SOCIETY UPDATE
FROM TOP: KILEY RIFFELL; GRAPHIC COURTESY OF MICHAEL VINCENT; D. FOXScientists recently assembled cells into living robots. “If you take a poppy seed
and cut it in half twice, that’s their size,” says codeveloper Doug Blackiston, a
biologist at Tufts University in Medford, Mass. These bots can move on their
own, heal themselves and complete tasks, such as moving other objects.
A growing number of researchers are exploring new ways to build things
from cellsȴ—ȴor from micromachines that mimic cells. Such botsȴ— like the
one illustrated, which can swim using muscle cells controlled by motor
neurons — also raise ethical questions, including whether these creations are
a new type of life. Some scientists warn that society needs to ponder these
issues carefully as research on these technologies progress.ǿȴ6WHSKHQ2UQHV
Robots made of cells blur the line
between creature and machine
READ MORE: http://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/biohybrid-robots
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insects home in on us: They like the look of our skin. $HGHVDHJ\SWL
mosquitoes (shown) are attracted to reds, the same wavelengths
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blue. Red hues attract three other mosquito species, too. But these
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this new intel could lead to better ways of luring mosquitoes into
trapsȴ—ȴand away from us. ǿȴ/DXUD$OOHQ
READ MORE: http://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/mosquitoes-see-redMosquitoes see red, which may be
why they find us so appealingThe crumbling peaks of Oman’s Al Hajar Mountains are slowly
decomposing like a slab of rotten meat. But scientists believe these
unusual rock formations may help tackle global warming. Their
minerals are naturally petrifying 50,000 to 100,000 tons of carbon
dioxide per year (seen here as whitish surface minerals). Researchers
hope such rocks can one day help capture up to 20 billion tons
of CO 2 from the air each year. ”You’re looking at something that
could potentially have an impact on the human global carbon
budget”ȴ—ȴand slow climate change, says geologist Peter Kelemen
of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades, N.Y.
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READ MORE: http://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/save-the-planetA bold plan to save the planet turns
carbon dioxide into stoneScience News for Students is an award-winning, free
online magazine that reports daily on research and new
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minds of every age — from middle school on up.SOCIETY UPDATE