the conversation
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A Platypus Can Glow Green and Hunt Prey With Electricity but It Can’t Climb Dams to Find a Mate
The platypus is one of Earth’s most unique creatures. It sports a duck-like bill and flippers. It locates prey in murky water by emitting an electric charge. Males have venomous spurs on their legs, and the females lay eggs. And a platypus’ fur glows blue-green under UV light! Sadly, however, this fascinating and irreplaceable animal…
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What ‘Brain Fog’ Is and What It Isn’t
The COVID pandemic has introduced many scientific and medical terms into our everyday language. Many of us are now fluent in conversations about viral strains, PCR tests and mortality rates. “Brain fog” has joined these ranks to describe a now-familiar symptom of COVID and long COVID. But what exactly is brain fog, and is it…
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How to Make Solar Panels Better (And Cheaper)
The cost of turning sunlight into electricity has fallen more than 90% over the last decade. Solar is now the cheapest form of newly built energy generation. Job done? Not quite. Right now, solar works well at cost-competitive prices and can help us cut emissions significantly. But with less than 5% of the world’s electricity…
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‘Killer Robots’ Will Be Nothing Like the Movies
The sentient, murderous humanoid robot is complete fiction, and may never become reality. But, there’s always a ‘but’.