Scientists are Growing Tiny Human Neural Cortexes in Petri Dishes

Yep, you heard that one correctly. In what could be a major step forward for personalized medicine, researchers have perfected a technique for growing miniature balls of cortical tissue—the key working tissue in the human brain—in a dish.

Google's Skynet Drone Crash-Landed in the Desert and Nobody Noticed

While everybody’s eyes were on Google I/O this week, another little bit of Google news nearly managed to slip under the radar:

Carl Sagan's solar-powered spacecraft is in trouble

The test flight of Carl Sagan's LightSail craft is in jeopardy after a computer problem left it unable to communicate with its mission controllers.

Ecocapsules are pint-sized solar and wind-powered micro homes

Ecocapsule is a small, egg-shaped abode that could be the perfect home for someone who wants to let it all go like Elsa and live off the grid.

NASA's Plan To Make Cheap Spacecraft That Will Explore Distant Worlds

Right now, the cost of studying the atmosphere of a distant planet or moon is a multi-million dollar mission. But NASA is working to make space exploration way more affordable—using cheap, lightweight CubeSats.

SpaceX gets the all-clear to launch most NASA science missions

After three long years, SpaceX finally has approval to launch most of the US' scientific missions.

In the Future, a Virtual Heart May Test Your Medical Device For You

Hearts are too valuable to risk—which is why the NSF announced Friday that it would be funneling millions of dollars into a new effort to develop virtual hearts for medical device development and testing.

Here's How Planet Hunters Are Going to Find the Next Earth

Twenty years ago, discovering another Earth sounded like a science fictional dream. But within a generation, astronomers now believe we might do just that.

Wounded turtle can return to the ocean thanks to a 3D-printed beak

Look, we know this sea turtle's prosthetic beak has a tragic backstory, but it sure makes the reptile look like it has a future as a badass pizza-loving mutant. According to 3D Printing Industry,

NASA competition pays you to design a 3D-printed habitat

If NASA is going to put humans on Mars and other distant worlds, it's going to need a

Architects Design Wooden Bicycle Frame to Explore Structural Engineering

Wooden bikes may be beautiful, but they’re also a tad impractical. Nevertheless, there may be unexpected value in wooden bike frames, which architects can use to understand important structural challenges and prototype new designs.

The Techno-Islands That May Replace the Maldives

If the 350 thousand-odd Maldivians want to stay put, they may have to rebuild everything, starting with the ground they walk on.

Gizmodo: Ancient Asteroid Impacts Boiled the Oceans and Made Life on Earth Hell

Roughly 3.3 billion years ago, Earth’s early life forms were plunged into an unimaginable hell, when a series of massive asteroids smashed into the young planet, vaporizing the oceans and scorching the skies.