Scientists have bioengineered a jellyfish made of silicone and live cells that can be controlled using pulses of electricity. The jellyfish, nicknamed "Medusoid," is made from a silicone polymer and the muscle cells from a rat heart. "We coaxed them to self-organize so that they matched the [muscle] architecture of a jellyfish precisely," Dr. Kevin Kit Parker, the study's co-author, said. The robot is designed to swim through the water in response to electrical currents, which cause the muscle... Read More
Earlier today, an unidentified climber reportedly fell from the Northwest Couloir of Middle Teton, the third highest peak in Wyoming's Teton Range. The man was standing at the edge of the couloir in Grand Teton National Park with two fellow climbers when he tumbled for unknown reasons, according to Outerlocal, a Jackson Hole, Wyoming-based hub for adventurers. An Outerlocal employee, who was on the summit of the nearly 13,000-foot peak when the incident occurred, placed a call to park rangers,... Read More
High caffeine levels in the waters off the Oregon coast are likely the result of pollution from human waste, scientists say. After testing water samples from 14 spots, researchers from Portland State University and Washington State University found high levels of caffeine at two sites far from large population centers, while discovering low levels of caffeine near cities and wastewater treatment plants. While far below deadly levels, the caffeine could be affecting marine life in unknown ways,... Read More
Officials at the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources are seeking information about an individual photographed wearing a goat suit in the midst of a wild goat herd near Ben Lomond Peak in Utah. Coty Creighton was hiking the peak on the morning of July 15 when he spotted what he thought was a large goat, about 200 yards away, having difficulty following the herd down the slope. "I thought it was a deformed goat," Creighton said. "It was clumsy, not nimble." Using binoculars, he discovered that i... Read More
After losing more than four minutes on the final climb of the day Wednesday, defending Tour champion Cadel Evans slipped into seventh place and saw his hopes of winning the race dashed. French favorite Thomas Voeckler won his second stage of the race and took over the climber's jersey out of a large, 38-man breakaway. From the start of the stage, Evans battled stomach issues and was dropped on the first climb of the day. While he managed to chase back on and survive the following summits, the ... Read More
