracks what we eat via microphone and a mobile app.

Smaller, cheaper microbial fuel cells turn urine into electricity Posted: 16 Mar 2016 07:55 AM PDT A new kind of fuel cell that can turn urine into electricity could revolutionize the way we produce bioenergy, particularly in developing countries. The research describes a new design of microbial fuel cell that's smaller, cheaper and more powerful than traditional ones.

Unexpected changes of bright spots on dwarf planet Ceres Posted: 16 Mar 2016 05:27 AM PDT Observations made at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile have revealed unexpected changes in the bright spots on the dwarf planet Ceres. Very careful study of its light shows not only the changes expected as Ceres rotates, but also that the spots brighten during the day and also show other variations. These observations suggest that the material of the spots is volatile and evaporates in the warm glow of sunlight.

New material could make aircraft de-icers a thing of the past Posted: 16 Mar 2016 05:27 AM PDT Instead of applying a deicing agent to strip ice from an aircraft's wings before winter takeoffs, airport personnel could in the future just watch chunks slide right off. Scientists report they have developed a slippery substance that is secreted from a film on the wing's surface as temperatures drop below freezing and retreats back into the film as temperatures rise.

Generating electricity with tomato waste Posted: 16 Mar 2016 05:27 AM PDT A team of scientists is exploring an unusual source of electricity -- damaged tomatoes that are unsuitable for sale at the grocery store. Their pilot project involves a biological-based fuel cell that uses tomato waste left over from harvests in Florida.

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• Astronomers see black hole raging red
• Storks give up on winter migration in favor of junk food
• Whip spiders only look terrifying
• Outsourcing crystal growth...to space
• Unique beak evolved with tool use in New Caledonian crow
• Smartwatches can now track your finger in mid-air using sonar
• Sharkskin actually increases drag
• Photosynthesis more ancient than thought, and most living things could do it
• Female frogs identify own offspring using inner GPS
• Development of a wall-climbing drone
• 'Fairy circles' discovered in Australia
• Fundamentally accurate quantum thermometer
• Pigeon foot feather genes identified

Astronomers see black hole raging red Posted: 15 Mar 2016 07:04 PM PDT Violent red flashes, lasting just fractions of a second, have been observed during one of the brightest black hole outbursts in recent years. In June 2015, a black hole called V404 Cygni underwent dramatic brightening for about two weeks, as it devoured material that it had stripped off an orbiting companion star. V404 Cygni, which is about 7,800 light years from Earth, was the first definitive black hole to be identified in our Galaxy and can appear extremely bright when it is actively devouring material. Astronomers report that the black hole emitted dazzling red flashes lasting just fractions of a second, as it blasted out material that it could not swallow.

Storks give up on winter migration in favor of junk food Posted: 15 Mar 2016 07:02 PM PDT Storks are giving up on winter migration in favor of junk food, new research indicates. The research shows that the birds make round-trips of almost 100km to get their fix. Storks are among a growing number of migratory species that have changed their behavior due to human influences and global environmental change. The research is the first to confirm that white storks are now resident nesting and living near landfill sites all year round.

Whip spiders only look terrifying Posted: 15 Mar 2016 12:35 PM PDT A biologist spent several weeks in dark caves in Puerto Rico inhabited by an estimated 300,000 bats -- many of which whizzed right by him -- as well as snakes, cockroaches and spiders. He was studying poorly understood whip spiders, which are related to spiders and scorpions.

Outsourcing crystal growth...to space Posted: 15 Mar 2016 12:33 PM PDT Researchers have grown crystals and measured the growth rate on the ISS by interferometry to better examine the effects of microgravity.

Unique beak evolved with tool use in New Caledonian crow Posted: 15 Mar 2016 12:33 PM PDT Cornell researchers have quantified what makes the New Caledonian crow's beak different and how it got that way. Their findings were published March 9, 2016 in the journal Scientific Reports.

Smartwatches can now track your finger in mid-air using sonar Posted: 15 Mar 2016 10:21 AM PDT A new sonar technology developed by computer scientists and electrical engineers allows you to interact with mobile devices and smartwatch screens by writing or gesturing on any nearby surface -- a tabletop, a sheet of paper or even in mid-air.

Sharkskin actually increases drag Posted: 15 Mar 2016 09:05 AM PDT To clarify sharkskin's ability to reduce hydrodynamic drag (academically contested for the past 30 years), researchers recently conducted simulations on the ability of the small, tooth-like denticles that make up sharkskin to modify hydrodynamic flow with an unprecedented level of resolution. Far from easing the glide through the water, they found, the structures can actually increase drag by up to 50 percent.

Photosynthesis more ancient than thought, and most living things could do it Posted: 15 Mar 2016 07:41 AM PDT Most modern bacteria descended from ancestors who could convert the Sun's energy to fuel more than 3.5 billion years ago.

Female frogs identify own offspring using inner GPS Posted: 15 Mar 2016 07:35 AM PDT The ability to recognize own offspring and provide preferential care is difficult for the poison frog Allobates femoralis. According to a new study male and female frogs have different strategies for offspring discrimination. Females remember the exact location where they laid their eggs and exhibit preferential behavior toward their own clutches. Males assume that all offspring in their territory are their own.

Development of a wall-climbing drone Posted: 15 Mar 2016 06:06 AM PDT A new wall-climbing drone can approach any type of structure by flying and sticking to the target and utitlizing a pose change and perching mechanism.

'Fairy circles' discovered in Australia Posted: 15 Mar 2016 06:01 AM PDT The circular, barren patches of land, forming a highly regular pattern over the dry grassland of Namibia, were thought to be the only ones of their kind anywhere in the world. But a new study shows that they are not. Researchers have now discovered the baffling structures in the uninhabited Australian outback too. Investigations carried out there have also provided new evidence that these fairy circles result from the way plants organize themselves in response to water shortage.

Fundamentally accurate quantum thermometer Posted: 15 Mar 2016 05:59 AM PDT Better thermometers might be possible as a result of a discovery, where physicists have found a way to calibrate temperature measurements by monitoring the tiny motions of a nanomechanical system that are governed by the often counterintuitive rules of quantum mechanics.

Pigeon foot feather genes identified Posted: 15 Mar 2016 05:59 AM PDT Scientists identified two genes that make some pigeon breeds develop feathered feet known as muffs, while others have scaled feet. The same or similar genes might explain scaled feet in chickens and other birds, and provide insight into how some dinosaurs got feathers before they evolved into birds.

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• Bacteria-powered microrobots navigate with help from new algorithm
• Light illuminates the way for bio-bots
• You are what your parents ate!
• Tunable windows for privacy, camouflage
• Could wearable technology give 'super powers' to humans?
• More than bugs: Spiders also like an occasional vegetarian meal
• DNA 'origami' could help build faster, cheaper computer chips
• Nanomotors could help electronics fix themselves

Bacteria-powered microrobots navigate with help from new algorithm Posted: 14 Mar 2016 06:14 PM PDT Engineers have recently published research on a method for using electric fields to help tiny bio-robots propelled by flagellated bacteria navigate around obstacles in a fluid environment. These microrobots could one day be used for building microscopic devices or even delivering medication at the cellular level.

Light illuminates the way for bio-bots Posted: 14 Mar 2016 01:12 PM PDT A new class of miniature biological robots, or bio-bots, has seen the light -- and is following where the light shines. The bio-bots are powered by muscle cells that have been genetically engineered to respond to light, giving researchers control over the bots' motion, a key step toward their use in applications for health, sensing and the environment.

You are what your parents ate! Posted: 14 Mar 2016 11:07 AM PDT Scientists have shown that diet-induced obesity and diabetes can be epigenetically inherited by the offspring via both the oocytes and the sperm.

Tunable windows for privacy, camouflage Posted: 14 Mar 2016 08:11 AM PDT Researchers have developed a technique that can quickly change the opacity of a window, turning it cloudy, clear or somewhere in between with the flick of a switch.

Could wearable technology give 'super powers' to humans? Posted: 14 Mar 2016 06:13 AM PDT More than just a fad, wearable technology (WT) can change the way we work and give us 'super powers', according to a new study.

More than bugs: Spiders also like an occasional vegetarian meal Posted: 14 Mar 2016 06:11 AM PDT Spiders are known to be the classic example of insectivorous predators. Zoologists have now been able to show that their diet is more diverse than expected. Their findings show that spiders like to spice up their menu with the occasional vegetarian meal.

DNA 'origami' could help build faster, cheaper computer chips Posted: 14 Mar 2016 05:48 AM PDT Electronics manufacturers constantly hunt for ways to make faster, cheaper computer chips, often by cutting production costs or by shrinking component sizes. Now, researchers report that DNA, the genetic material of life, might help accomplish this goal when it is formed into specific shapes through a process reminiscent of the ancient art of paper folding.

Nanomotors could help electronics fix themselves Posted: 14 Mar 2016 05:48 AM PDT As electronics grow ever more intricate, so must the tools required to fix them. Anticipating this challenge, scientists turned to the body's immune system for inspiration and have now built self-propelled nanomotors that can seek out and repair tiny scratches to electronic systems. They could one day lead to flexible batteries, electrodes, solar cells and other gadgets that heal themselves.

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