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Today’s Pulse rundown
Catnip Mosquito Repellent
Transcript: Have you ever noticed how much cats love playing with catnip? Researchers working between Uganda and Wales found that a six percent catnip oil lotion is just as effective as Deet at repelling mosquitoes. The team presented their study on Tuesday, noting that commercial repellents are often too expensive for rural Ugandan farmers. The plant contains a chemical called nepetalactone. This mechanism works because the chemical that causes feline euphoria also has powerful insect-repelling properties. However, the researchers didn't actually test if the new lotion is attractive to cats!
Cyborg Cockroaches
Transcript: What if the ultimate search and rescue hero was a giant bug? Scientists at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have created tiny 3D-printed diving suits for Madagascar hissing cockroaches. These four-inch-long insects can now survive underwater for up to three hours! The suit provides oxygen because hydrogen peroxide reacts with manganese dioxide inside a tiny tank to release oxygen directly into the insect's breathing holes. This allows the remote-controlled cyborgs to explore flooded areas after natural disasters where traditional robots might run out of battery. If you were trapped in a tight space, would you be happy to see a robotic roach?
AI Superconductors
Transcript: Imagine if our computers and cities could run without losing any energy! On Monday, scientists at Aalto University in Finland announced they used artificial intelligence to discover two new superconductors. The SuperC consortium hopes to find a room-temperature superconductor by the year twenty thirty-three. The AI speeds up discovery because it uses machine learning to rapidly screen enormous numbers of possible elemental combinations before researchers run detailed quantum calculations. This allows the team to focus only on the strongest candidates instead of testing thousands of materials by hand. What would you power with a battery that never lost its charge?
Brain's Internal Ruler
Transcript: Have you ever navigated a dark room just by feeling the walls? Scientists at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT discovered how a mouse uses its whiskers to measure exact distances. The team published their findings on June twenty-fifth in the journal Neuron. The brain calculates distance because an inhibitory pathway allows the brainstem to compare two different sensory inputs by subtraction. When a mouse brushes its whiskers against an object twenty-three millimeters away, specific neurons fire to create an internal map of the space around its face. Next time you reach for your alarm clock in the dark, think about your own internal map!
Anthropic Claude Cowork
Transcript: What if your digital assistant could keep working while you sleep? Starting Tuesday, Anthropic is launching its Claude Cowork artificial intelligence platform on mobile and web devices. The expanded access is rolling out first to Max subscribers and coming to Claude users on other plans in the coming weeks. Cowork sessions can run in the background because they now operate in the cloud by default. This means the system can continue processing complex tasks even when your laptop is completely closed. It can even send a notification to your phone when the work is ready for you to review! If you had an AI assistant working overnight, what project would you give it?
New Horizons Wakes Up
Transcript: How do you wake up a machine that is billions of miles away? On June twenty-third, flight controllers in Laurel, Maryland confirmed that NASA's New Horizons spacecraft safely awakened from a three-hundred-and-twenty-one-day hibernation. The probe is currently 5.9 billion miles from Earth! The spacecraft saves resources because operators place it in hibernation mode during long cruise periods. Now that it is awake, it will begin transmitting science data gathered from the distant Kuiper Belt. It took radio signals eight hours and fifty-two minutes just to reach the operations center! Imagine taking a nap that lasted almost an entire year!
Ebola Strain DRC
Transcript: How fast can scientists test new medicines during a health emergency? This week, researchers are launching clinical trials to test new treatments for a rare virus spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A United States government agency called BARDA donated the necessary doses for the study. One treatment helps fight the virus because it is a cocktail of two monoclonal antibodies designed to mimic the immune system's natural defenses. Health officials hope these existing drugs can be repurposed to protect people. Next time you take medicine, remember the global teamwork required to create it!
One Piece
Transcript: Are you ready for the biggest summer in anime history? Fans of the thirty-year-old franchise One Piece are celebrating massive announcements this week. Netflix confirmed that season three of the live-action show has wrapped filming and will arrive in twenty twenty-seven. What this means for you is a tidal wave of new adventures and merchandise. On August first, LEGO will drop six brand new building sets inspired by the series. Plus, the United States is finally getting its first official Mugiwara store in Los Angeles this fall! If you could join the Straw Hat pirate crew, what would your special power be?
RuneScape Console
Transcript: What if a classic computer game suddenly leaped onto your television screen? The beloved PC game RuneScape is preparing for its first-ever console release in its twenty-five-year history. The new chapter, called Dragonwilds, will debut on September fifteenth. Porting the game to new platforms has become much easier because the development team is using Unreal Engine 5. The studio is focusing heavily on the user experience to ensure the interface-heavy game feels perfectly natural on a controller. The launch will even include crossplay so friends can team up across different devices! Do you prefer playing games with a keyboard or a controller?
UK Gambling Checks
Transcript: How do governments protect people from spending too much money online? On Tuesday, the Gambling Commission in Great Britain announced new financial risk assessments for people who spend large amounts of money online. The checks will start with users who spend more than five thousand pounds in a twenty-four-hour period. What this means for you is a look at how digital regulations work in the real world. The assessments will not impact credit scores because they are document-free checks provided by credit reference agencies. The goal is to identify and support customers who might be experiencing financial difficulties. Do you think websites should have automatic limits on how much you can spend?