Jamie Condliffe

Is Math Art?

Sometimes the results of math are sure beautiful—pretty charts, say, or wonderful visualizations. But can maths itself, those long complex equations, be art too? This video explores a new study which suggests that math can be perceived as a beautiful in certain parts of the brain. Obviously it depends a little on the brain in…

Heartbleed Affects Routers, Too

Some more heartache from Heartbleed: it affects routers, too. Cisco Systems and Juniper Networks have announced that the security hole that is Heartbleed has been found in their networking equipment. It’s perhaps not too surprising that the bug—basically a simple flaw in OpenSSL that allows attackers to bypass the usual security protocols used by many…

Facebook’s cleaning up your News Feed a little, ripping out Like-baiting posts, repeated content, and spammy links.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Teardown: You Ain’t Changing Nothing But Its Battery

Samsung’s new Galaxy S5 may well be a tiny step into the future, but while its dimpled back may feel like somewhat of a throwback, its insides claim to be anything but. Now, they’ve been laid bare by iFixit. The crew over at iFixit have torn the S5’s little frame right apart, and happily shared…

Intel Is Experimenting With Fully Immersed Cooling for Computers

Forget your water-cooled gaming rig: Intel is experimenting with a cooling system which fully immerses the entirety of a computer’s electronics in liquid to increase efficiency. IT World reports that Intel has been working with SGI and 3M to develop systems that allow them to immerse entire supercomputers in liquid to reduce energy bills. Their…

These Transformable Living Spaces Are Coming to New-Builds Near You

Was a time when transformable living spaces which flip, fold and swivel to maximize storage and style were the preserve of bespoke furniture. But no longer—as these gorgeous units from German manufacturer Häfele illustrate. On show as Holz-Handwerk—the European trade fair for woodworking—last week, they’re aimed at designers and builders who want to kit out…

This Amoeba Eats Human Intestines, Cell by Cell

It might look positively adorable in this image, but don’t be fooled: this pathogen, known as Entamoeba histolytica, eats human intestines alive, cell by cell. The amoeba—about the tenth of a size of a dust mite—infects 50 million people worldwide and kills as many as 100,000 each year. But new research has revealed why it’s…

Why Don’t the Seas Keep Getting Saltier?

Everyone knows that the seas are salty because, while water evaporates, the salt doesn’t. But why don’t our seas keep getting saltier? Actually, they have been getting—at least over the course of millions of years—but these days, salt gets deposited on the ocean floor, so we’ve reached an equilibrium. This video explains why that’s the…

How to Build a Möbius Strip Bridge

We all know about Möbius strips—those 3D shapes surfaces that weirdly only have one side. But how is it possible to build real architectural structures out of a mathematical construct? As it turns out, fairly easily. In this vide, Carlo H. Séquin from U.C. Berkeley explains how it’s possible to create a mobius strip bridges—and…

Good news for New Yorkers: AT&T is bringing voice and data services to “as many as 242” additional NYC subway stations in the coming months, as part of an extended deal with Transit Wireless. Though only about 40 will actually be ready this summer. Still, better than nothing!

Google Reveals the Crazy Modular Phones Ara Will Let You Build

Google has already been very open when it comes its modular Ara phone, and now a Module Development Kit for the phone reveals more about the device than ever. As you might expect, a lot of the information in the document is necessarily technical, but it’s interesting for all of us because explains how the…

Samsung Gear 2 Teardown: Surprisingly Repairable For a Smartwatch

If you’ve been wondering how Samsung manages to cram everything into its Gear 2 smartwatch, then wonder no longer: iFixit has torn the thing apart to see what they’ve crammed into its tiny frame. OK, maybe its frame isn’t that tiny, but there still ain’t much space to squeeze everything in. Here are some of…

Nanoparticles in Consumer Products Could Be Damaging Your DNA

Masses of products—from cosmetics to clothing—now contain nanoparticles, to kill microbes, lengthen shelf life or provide other wonderful properties. But new research from MIT and Harvard suggests they could also be damaging your DNA. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health’s Center for Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology have found that that both silver and zinc…

Bacon Was the First Thing Ever Eaten on the Moon

Setting foot on the moon for the first time was perhaps one of the biggest technological, scientific and political achievements of our age. So what better way to celebrate, after exploring that new lunar landscape, than with bacon? After leaping around in low gravity, taking photographs, and mumbling about small steps and giant leaps, Neil…

Even If Heartbleed Loses Your Data, You Still Have Your Thoughts

Heartbleed may be one of the biggest internet security flaws to date, and it may see you lose your emails, identity, passwords and who knows what else. But hey! At least you’ll always have your memories. And your paper records. And perhaps even those clay tablets you keep in case of emergency. This may be…

Logitech’s New Auto-Dimming Keyboard Is Perfect For Movie Night

In the good ol’ days, finding the buttons on your remote in the dark was hard enough—but now, finding the keys of you keyboard is a living hell. Enter Logitech’s neat little auto-dimming keyboard, which seems just perfect for movie night. The new wireless, backlit keyboard —K830 to its chums—auto-dims based on ambient light, and…

How Apple Decided It Wanted to Sue Samsung for $2.19 Billion

If you’ve ever wondered how companies like Apple settle on a figure for which to sue their competitors in the many and varied legal trials you hear about, you’re in luck. Court filings have revealed how Apple came to the $2.19 billion sum it’s currently pursuing Samsung for. Apple is currently seeking payment from Samsung…

Philippe Starck’s Open Source Furniture Lets You Try Your Hand at Design

In somewhat of a departure for the lofty French designer, Philipe Starck’s new range of furniture is produced in collaboration with a company called TOG—which prides itself on making all of its designs open source. In total, TOG is launching 21 families of products—from bar tables to stackable chairs—designed by some big names: among them…

Amazing New Spinal Cord Implant Revives Paralyzed Man’s Legs

A pioneering new technique which uses electrical implants in the spines of paralyzed patients can help them move their legs again—and could soon allow them to walk once more, too. The new research, part of a study by scientists at the University of Louisville’s Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, saw four wheelchair-bound men—who were…

First Ever Lab-Grown Muscle That Can Heal Itself in Living Creatures

Anyone who’s ever torn a muscle will be grateful for that fact that the fibers can repair themselves. But now, researchers have developed lab-grown muscle that can achieve the exact same thing. Researchers from Duke have finally developed artificial muscle that contracts powerfully and rapidly, integrates into mice quickly—and can even heal itself, both in…