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Today’s Pulse rundown
Indigenous Whale Tour
Transcript: What if you could learn about the ocean from people who have studied it for thousands of years? On the New South Wales South Coast, an Indigenous-led whale-watching tour is sharing ancient knowledge with scientists. Guide Jodi Edwards received a three hundred thousand dollar grant in twenty twenty-four to explore how Indigenous songlines protect whales. What this means for you is a new way to understand nature. Instead of just looking at data, researchers are learning how the Illawarra coast landscape shaped whale behavior sixty thousand years ago. If you went on this tour, what questions would you ask the guides?
Wildlife Crossings
Transcript: Imagine trying to cross a ten-lane highway without a crosswalk! That is the danger many animals face, but engineers are building massive wildlife crossings to help them. In Colorado, a two-hundred-foot overpass is expected to reduce roadkill by ninety percent along a busy highway. What this means for you is safer travel for both wildlife and people. From rope bridges in Sri Lanka to canopy crossings in Costa Rica, these structures reconnect fragmented habitats so animals can safely find food and shelter. The United States is even debating a one billion dollar bill to fund more projects. What kind of bridge would you design for a squirrel?
Gallium Mystery
Transcript: Have you ever seen a metal melt right in the palm of your hand? Gallium is a strange metal discovered in eighteen seventy-five that melts at incredibly low temperatures. Scientists at the University of Auckland have finally figured out why it behaves so weirdly. Melting is easier because when the atomic bonds break apart, the resulting increase in entropy frees the atoms. The team discovered that these bonds actually vanish when the metal melts, but surprisingly return at even higher temperatures! This breakthrough overturns decades of science and could help engineers design better electronics. What would you build with a metal that melts like ice?
FloatForm Robots
Transcript: What if a swarm of tiny boats could build a bridge all by themselves? Researchers at MIT have developed FloatForm, a system of twenty-one-centimeter square robotic boats that can autonomously assemble into floating structures. In experiments, a fleet of eight robots formed a rigid shape in just four to eight minutes! The boats reliably click into clean square lattices because the magnets are arranged with alternating polarities. They use an origami-inspired mechanism hidden inside the hull to grab onto their neighbors without needing a central computer to control every single move. If you had a swarm of robot boats, what would you build?
1X Neo Robot
Transcript: How fast can a robot wiggle its fingers? The robotics company 1X just revealed the incredibly fast hands on its soft home-chore robot, Neo. The robot has twenty-five degrees of freedom, which is almost as flexible as a human hand! Neo's hands have a broad range of motion because actuators are designed to replicate how tendons in the arms move human hands. This allows the waterproof fingers to grip odd shapes, lift heavy objects, and even wash themselves! The company hopes to deliver these helpful machines to homes by twenty twenty-six. If a robot could do one chore for you, what would you choose?
Ancient Worm Fossil
Transcript: Did you know that even ancient worms had a favorite side? Scientists at the American Museum of Natural History analyzed one hundred fossil specimens of a flatworm-like creature that lived half a billion years ago. They found that the ancient worms actually preferred bending to the right! What this means for you is a fascinating glimpse into how brains evolved. Finding handedness in a five-hundred-and-fifty-five-million-year-old fossil from South Australia shows that advanced nervous systems started developing much earlier than we thought, long before animals even had legs. Are you right-handed, left-handed, or can you easily use both?
Vermont Velomont Trail
Transcript: Imagine riding a bike on a trail that stretches across an entire state! In Vermont, organizers from Vermont Huts and Trails are building a massive four-hundred-and-eighty-five-mile multi-use trail that will connect twenty-seven communities. They are working closely with adaptive athletes to make sure the path is accessible for everyone. What this means for you is more inclusive outdoor adventures. Contractors are widening driveways and building ramps at overnight huts so riders using heavy, three-wheeled adaptive bikes can easily navigate the woods and camp safely under the stars. What is your absolute favorite trail to explore out in nature?
Naruto Live-Action
Transcript: Do you have what it takes to be a real-life ninja? Lionsgate is launching a massive worldwide casting search to find actors for its upcoming live-action Naruto movie! The studio is looking for the perfect people to play Team 7, which includes Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. What this means for you is seeing a beloved anime finally come to life. The original manga has printed over two hundred and fifty million copies across sixty countries, and creator Masashi Kishimoto is thrilled about the Hollywood adaptation. If you could play any anime character in a movie, who would it be?
Meaningful Stone Single
Transcript: What happens when two amazing indie pop artists finally join forces to make music? Earlier this year, South Korean musical artist Meaningful Stone traveled all the way to Los Angeles to collaborate with producer Jay Som. Together, they just released a brand new single called one plus one equals zero! What this means for you is a fantastic fresh addition to your summer playlist. The song features bright bursts of melody and breathy vocals gliding across a bustling surface of guitars, creating a dreamy, celestial sound. Who is your absolute favorite musical artist to listen to right now?
UK Town of Culture
Transcript: How does a town prove it has the best culture in the country? Fifteen places across the UK have been shortlisted to compete for the first-ever UK Town of Culture title! The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is giving each town sixty thousand pounds to develop a full bid. What this means for you is a look at how communities celebrate their history. Early next year, an independent panel will choose one overall winner to receive a massive three million pound grant to host cultural events in twenty twenty-eight. What makes your hometown special and unique?