Science

As artificial intelligence powered prosthetic arms become more common, understanding how people respond to them will be essential. Acceptance depends not only on how well these devices function, but also on how natural they feel. In this study, researchers used virtual reality to create the illusion that a participant's own arm had been replaced with a robotic prosthetic. They then tested how different movement speeds influenced embodiment, including body ownership, sense of agency, usability, and social impressions such as competence and discomfort. The findings showed a clear pattern. When the prosthetic arm moved too quickly or too slowly, participants felt less connected to it and rated it as less usable. However, when the arm moved at a moderate pace similar to natural human reaching,...

A new “God of War” game titled “Sons of Sparta” surprise launched for the PS5 on Thursday, just as PlayStation revealed a remake of the original “God of War” trilogy is in the works. Per a blog post shared by “God of War” developer Santa Monica Studio, “Over two decades ago in March 2005, God of War came out on the PlayStation 2 – marking the beginning of Kratos’ incredible journey through ancient Greece and beyond. As we approach the final month of God of War’s 20th anniversary year in March 2026, we couldn’t let this milestone close without giving fans one last big surprise! We’re thrilled to confirm that the original God of War trilogy is being remade – and what better way to announce it than with the legendary TC Carson who brought Kratos to life in the Greek saga!” Add...

Scientists at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have reported a major advance in calcium-ion battery (CIB) research that could reshape how energy is stored and used in daily life. By incorporating quasi-solid-state electrolytes (QSSEs), the team developed a new type of CIB designed to improve both performance and sustainability. The technology could support applications ranging from renewable energy storage systems to electric vehicles. The work appears in Advanced Science under the title "High-Performance Quasi-Solid-State Calcium-Ion Batteries from Redox-Active Covalent Organic Framework Electrolytes." As countries expand renewable energy production, the need for dependable and efficient battery storage continues to grow. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) currently do...

Well, that was fast. Just a day after Samsung finally decided to give us the date for its big Samsung Galaxy S26 series unveiling, the entire lineup leaked online. Yes, the Galaxy Unpacked event is set for Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. PT (9 a.m. ET). And thanks to leaker Evan Blass, we just got an early glimpse of what the phones will look like. Well, it's more than a glimpse: Blass actually obtained official-looking photos of the entire lineup. Don't get too excited, though; the phones look very similar to how they did last year. The specs for the lineup, which consists of the Samsung Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra, have leaked as well, so there's very little left to the imagination before the official unveiling. Mashable Light Speed ...

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, including its Boulder campus, is enacting new rules that would cap international graduate students and postdoctoral researchers at three years and require top-level review of the agreements granting them lab access. Institute sources say the changes could force hundreds of scientists out of the federal lab. Until now, graduate students could remain for the full length of their Ph.D. programs, and postdocs often stayed as long as their projects required. Under the new policy, researchers already several years into their work may have to leave before finishing, cutting short experiments and disrupting years of federally funded research, scientists said. “This basically bans all foreign national grad students, regardless of country of orig...

A new update for Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 just started distribution with version 2.1.0, and it includes some technical benefits for Nintendo Switch 2 players.On Nintendo Switch, Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 were locked to 30 frames per second, which was a bit of a disappointment. But now that’s moved up to 60 FPS on the new console. We’re hearing of a resolution boost as well to 1080p.The full rundown is as follows:Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 update version 2.1.0 patch notesImproved image resolutionRelease of high-resolution assetsRelease of an update file to support Nintendo Switch 2 specificationsIn other news, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 was just announced today and is planned for both Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch. We have all of the details a...

PHOTO: Benjamin Ku | The South Pasadenan | Members of the SPHS Science Olympiad team and Coach Benjamin Ku received a first-place school trophy at the Pasadena City College regional tournament. On Saturday, February 7, 2026, 30 SPHS students, divided into two teams, competed at the Pasadena City College Regional Science Olympiad Tournament. Among the 21 teams that competed from 17 schools, the SPHS teams placed 1st and 4th overall. SPHS has now qualified for the fourth year in a row to go to the Southern California State Tournament on April 11, 2026, at Caltech. Science Olympiad students have competed in five invitational tournaments since October, demonstrating a strong commitment to after-school and weekend competition preparation. Science Olympiad is an international nonpro...

Ice skating is counterintuitive: why should a narrow blade make it easier to slide over the ice? The science is surprisingly complex, but unscientific people worked out the practical application a long time ago.William FitzStephen described how Londoners entertained themselves in freezing conditions in 1173: “Crowds of young men go out to play on the ice. Some of them fit shinbones of cattle on their feet, tying them round their ankles … and are carried along as fast as a flying bird.”Some of these early bone skates are on display at the Museum of London.The standard explanation – that the pressure exerted on a small surface area melts the ice creating a slippery layer of water – is only part of the story. Pressure only slightly lowers the melting point, most of the real work is done by fr...

It's been 3 years since John Wick: Chapter 4 hit theaters, and ever since, people keep asking if the allegedly dead action hero will be back. Now, yeah, we're thinking he's back, and not in the way some fans may think. During today's PlayStation State of Play event, Lionsgate and Saber Interactive officially unveiled the first look at its currently untitled John Wick video game, and it's just as glorious as fans of Keanu Reeves' action hero were hoping for. The action-packed trailer begins with some pre-rendered footage, bringing the unique crime universe of Chad Stahelski's blockbuster series to life in spectacular fashion. We get to see the Baba Yaga in all his glory, followed by his signature "yeah," which certainly sounds a lot like The Matrix star himself. Finally, the trailer ends...

Although public trust in science is a recent preoccupation for some, it has been a problem for decades in the United States. Republicans began to trust science less after the COVID-19 pandemic, but marginalized communities … have long questioned whether the research enterprise is really working to improve their lives. … A particular area of concern is that emerging technologies don’t adequately address public needs despite the time, resources, and brainpower that scientists and engineers dedicate to developing them. … What if … university-based scientists and engineers tried to repair public trust by adopting a more inclusive understanding of technological innovation itself? Nowadays, we tend to focus on new, high-tech, transformative, and material interventions. But what if we adopt...