odd look at news on the web
Simple urine test shifts autism diagnosis from behavior to biology
1 June 2026 @ 11:18 pm
Researchers have developed a urine-based screening tool that may help identify individuals who are most likely to be diagnosed with autism later in life, opening the door to assessment and support networks.Continue ReadingCategory: ADHD & Autism, Brain Health, Body and MindTags: Telescoping recumbent e-trike is like a carbon fiber cannon
1 June 2026 @ 7:53 pm
As it is, a recumbent trike is something that may already get you noticed. Add tilting wheels, and it'll draw even more attention. But with its telescoping carbon-fiber-tube body, the Allroadracer TriX is sure to turn heads wherever it goes.Continue ReadingCategory: Bicycles, TransportTags: Supermassive black holes could be prolific planet-making machines
1 June 2026 @ 4:09 pm
You know the story. Clouds of dust and gas collapse to form stars like our Sun, around which the swirling maelstrom of debris slowly coalesces into a system of planets.Continue ReadingCategory: Astronomy, ScienceTags: Supermassive black hole, Planet, VR system lets you walk your greenhouse without leaving the couch
1 June 2026 @ 3:57 pm
Imagine putting on a VR headset and suddenly finding yourself standing between rows of tomato plants. You can walk the aisles, crouch beside a struggling seedling, and check its soil moisture and temperature in real time. That’s the idea behind a system developed by engineers at Binghamton University, State University of New York: a digital twin, or live 3D replica synchronized with real-world sensors, that links your physical greenhouse to a virtual one you can access anywhere.World's first undersea data center powered by offshore wind is online
1 June 2026 @ 2:17 pm
Just over seven months from completing phase one of this mega-project, Chinese engineers have finished the build and switched on the world's first underwater data center (UDC) powered by offshore wind turbines. What's more, it doesn't need freshwater and cuts land use by more than 90% compared with above-ground centers.Continue ReadingCategory: Energy, EngineeringTags: Forever chemicals may change when they enter your body. Here's what we know.
1 June 2026 @ 1:00 pm
Carrie McDonough, Carnegie Mellon University / The ConversationContinue ReadingCategory: Society & Community, Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and MindTags: PFAS, Pollution365-sq-ft tiny house provides a compact but comfortable life on wheels
1 June 2026 @ 12:50 pm
With its length of just 8 m (26 ft), the Maple strikes a good balance between portability and comfort. The tiny house features a well-designed interior that would be a good fit as either a vacation home or a full-time residence.Continue ReadingCategory: Tiny Houses, OutdoorsTags: This sticky substance could be a rare example of Neanderthal medicine
1 June 2026 @ 1:36 am
Neanderthals used tar extracted from birch tree bark as a glue to haft their tools, according to previous research. It now appears this dark, sticky substance may have had multiple applications.Continue ReadingCategory: Archaeology, ScienceTags: Neanderthal, Traditional medicine, Tiny triangular cabin perches off a slope in Ecuador's cloud forest
1 June 2026 @ 1:03 am
A compact elevated shelter by Baquio Arquitectura has been installed on the slopes above Mindo, in Ecuador’s Chocó cloud forest. Dubbed Casa 6-3, the project is a tiny timber retreat with a lightweight footprint, overlooking the surrounding mountains and rainforest.Continue ReadingCategory: Tiny Houses, OutdoorsTags: Cabins, In a first, this animal hijacks the power of bioluminescence from its victims
1 June 2026 @ 12:29 am
The rules of biology have been torn up by a small fish in the Pacific that steals light-producing molecules from its food in the only known example of kleptoproteinism.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, ScienceTags: Tohoku University,