Light Pollution Levels Rise

On this week's news update…

Racecars

Self-driving racecars…

Light Pollution

Light pollution levels rise…

Shapeshifting Robot

And a shapeshifting robot!

First up…

People have long loved racing cars!

But driving cars at high speeds can be very dangerous.

Now, student engineers are designing computer systems that could make driving a lot safer.

artificial intelligence

The built-in computer systems use artificial intelligence to control the speed and direction of a car without a driver.

Recently, teams of students from around the world visited Las Vegas to put their cars to the test in a self-driving car race!

Special sensors enabled the cars to whizz around the track, mostly without crashing.

Although a few cars ended up spinning off the track, the winning car reached a speed of 180 mph!

The students hope the technology developed for their self-driving cars could soon be used to make everyday driving safer too.

Up next…

Stargazing can leave us wide-eyed with wonder!

But sadly, stars in the night sky are vanishing from view.

light pollution

Growing levels of light pollution are causing naturally dark night skies to become brighter.

Light pollution is caused by artificial lights such as streetlights and billboards, and scientists have observed that it is increasing around the world every year.

Light pollution not only spoils views of the stars, it can also disrupt the lives of many animals.

Baby turtles often use the light of the moon to find their way to the sea, but light pollution can sometimes confuse them, causing them to become lost.

Fortunately, steps can be taken to reduce light pollution.

Cities can fit streetlights that automatically turn off if no one is nearby, and people can draw the curtains at home to stop light escaping.

These steps can help us darken the night skies once again!

And finally…

Tech Beat

It’s Tech Beat!

Sea cucumbers are strange looking creatures that live on the seafloor.

Their bodies can change shape so they can squeeze through small gaps.

Now, scientists have taken inspiration from sea cucumbers to design a shapeshifting robot!

The tiny human shaped robot is made from small magnetic metal particles that can connect together and then separate at low temperatures.

The scientists built a cage around the robot to test its shapeshifting skills.

The robot was able to slip through the bars of the cage by melting,
and then regenerate its body on the other side of the cage!

A version of the robot has also been tested in a fake human stomach, where it was able to move around controlled by magnets.

It then melted around a small object, and removed it!

Scientists hope the technology could one day be used by doctors to remove tiny objects stuck in people's bodies.

That's all for this week, we'll see you next time!