Allison Cobb, who co-published the latest findings this week in the Journal of Natural History, was in her 40s before she received any formal scientific training. Dissuaded from science—or any college degree—by her father, it wasn’t until later in life that she trained in biology and biochemistry. She became a technician at what is now Oxford Brookes University in the U.K. only leaving to join her husband in Africa where he was doing conservation research....

Let’s break down what that actually means. These robots are called xenobots—they’re synthetic lifeforms made from clusters of stem cells scraped from African clawed frog embryos. Using artificial intelligence, a team of engineers and computer scientists from the University of Vermont, Tufts University, and Harvard University tested out different body shapes for their living robots. They discovered that a Pac-Man-like C-shape made the little cell clumps the most efficient at self-replicating....

Click to launch a stunning photo gallery of melting ice in Greenland and Antarctica_ All of the ice sheets in the world except one are losing prodigious mass, according to a landmark new survey of satellite data. Greenland and Antarctica are now losing more than three times as much ice as they were in the 1990s. Greenland alone is shedding more ice-mass today than it was in 1992 by a factor of five....

That nostalgia is powerful, and it has driven the relatively recent trend of retro consoles, which now includes Sega’s Genesis Mini. Scheduled for release at the end of September, the $80 miniature system will include 40 games and a pair of controllers. Here’s the official list of games included on the device: Ecco the DolphinCastlevania: BloodlinesSpace Harrier 2Shining ForceDr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean MachineToe Jam & EarlComix ZoneSonic the HedgehogAltered BeastGunstar HeroesEarthworm JimCastle of IllusionShinobi IIIContra: Hard CorpsSonic the Hedgehog 2World of IllusionThunder Force IIISuper Fantasy ZoneStreets of Rage 2LandstalkersBeyond OasisGhouls ‘n GhostsAlex KiddGolden AxePhantasy Star IVStreet Fighter 2Mega Man: The Wily WarsSonic SpinballVectormanWonderboy in Monster WorldVirtua Fighter 2Alisia DragoonColumnsDynamite HeaddyStriderKid ChameleonLight CrusaderMonster World IVEternal ChampionsRoad Rash II...

As the hot, water-guzzling days of summer descend, videos like this one are circulating more and more. Are there reasons to supplement your salt intake? Sure. But is running to the bathroom less one of them? Absolutely not. Fundamentally, the idea of seasoning your beverage to stop the wet stuff from flowing right on through your system isn’t wrong. Sodium binds to water, which helps maintain the balance of fluids in the body....

These are important questions because, according to a new study, areas with low “social capital”–lack of neighborliness, I guess would be one way of putting it–are associated with higher rates of traffic fatalities. Love thy neighbor, or stay off the roads. All the usual caveats here are in full effect. Correlation doesn’t mean causation (maybe people are on edge because of the higher-than-normal traffic fatalities?), but it’s still an interesting find: not only were the numbers statistically significant, but the chances of dying were a full 50 percent greater in areas with low social capital....

Specifically, teenagers with Internet access on their phones are two times more likely to have sex with someone they met online, compared with teens who don’t use smartphones. But the study author was quick to point out that smartphones are likely not causing risky teen sex. Correlation does not always imply causation–these teens might be finding sex partners in different ways if they didn’t have smartphones. Maybe they needed smartphones to manage all their encounters....

Private space company SpaceX, which launched the satellites on Monday, is driving the orbital boom with its construction of the Starlink constellation—a flock of satellites that will eventually number in the thousands intended to blanket the planet with internet access. But while the enterprise will increase connectivity here on Earth, astronomers fear it will sever them from the rest of the universe, filling the night sky with unavoidable streaks of light....

While probiotics are plentiful in many high-income countries like the United States, they are in rather short supply in many developing countries. This lack of beneficial bacteria may not appear to be a significant public health problem. But the actual benefit of having these bacteria extends much farther than a single health benefit. Last week, the World Health Organization released a document highlighting the impact of foodborne illness worldwide. Not surprisingly, developing countries were hardest hit particularly in children under five years of age....

When a gray whale swims from Alaska to Mexico in December to start a family, it doesn’t stop for a single meal or snack. Instead, it survives off the foot-thick layer of fat it gains after eating oily krill all summer long. The cache lasts for months, giving the 90,000-pound creature the energy it needs to make the long trek and keep a stable body temperature the entire way. Lots of animals have fat reserves deep in their bodies, but marine mammals (with the exception of sea otters and polar bears) keep theirs right under the skin to insulate them against ice-cold waters....

Professor Robin Dunbar looked at the relationship between people’s Facebook friends and real friends, and found that only 14 out of the average 150 Facebook friends a user has would express any sympathy for the user in real life; only five Facebook friends could be considered “close friends.” The study also found that age played a significant role in the number of Facebook friends that participants had, reflecting the differences in how teenagers and adults use social media....

The past year doing this show has brought about the full gamut of emotions. We’ve laughed. We’ve pretended we weren’t salty when we lost games. We’ve cooked sausages on a weird George Foreman grill in a room with no ventilation and flammable foam everywhere. It has been amazing. But, even on the internet, nothing can last forever. Here at the PopSci laboratory, we have a heap of new projects simmering away on the Bunson burners that we’ll share with you soon....

We had a lot of ground to cover this week, with lots of new Google announcements, addressing various outrage, and turning ordering lunch into a brutal grudge match. You can subscribe on iTunes, add us on Stitcher, follow us on Anchor, or join us on Spotify. And be sure to follow us on Twitter to brag about your scores, make fun of our wrong answers, or share pictures of your lunch....

Xbox Series S, $239.99 (Was $299.99) Microsoft is due to increase the price of its console hardware next year, which makes this $60 discount on its Xbox Series S especially generous. The digital-only system (there’s no disc drive) is powerful enough to play the latest games at 1440p, which is better than HD. It’s also a lot more svelte than both its predecessor (the Xbox One) and more powerful sibling (the Xbox Series X)....

With more and more retailers hopping onto the Cyber Monday train, however, it can be hard to find the best deals. We’re spending all day Monday trying to dig up the biggest discounts on the best products. Backbone One Mobile Gaming Controller $69 (Was $99) With game streaming services and better mobile games coming out all the time, this high-end gaming controller is one of the best ways to play on a mobile device....

With more and more retailers hopping onto the Cyber Monday train, however, it can be hard to find the best deals. We’re spending all day Monday trying to dig up the biggest discounts on the best products. Cyber Monday gaming deals Backbone One Mobile Gaming Controller $69 (Was $99) Razer BlackShark V2 gaming headset $69 (Was $99) Razer DeathAdder Essential gaming mouse $20 (Was $49) Razer Huntsman Elite Gaming Keyboard $129 (Was $199) Razer Kishi Mobile Game controller $44 (Was $79) Razer Basilisk v2 Wired Gaming Mouse $35 (Was $79) Razer Viper Ultimate Hyperspeed gaming mouse $89 ($149) Razer Kiyo Pro streaming webcam $99 (Was $199)...

Below are some favorites. The 13-inch Nixplay Seed Wave frame boasts 1920 x 1080 resolution, motion sensors, and a power cord that acts as a frame stand. This new model features two 5-watt speakers that let you stream musical accompaniment via Bluetooth. It also offers better sound for your videos. Upload curated photo playlists or connect your social media accounts. The Seed Wave comes with 10GB of free cloud storage and 8GB on built-in storage....

If you ride your motorcycle on a regular basis as an adventurer or a commuter, then the odds are you will get caught in the rain at some point. And that’s the reason you should add a good set of quality rain gear to your gear bag. Here are some of our favorites.

Material: Arguably the most important aspect of any suitcase is the material it’s made from—it needs to be durable and weather resistant to keep your belongings safe on any trip. Hard-sided suitcases can best protect breakables, but if you want a lightweight soft-sided suitcase, look for one made of ballistic nylon, canvas, or polyester.Wheels: Wheeled suitcases typically either come with two or four wheels. The main advantage to four-wheeled suitcases is that there’s little force required to move them, making them especially useful when you have more than one bag to haul through an airport....

Best tablets: Reviews & Recommendations Let’s be honest, “iPad” hasn’t quite reached the level of Kleenex or Band-Aids when it comes to a brand name becoming the generic term for a product…but of all the tablets it’s the closest. There are folks, especially those who already have an iPhone and/or a MacBook, who believe tablet and iPad are already, exclusively synonymous. And iOS is undoubtedly accessible and app rich, able to cater to casual or corporate needs....