Rapid Virus Tests, 3D Printed Bugs, and the Universe's Matter Mystery
This week's top tech stories highlight a push for universal coronavirus self-testing, a breakthrough in printing cheap insect-like robots, and new clues explaining why the universe contains matter instead of nothing.
Researchers are pushing to make coronavirus testing as ubiquitous as mobile phones so the world can safely exit lockdown, while other scientists are developing a universal "pandemic pill" that targets multiple viruses instead of just one. At the same time, digital contact tracing systems present a complicated privacy picture, potentially preserving anonymity while still raising concerns about unintended data violations.
In the field of robotics, engineers now 3D print insect-like robots in minutes using a flexible "flexoskeleton" technique that brings the cost of individual components to less than one dollar. A fully assembled bot takes under two hours to complete, making rapid prototyping of cheap, agile machines incredibly accessible.
Meanwhile, physics experiments in Japan reveal a crucial anomaly in neutrino behavior that explains why the Big Bang produced something rather than nothing. These tiny particles likely tipped the cosmic balance in the universe's first moments, allowing matter to defeat antimatter and ultimately form stars, oceans, and human life.