We have the first video of a plant cell wall being built
Plant cells without a cell wall are fragile, so it's hard to image its construction.
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Jacek Krywko
Associate Writer
Jacek Krywko is a freelance science and technology writer who covers space exploration, artificial intelligence research, computer science, and all sorts of engineering wizardry. He previously worked as a staff journalist at a science desk of Gazeta Wyborcza, one of the largest Polish newspapers, and his writing has been featured in Quartz and The Atlantic. He also coordinated projects contracted by ESA aimed at developing 3D printable compliant mechanisms and electrically triggered 4D printed actuators for space. Based in Olsztyn, Poland, Jacek spends his free time mountain-biking or trying to get out of Gold League 1 playing Protoss on the Starcraft 2 ladder.
Recent stories by
Jacek Krywko
Bonobos’ calls may be the closest thing to animal language we’ve seen
300 aspects of each call were cataloged, letting researchers estimate meaning.
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Can we make AI less power-hungry? These researchers are working on it.
As demand surges, figuring out the performance of proprietary models is half the battle.
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A “biohybrid” robotic hand built using real human muscle cells
A real bit of cyborg hardware highlights the technology's current limitations.
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Small charges in water spray can trigger the formation of key biochemicals
Charges cause water droplets in an early-Earth atmosphere to build up pre-life chemicals.
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In one dog breed, selection for utility may have selected for obesity
Selecting trainable dogs may have gotten us dogs that would do anything for a treat.
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A small microbial ecosystem has formed on the International Space Station
The largest study yet of the ISS's microbes hints we’re may be keeping it too clean.
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We’ve figured out the basics of a shape-shifting, T-1000-style material
A pack of small robots can do liquid/solid transitions and adopt different shapes.
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Most Read
If it moves, it’s probably alive: Searching for life on other planets
Scientists find a way to look for alien life that doesn't need elaborate equipment.
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To help AIs understand the world, researchers put them in a robot
There's a difference between knowing a word and knowing a concept.
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Sleeping pills stop the brain’s system for cleaning out waste
A specialized system sends pulses of pressure through the fluids in our brain.
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Meta takes us a step closer to Star Trek’s universal translator
The computer science behind translating speech from 100 source languages.
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Getting an all-optical AI to handle non-linear math
Instead of sensing photons and processing the results, why not process the photons?
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Using 2D materials on chips without destroying the wiring
2D materials are typically made at temperatures that wreck silicon chips.
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Magnetic shape-shifting surface can move stuff without grasping it
A “ferromagnetic elastomer” sheet can bulge and bend under magnetic influences.
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Green sea turtle gets relief from “bubble butt” syndrome thanks to 3D printing
Boat collision left Charlotte stranded at the surface and in danger of predation.
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Generating power with a thin, flexible thermoelectric film
Device could be integrated into clothing, harvest body heat to power gadgets.
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New drone has legs for landing gear, enabling efficient launches
The RAVEN walks, it flies, it hops over obstacles, and it's efficient.
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People will share misinformation that sparks “moral outrage”
People can tell it's not true, but if they're outraged by it, they'll share anyway.
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Teaching a drone to fly without a vertical rudder
We can get a drone to fly like a pigeon, but we needed to use feathers to do it.
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Tweaking non-neural brain cells can cause memories to fade
Neurons and a second cell type called an astrocyte collaborate to hold memories.
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Our Universe is not fine-tuned for life, but it’s still kind of OK
Inspired by the Drake equation, researchers optimize a model universe for life.
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Bats use echolocation to make mental maps for navigation
Despite only working over short distances, echolocation is enough to get bats home.
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Lidar mapping reveals mountainous medieval cities along the Silk Road
A city larger than many in Europe at the time was perched in the mountains.
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Google’s DeepMind is building an AI to keep us from hating each other
The AI did better than professional mediators at getting people to reach agreement.
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Desalination system adjusts itself to work with renewable power
Instead of needing constant power, new system adjusts to use whatever is available.
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Injured comb jellies can fuse into a single organism
Ctenophores merge with neighbors at wound sites, making animals with duplicate parts.
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The more sophisticated AI models get, the more likely they are to lie
Human feedback training may incentivize providing any answer—even wrong ones.
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Robot placed under the control of a fungal overlord
A mushroom's response to environmental changes can be used to control a robot.
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Mice made transparent with a dye used in Doritos
Matching refractive indexes lets some wavelengths pass cleanly through the skin.
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Remembering where your meals came from key for a small bird’s survival
For small birds, remembering where the food is beats forgetting when it's gone.
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More water worlds than we thought might support life
Too much water on exoplanet surfaces would mean high pressure ices, not life.
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Passing part of a medical licensing exam doesn’t make ChatGPT a good doctor
The software's medical certification exam was OK, but its diagnoses aren't.
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“Archeology” on the ISS helps identify what astronauts really need
Regular photography shows a tool shed and more isolated toilet would be appreciated.
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Human muscle cells come back from space, look aged
Astronauts' muscles atrophy in space, but we can identify the genes involved.
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Astronauts find their tastes dulled, and a VR ISS hints at why
The visual environment of the ISS seems to influence people's experience of food.
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