🤖 Tech & Computer Science

Meet Tennibot, the tennis ball Roomba

Tennibot, founded by Haitham Eletrabi, uses AI to automatically collect tennis balls, inspired by his frustration with picking them up during practice. The robot avoids obstacles and could expand to other sports like pickleball. iRobot co-founder Helen Greiner is an investor, and the company has a flat management structure driven by a shared love of tennis.

Gen2Act: Human Video Generation in Novel Scenarios enables Generalizable Robot Manipulation

This paper introduces Gen2Act, a method for robot manipulation that generalizes to new tasks and unseen objects by using human video generation from web data. Instead of expensive robot data collection, the approach leverages pre-trained video models and conditions a single robot policy on generated videos. Gen2Act enables zero-shot manipulation of novel tasks using significantly less robot interaction data and without fine-tuning the video model, showing success in diverse real-world scenarios.

⚛️ Physics and Chemistry

Convection enhances heat transport in sea ice

Researchers discovered that convective flow significantly boosts sea ice's thermal conductivity, a factor missing in current climate models. This new insight could enhance predictions for heat exchange in polar regions.

Graphene spike mat uses ordinary fridge magnet tech to fight antibiotic resistance

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed a way to harness graphene's bactericidal properties using fridge-magnet technology. This breakthrough enables ultra-thin graphene coatings on medical devices like catheters and implants, killing 99.99% of bacteria and potentially reducing health care–associated infections and antibiotic resistance.

🧬 Biology & Medicine

How to Use Monoclonal Antibodies for Migraine in Primary Care

Dr. Vincent Martin emphasizes that primary care clinicians should be familiar with CGRP monoclonal antibodies for migraine prevention, as these newer drugs are significantly improving patient outcomes. Many patients who struggled with conventional treatments are responding well to CGRP agents. Access to these medications is becoming easier, with insurers reducing restrictions. The American Headache Society recently recommended CGRP monoclonal antibodies as a first-line treatment for preventing migraines.

At-home flu vaccine approved by FDA — what to know

The FDA has approved the FluMist nasal spray flu vaccine for at-home use for individuals aged 18 to 49, allowing them to self-administer it. Caregivers can also give the spray to children and adolescents aged 2 to 17. Previously, FluMist was only available in healthcare settings, but clinical trials showed it is safe and effective for self-administration.

Music therapy improves sleep and comfort in preterm infants

Scientists at the University Medical Center Utrecht studied the effects of music on preterm infants' comfort, sleep, and physiological stability. Published in Pediatric Research, the study highlights how premature infants miss out on crucial sensory experiences, such as the mother's heartbeat and voice, which support brain development. The instrumental version of Brahms' Lullaby, played at a safe volume, was used to create a soothing environment. This research suggests that music could help compensate for the stressful, high-frequency stimuli in neonatal intensive care, supporting healthier brain development in preterm infants.

🔭 Space & Astronomy

SpaceX launches 20 Starlink internet satellites from California (photos)

SpaceX launched 20 Starlink broadband satellites, including 13 with direct-to-cell capability, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California early on September 25. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 3:01 a.m. EDT, and its first stage successfully returned to Earth, landing on the drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You" in the Pacific Ocean 8.5 minutes later.

NASA Awards Contract Extension for Solar Science Instrument

NASA has extended its contract with Stanford University to continue operations for the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). This no-fee contract, valued at approximately $12.5 million, runs from October 1 through September 30, 2027, increasing the total contract value to $186.34 million. The HMI instrument plays a key role in studying the Sun's oscillations and magnetic fields, contributing to our understanding of solar activity and its effects on Earth and space weather.

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