Scientists have created living robots that can self-heal and record memories The “Xenobots” were manufactured from frog stem cells Programming nature Biologists at Tufts University made the tiny robots by microinjecting amphibian eggs with RNA. After 24 hours, they removed the egg membrane. Next, they harvested the stem cell tissue from the embryo. The tissue then formed into spheres with tiny hair-like structures — called cilia — that move to propel the bots across a surface....

Researchers at Cambridge University have discovered a protein in the brain of mice that may act as a biomarker for malleable memories. In other words, they may be able to determine which memories we can erase and which we are, for whatever reason, stuck with. Up front:The researchers conditioned laboratory mice by simultaneously shocking them and making a clicking noise. The mice naturally associated the sound with the shock and, thus, developed a fear response....

Scientists at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics believe they’ve discovered the first extragalactic planet ever observed by humans. Up front:I’ve got “extragalactic planetary, planetary extragalactic”to the tune of theBeastie Boys’ “Intergalactic”stuck in my head. And, now, you probably do too. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way:An extragalactic planet is one that’s not only outside of our own solar system, such as the thousands we’ve found floating around the Milky Way, but also outside of our own galaxy....

The moment humankind stepped out from our caves and gazed upon the night sky with curiosity and wonder, our ancestors set into motion a chain of events that will almost certainly end up with humans walking on Martian soil. And, if you believe the current hype, that day could come in the next couple of decades. NASA hasevery intentionof sending a crewed mission to the red planet sometime in the 2030s....

A pair of researchers from the University of Montreal today publisheda pre-print research paperon creating “more intelligent artificial agents” by imitating the human brain. We’ve heard that one before, but this time’s a little different. The big idea here is all about giving artificial intelligence agents more agency. According to the researchers: Despite the progress made in social neuroscience and in developmental psychology, only in the last decade, serious efforts have started focusing on the neural mechanisms of social interaction, which were seen as the “dark matter” of social neuroscience....