Matthew Sparkes, New Scientist Journalist Profile

Articles

AI-powered chilli spray could deter bears without injuring them

2 weeks ago | newscientist.com | Matthew Sparkes

AI-controlled machines equipped with chilli pepper spray could reduce confrontations between bears and people. But the animals may learn to avoid these machines and simply head to homes and rubbish dumps without them. Incidents between people and Tibetan brown bears (Ursus arctos pruinosus), also known as Tibetan blue bears, on the Tibetan Plateau are escalating, perhaps at least partly due to . This could result in bears killing livestock and damaging property, or even…
Artist brings data to life in striking screen prints

2 weeks ago | newscientist.com | Matthew Sparkes

Rebecca Kaye, also known by her alias Ploterre, turns idle thoughts that arise while cycling into beautiful prints with a helping of hard data and clever design. The Edinburgh, UK, resident studied mathematics and worked as a data researcher, developing her art as a sideline. Then covid-19 hit, and she leapt into art full-time.
Can Amazon's soon-to-launch Kuiper satellites rival Musk's Starlink?

2 weeks ago | newscientist.com | Matthew Sparkes

Amazon’s satellite internet division, Kuiper, is set to launch 27 satellites into orbit today – the first step in building a network that it hopes will soon rival Starlink, but does it have a shot? We dig into the situation. In short, Kuiper is – or will be – a network of thousands of satellites that beam internet traffic around the world. This would allow people in remote regions to access the internet even without local infrastructure.
Light-based computers are getting close to a commercial launch

2 weeks ago | newscientist.com | Matthew Sparkes

Computers that use light rather than electricity to represent and manipulate data could slash the power demands of data centres and simultaneously speed up calculations. Two studies published today describe breakthroughs in running real-world problems on light-based computers, making the technology on the verge of commercial application, say researchers. Electronic computers, like those we all use today, historically followed Moore’s Law: the power of machines doubled every two years.
How to make great coffee with fewer beans, according to science

2 weeks ago | flipboard.com | Matthew Sparkes

15 hours agoWatch: First dire wolf’s howl for 10,000 years after scientists bring extinct species ‘back to life’The dire wolf, an ancient species that went extinct more than 10,000 years ago, has been revived in a “de-extinction” according to scientists. On Monday (7 April), Texas-based Colossal Biosciences said they have revived the extinct species famously featured in Game of Thrones with three puppies: Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi.
How to make great coffee with fewer beans, according to science

2 weeks ago | newscientist.com | Matthew Sparkes

Physicists have discovered a technique that can produce the perfect cup of coffee with up to 10 per cent fewer beans. With climate change making coffee production an increasingly tricky proposition, it is becoming more important to brew in the most efficient way possible, says Arnold Mathijssen at the University of Pennsylvania. “Coffee is getting harder to grow, and so, because of that, prices for coffee will likely increase in coming years,” he says.
Smell-seeking drone uses moth antenna to follow a scent

2 weeks ago | newscientist.com | Matthew Sparkes

A drone equipped with an antenna from a male moth can locate the source of a smell more accurately than any electrical sensors. Unfortunately, however, the only smell it can detect is the sex pheromone emitted by female moths. Electrical sensors for odours are commonly used to detect gas leaks, but these are relatively slow to react to smells and even slower to reset between measurements, says Daigo Terutsuki at Shinshu University, Japan. “It’s very difficult to apply that to…
DOGE ditching tape storage could put data at risk, say experts

2 weeks ago | newscientist.com | Matthew Sparkes

The US government task force known as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) claims it has saved a million dollars by switching away from storing data on tape. But experts say that the move is difficult to understand and that it will likely save no money and put data more at risk. Since President Trump’s inaugration DOGE, headed by billionaire Elon Musk, has slashed government budgets across the board. NASA was made to cancel…
Bacteria-inspired robot uses 12 spinning flagella to roam underwater

2 weeks ago | newscientist.com | Matthew Sparkes

An underwater robot can delicately propel itself in any direction with its 12 flexible arms, inspired by the flagella of bacteria. Its creators claim it can carry out underwater inspections without endangering humans or wildlife, as propeller-driven robots would. Flagella are tiny, hair-like protrusions found on many bacteria that can spin clockwise or counterclockwise to create propulsion.
Aged human urine is a pungent pesticide as well as a fertiliser

3 weeks ago | newscientist.com | Matthew Sparkes

Human urine that has been matured in the sun for at least one month appears to be both a fertiliser and an effective pesticide. The findings could be particularly helpful for combatting insect infestations in West Africa, where soil quality is typically low and traditional pesticides are expensive.