Surprising Science — March 25, 2014

How Superconducting Levitation Works

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Superconducting levitation may be omnipresent one day and revolutionize transportation. This video explains how it works and shows you the possibilities of this amazing technology:

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Gloved hands holding a computer processor chip, viewed from an angled perspective against a black background.

The Future

AI is now designing chips for AI

AI software is rapidly accelerating chip design, potentially leveling up the speed of innovation across the economy.

Grayscale image showing a flying object captured on radar screen with various data markings.

13.8

New UFO hearings continue an “endless loop” of sensation

Astronomer Adam Frank asks: With so many extraordinary claims, why can’t anybody produce the proof?

People walking on a city street with steam rising from vents create a scene reminiscent of an omics exposome research study. A woman in a white beanie looks back as buildings and traffic form the vibrant backdrop.

Health

The next omics? Tracking a lifetime of exposures to better understand disease

Of the millions of substances people encounter daily, health researchers have focused on only a few hundred. Those in the emerging field of exposomics want to change that.

Animation of a star being engulfed by another star, emitting bright light and gas in space.

Starts With A Bang

A new origin story for supernovae after 94 years

Since 1930, type Ia supernovae have been thought to arise from white dwarfs exceeding the Chandrasekhar mass limit. Here’s why that’s wrong.

A robotic prosthetic arm with visible internal mechanisms, wires, and a mechanical hand. Labels such as "SFU" and "BESOM" are visible on the arm casing.

The Present

The Cybathlon: Bionic athletes compete for the gold — and push assistive technologies forward

In the international competition, people with physical disabilities put state-of-the-art devices to the test as they race to complete the tasks of everyday life.

Up Next

Surprising Science

Scultpures of Magnetic Particles

How does NASA control the flow of fluids in Space? NASA invented ferrofluid. It turns out the stuff is multipurpose when you apply rare earth magnets. Check out the ferrofluid […]