Scientists in England are to design the first ever biological robot using mould. Researchers are developing the amorphous non-silicon biological robot, plasmobot, using plasmodium, the vegetative stage of the slime mould Physarum polycephalum, a commonly occurring mould which lives in forests, gardens and most damp places in the UK. The research project aims to design the first every fully biological (no silicon components) amorphous massively-parallel robot.

A team of South Korean scientists have succeeded in engineering the bacterium E. coli to produce the industrial chemical putrescine. The research provides a renewable alternative to the production of this important chemical which is traditionally created using fossil fuels.

Toyota Motor Co. was the primary beneficiary of the U.S. government's "Cash for Clunkers" program, accounting for three of the top five models purchased by new car buyers, according to a new survey of the auto stimulus program. Market researcher IBISWorld said Monday (Aug. 24), the day the auto sales program ended, that three Toyota models, the Corolla, Camry and Prius ranked first, fourth and fifth in sales, respectively. The Honda Civic (second) and the Ford Focus (third) rounded out the top five.

South Korea's first space rocket blasted off successfully Tuesday (Aug. 25) but its scientific satellite failed to go into orbit, space officials said. The Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 took off from the Naro Space Center, south of Seoul, and the first and second stage rocket separation occurred without a glitch, Yonhap news agency reported.

It's as though Google doesn't want you to use its new Chrome browser. If you try to install the Google Toolbar on Chrome, it practically suggests that you switch browsers. Chrome users are greeted with this message: We're sorry, but Google Toolbar 5 is only available for Internet Explorer and Firefox Of course, Chrome is like a giant Google Toolbar that takes up the whole screen, so you don't really need it.

Safety standards being written today not only provide guidance to help reduce the risk of injury or equipment damage, but also improve productivity in the workplace. The ANSI/ASSE Z244.1-2003 (R2008)1 and ANSI/PMMI B155.1-20062 standards are two examples of how standards promote safe work environments as well as making it possible for companies to increase productivity.

NASA will test the powerful first stage of its new Ares moon rocket Thursday, a milestone in a program that already has spent $7 billion for a rocket that astronauts may never use. When that first stage is tested, it will be mounted horizontally. The engine will fire, shake and make a lot of noise. But by design, it will not leave the ground. The same could be said for NASA's plans to go to the moon, Mars or beyond Earth orbit. It's not so much a physical challenge for engineers as it is a financial challenge for budgeteers.

Researchers have developed a new technology that helps Parkinson’s patients overcome the tendency to speak too quietly by playing a recording of ambient sound, which resembles the noisy chatter of a restaurant full of patrons.

Researchers have developed a new technology that helps Parkinson’s patients overcome the tendency to speak too quietly by playing a recording of ambient sound, which resembles the noisy chatter of a restaurant full of patrons.

Engineers are using a popular children’s toy to visualize the behavior of particles, cells and molecules in environments too small to see with the naked eye. These researchers are arranging little LEGO pieces shaped like pegs to recreate microscopic activity taking place inside lab-on-a-chip devices at a scale they can more easily observe.