Humanity could squander the potential benefits of nanotechnology due to a lack of clear information about its risks, say a taskforce of international scientists writing in the journal Nature. Their report, “The Safe Handling of Nanotechnology,” identifies five challenges that must be addressed if the technology is to ever reach its full potential. “The specter […]
A jury-rigged smoke sampling system put together by two researchers from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, has revealed that the primitive cooking stoves used in the developing world may be much bigger contributors to the greenhouse effect than previously thought. In the past, laboratory tests have been used to measure the pollutants from cooking fires […]
A fascinating experiment into personality and social interaction in which millions of software agents will potentially evolve their own culture is about to be switched on by five European research institutes. The NEW TIES project will be a virtual world populated by randomly generated software beings, capable of developing their own language and society. The […]
