Scientists have found that adults are now less happy than before

The results of the comparison of data from one million people aged between 13 and 96 years on the eve of scientists shared. Researchers interested in the fact that people were happy in the modern era, or in 70-80 years of the last century.
According to Western medical respectable tabloids, the study was conducted panel of scientists from the University of San Diego. As a result of the add succeeded in establishing the fact that more than 38% of respondents in the early '70s were much happier. The amount is, as we are assured the authors of the analysis will be increased every year.
Of course, not without its positive aspects, including increased levels of happiness among the young generation. For example, at the beginning of the 70-80 28% claimed that they "are the happiest people on earth", and by 2010 this had risen to 30%. The results, scientists have tried to explain from their point of view.
In their opinion, today the expectations of people is much higher than before, and therefore the achievement of a middle-aged, people are beginning to realize that they can not achieve all its goals. As a result, they begin to feel miserable, but a few decades ago, they were content with little.

Scientists have found in an Egyptian pyramid, a time machine

International researchers have agreed that in the underground labyrinth of one of the Egyptian pyramids can be a time machine, which is the energy portal. In 2016, the structure of the pyramids are examined with the help of satellites, which will provide evidence of the theory scientists.

Researchers from Japan, the US and Europe have decided to join efforts in the study of the Great Pyramids of Egypt. Scientists believe that the underground labyrinths of the pyramids can serve as a temporary portal. According to the theory advanced by Nikolai Kozyrev, past, present and future exist simultaneously, but separated by a parallel realities. Scientists believe that the energy portal, hidden in the depths of the pyramids allow travel between realities.

Guess arose after the discovery of the temple of Karnak in Luxor door of the tomb of Queen Hatshepsut vizier, whose age is 3.5 thousand. Years. The inscriptions on the doors say that her hidden entrance to another dimension. To determine the structure of the underground passages of the pyramid researchers will scan them with near-Earth satellites, which will reveal the secret rooms, and the depth of the maze.

Virtual reality becomes real: new technology allows users to feel virtual objects

Researchers have long been struggling to create a virtual reality, but significant progress achieved in the past few years. Oculus improved technologies VR, whose development slowed down considerably compared with the previous decade. Now revival of consumer products VR goes by leaps and bounds, and today a very accessible set of virtual reality as Samsung Gear VR, can be immersed in a virtual world almost all comers.

But there is one key issue, which does not allow the user to immerse themselves in a virtual environment. But soon things can change, thanks to the work of German scientists.

A team of researchers from the Laboratory of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Hasso Plattner Institute has created a working prototype of the device, called Impacto. The device is integrated into the ribbon, which can be put on the arm or leg. In conjunction with special software designed in HCI, Impacto simulates contact with the wearer's body so that it can actually feel the objects in the virtual reality. At least to some degree.

Researchers demonstrated examples include a boxing game, where the user can feel the impact of the strike on the lock arm and a soccer game where the player can feel every bounce the ball on his feet.

It should be noted that this is not just Impacto vibrating micromotor, hidden in a plastic box. The device combines a tactile vibration motor with miostimulyatorov that lets you create a sense of shock or jerk, more accurately simulate contact with the real physical objects.

"The key idea that underlies the fact that small and light Impacto can simulate the bounce, is the expansion of influence on components: a device causes the tactile sensations associated with stroke, by touching the skin of the solenoid; it reinforces the sense of shock due to the repulsion of the user's hand, using electrical stimulation of muscles - say the developers of technology. - It is an independent wireless device is quite small, it is easy to carry on the body that allows a user to walk freely in a virtual environment. "

Currently, the possibility of using the device are limited by its shape and size, but the technology can be easily adapted for different sizes of devices. Thus, several different modules Impacto can be combined to form a kind of dress with a set of contact points. Then users except sensation in the arm or hit the ball bouncing on his feet, can feel the contact with objects VR along the entire body.

            Scientists block pain at a distance

English journal Nature Biotechnology placed in the new issue report a group of American scientists working on the problem of blocking pain. The study was able to create a prototype of the implant, which allows not to pass pain signals to the brain. Thus, neurological and chronic pain symptoms which previously had to suppress painkillers in the future will be able simply to stop. The brain will not receive signals from the damaged organ.

To implement the ideas into practice, researchers have applied the technology optogenetics. The photon flux will affect the neurons, causing them to produce the protein, and thus will not pain for the neural network. Scientists have conducted a test experiments on mice, and pointed out that during the study they were able to implant the implant virtually any body test.

A team of researchers has announced the organization of a startup NeuroLux, which is intended to completion of the device - used in the first stage fiber that prevent implantation of the bodies that are in motion. The concept of a wireless device, allows you to make more than maneuvers to implant. Plans scientists launch the device in mass production.

Corals can tolerate acidification of the water - and thus survive if warming?

Oceanographers again muddy water. Until now it was thought that coral reefs can not tolerate acidification of the oceans. Particular concern is caused against the background of imminent water acidification due to increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Solutions, it turns into carbonic acid - not much, but still lower the pH of seawater. It was believed that corals are extremely sensitive to these processes and the development of global warming are in grave danger.
However, California oceanographer Andreas Andersson (Andreas Andersson) and his colleagues studied the coral reefs of Bermuda for five years, came to a rather paradoxical conclusion: the growing corals themselves increase the acidity of the water - and feel it is completely normal. "At first we were just very puzzled - says Andersson. - All this is just the opposite of what is expected with an increase in the acidity of ocean water. "
Scientists have been monitoring from 2007 to 2012, fixing the local water two sharp peaks acidity - in 2010 and 2011. And the authors were able to show that these peaks are associated with harmful human activity, and with a useful life activity of the corals themselves. Their growing bodies require large amounts of calcium and continuously absorbed its alkaline salts from the water. In addition, increased metabolic rate leads to higher emissions of carbon dioxide - and this led to an increase in acidity.
Andersson and his colleagues noted that two of the detected peak of growth have been associated with the acidity of "fruitful" 2010 and 2011, when the phytoplankton bloom in the vicinity of Bermuda is very intense. Blossomed and feeding them animal coral polyps - followed and acidity increased. And so, it seems, it did not care. Local acidity jump was far superior to anything that can be expected in the coming decades by global warming - but corals feel great.
These observations are very confusing, it seemed almost set a question about the future of coral reefs - priceless treasuries of biodiversity. Until now, almost all agreed that the increase in acidity of the water for them (and their calcium skeletons) is detrimental. But now? .. "If the coral is enough light and food, it is important if they do acidity of the water? - Asks Andreas Andersson. - Now we can not answer it. "

         Mount Pluto turned icy volcanoes


NASA scientists said that Mount Pluto are actually volcanoes spewing ice or similar to it in structure to the composition of the frozen water and methane, ammonia or nitrogen.

According to Reuters, the results of the study of Pluto were made public on Monday by experts NASA's press conference at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder. The information was collected as a result of rapprochement with the dwarf planet spacecraft New Horizons July 14 of this year. Pictures and data are transmitted closer to Earth until now. Recall, the probe then overflew a distance of about 12.5 thousand. Km of the surface of Pluto, 9 days of observations gathered about 50 GB of information. The latest data will arrive on Earth in early 2017. Scientists hope that the information will also confirm or deny the existence of ocean water on the planet, which is presumed to be under the ice.

Among the 50 broadcasts a probe of one of the most interesting details have appeared on the surface of Pluto mountains. In particular, there are two mountains, each of which is up to 161 kilometers in diameter and several kilometers high. The tops of these mountains are like the tops of volcanoes located on Earth and Mars. "Beyond the solar system, we have not seen anything like this" - admitted Ph.D., Researcher Research Center NASA's Ames in California, Oliver Wight.

According to experts of the American space agency, Mount Pluto are actually volcanoes. Only they do not spew molten lava, and a mix of frozen water and methane, ammonia or nitrogen. According to White, the assumption at first glance sounds crazy when applied to a dwarf planet, located 30 times farther from the Sun than the Earth, but "it's the only reasonable explanation for what is happening." "These mountains are very strange," - he intrigued journalists scientist.

In addition, the New Horizons probe on the surface of Pluto discovered several large cracks. The length of most of them is 322 km. The depth of the crack reaches four kilometers - is twice the US Grand Canyon (Grand Canyon). According to White, these features crust of Pluto indicate some global changes that have occurred once on the surface. Perhaps it is the decay of natural radioactive elements in the planet's core. Emerge out of this process, the heat was the cause of transformation.

Single silent electric helicopter flies at a speed of 100 km \ h

Recently presented at the exhibition in the Japanese city of Nagoya, the new helicopters can travel at speeds up to a hundred kilometers per hour, flying to 30 minutes at a time.
Being electric, helicopters are also very low noise. Are there single version (sold for $ 375 thousand), and unmanned aerial vehicles ($ 125,000).
Hirobo company believes that only an internal market for this kind of technology in 2021 will grow to $ 120 million.
Technologies such mobility is obviously useful in the event of earthquakes and other natural disasters, when you need to send people in difficult and dangerous terrain to search for survivors.
Hirobo also hopes to develop a two-seater version of the helicopter.
Earlier GEN Corporation has developed a helicopter GEN H-4, which, as they said, was the smallest manned helicopter in the world.

In 2017, scientists intend to dot to edit the human genome

This design Editing genome scientists call a progressive innovative technology that is destined to revolutionize medicine, and to help people in the victory over the most complex congenital diseases. Simply put, we are talking about changes in the genes of human error, which served as the cause of a disease. So far, studies conducted in the laboratory.

The project is named «Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats» abbreviated CRISPR. By 2017, the preparatory phase will be completed and it will be possible to start clinical tests.

According to the explanation of specialists, CRISPR at the level of genetics will deliver the people, for example, congenital blindness and other diseases, received by inheritance. They also assured the simplicity and relatively low cost of development «Editas Medicine». Innovation is so affordable that it will allow scientists around the world use its capabilities in genetic engineering experiments.

             Vikings - facts and fallacies

One Nation

The Vikings were not the representatives of the people, it was a motley group of soldiers, travelers and traders under the direction of the leader. During the Viking Age Scandinavia was not divided into large states (Denmark, Norway, Sweden), and consisted of many areas under the supervision of such groups. In general, the Norse word "Viking" is not tied to any location, and means a person participating in the march to the sea.

Wild and dirty

Many feature films and cartoons, the Vikings are shown dirty and wild men and women, but in fact, they care about their appearance. Combs, tweezers, razors - the most frequent findings during excavations of Viking settlement. We found the remains of soap, which the Vikings made their own. In England, the Vikings, on the contrary, considered Neat because bathed once a week (Saturday). In Scandinavian languages ​​is still Saturday the word means "bath day", even though it themselves descendants of the Vikings did not think.

Large blondes

The Vikings are also shown in cinematographic massive, with long blond hair. Interestingly, analysis of historical records and data excavation has shown that the average growth of blond was about 170 centimeters, which is very little, even by ancient standards. With blond hair more interesting situation - they are considered ideal from the Vikings, but not all had light hair. To correct this misunderstanding use special whitening soap. Even the Vikings were hospitable people, and a lot of foreigners pouring into the Viking tribes, so that among them were Italians, Spaniards, Portuguese, French and even Russian. It is understood that all of them had different weight and growth characteristics and color of hair.

The Vikings drank from skull

The source of this legend - the product of a certain Ole Worm "Reuner seu Danica literatura antiquissima" in 1636, where he wrote that Danish warriors drank from the "curved skulls." Upon further translation into Latin of the phrases have only the word "skulls". In addition, during the excavation still has not found a single cup made from the skull.

Rough weapons

Another feature of the cinematic Vikings - gross mismanagement use of weapons like batons and axes, or even its absence. In fact, the Vikings were good gunsmith, and using forged composite technology (the same used in the manufacture of Damascus blades), they were able to make a very strong and sharp weapons. According to the folklore of the Vikings, to check the severity of the sword, he fell into a running creek, and through it indulged hair. If your hair is cut, the sword was considered to be sharp.

Scandinavia - Motherland

The Vikings appeared in Scandinavia, but eventually settled around the world, reaching North Africa, Russia, and even North America. There are several theories to explain the causes of the expansion, the most logical of them associated with the depletion of land resources and the increase in the population of Scandinavia, which is why it was necessary to look for new places to live. Another reason - the proceeds from the exhaustion of trade between Western Europe and Asia after the fall of the Roman Empire in the V century, after which the Vikings had to look for new "fish" places.

Hated by all

As a consequence of previous errors appeared the opinion that the Vikings were unwelcome everywhere, outcasts, their supposedly hated everything. In reality, they are not only hated (as well as any other nation), but also respected. The French king Charles III, known as Charles just gave the Vikings the land in what is now Normandy, and married his daughter to one of the leaders of the Viking Rollo. These "domesticated" Vikings later repeatedly defended the French territory from encroachment of other Vikings. In Constantinople, Vikings respected for their strength and courage, so that by the Byzantine emperor was put in a special Varangian guard composed of Swedish Vikings.

The bloodthirsty and cruel

Viking attacks were bloodthirsty and brutal, if not to think about others. While other methods of waging war was not - all were bloodthirsty and cruel - the French and the British, and other nations. For example, a contemporary of the Vikings, King Charles the Great virtually destroyed the people of the Avars (the ancient union of tribes who lived on the Volga River and on the shores of the Caspian Sea), and at Verdun beheaded nearly 5000 residents of Saxony. Vikings can not be called the most blood-thirsty, they had another "chip" - the complete destruction of all connected with an alien religion (monasteries, churches), including the ministers of these religions. It's so scared of others, that the residents of the villages, barely seen on the horizon mast Viking ships, fled without a fight.

Solid robbery

A very small part of the Vikings were warriors, and the rest were engaged in agriculture, crafts and animal husbandry. For marine expeditions robbery was one of the "bonuses", which refused one, not only the Vikings. Most Vikings lived peacefully in the lands of what is now Iceland and Greenland, and were regarded as sophisticated traders who had dealings with the representatives of different nations and countries.

Horned helmets

This is probably the biggest misconception. Still not found evidence of archaeological or written, that the Vikings wore helmets with horns. All found helmets have horns and their design does not provide for such excesses. Most likely, this error kept the early Christians who believed the Vikings accomplices of the devil, so they were supposed to intimidate wearing horns on his helmet. Norwegian Thor the god on his helmet had wings, which at a certain percentage of fantasy can be taken by the horns.

Scientists were able to measure the strength of the interaction of antiprotons


An international team of physicists for the first time to accurately measure the strength of the interaction of antiprotons - the particles of antimatter. During the experiments, the American RHIC collider researchers dispersed gold ions to near-light speed. Thus they were able to find out what the roots of the baryon asymmetry of the universe.

The study is published in the magazine Nature. The experiments were carried out at the relativistic heavy ion collider (RHIC), which is located at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in the US. The study involved an international team of physicists, including Russian. At RHIC collider face overclocked to near light speeds gold ions. As a result of these clashes in a very short time, the conditions in which there is a substance through the moments after the Big Bang.

As commonly understood today, at the birth of the universe particles and antiparticles should have to appear in equal amounts. Now, however, there is no antimatter in the universe. Scientists hope to find out what the cause of this asymmetry. In analyzing data from RHIC, they found traces of a pair of strong interaction of antiprotons.

The strong interaction - one of the four fundamental interactions in physics. It brings together the quarks, gluons and composed of these particles called hadrons. They hold atoms together into protons and neutrons and elementary particles - from the decay into quarks. It is believed that in the early stages of the Universe there was one strong and electroweak interactions, from which the inflationary stage (in the interval of exponential expansion) was the allocation of the strong interaction.

Physicists wondered what the reason for the absence of antimatter in the universe, and if she could lie in the fact that the nature of the strong interaction between its particles may be little, but differ on how to interact with each other, protons, neutrons, and other inhabitants of the microcosm of matter. It turned out that all options, including the strength of the interaction of antiprotons are identical. "They made a very difficult measurement," - says physicist William Gibbs from the State University of New Mexico.

All this, as explained by scientists, suggests that the roots of the baryon asymmetry of the universe - the predominance of matter over antimatter in the observable universe - to be found in some other place. Now physicists can begin a serious study of complex nuclei of atoms of antimatter - antideuterium, antitritium, antihelium-3 and 4 received the same RHIC.

It reported the first case of "infection" of human cancer


American scientists have for the first time faced with a case where a cancerous tumor was transmitted by parasites. In a study of 41-year-old man found a tumor-like cancer, but too small for the human cancer cells. It was found that these tumors are transferred from the belt of dwarf tapeworms.

According to the agency "Xinhua", a study authored by scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention United States has shown that cancer cells arising from parasite "dwarf tapeworm» (Hymenolepis nana), moved into the host - 41-year-old man whose immunity has been weakened HIV infection.

A man from the city of Medellin in Colombia went to the doctor with complaints of fever, cough, fatigue and weight loss - all of these symptoms persist for several months. The study showed that the tumor in the patient's lungs, liver, adrenal glands, lymph nodes. Growths looked like cancers, but cancer cells were too small for human cancer cells.

The results of DNA analysis amazed scientists. It was found that the cancer cells are transmitted to humans from dwarf tapeworms - dwarf tapeworm. We know that cancer can be transmitted to other animals dog, Tasmanian Devil and shellfish, but this is the first case of "contamination" from the parasites of human cancer, the researchers say. Results of the study raised concerns of physicians, people with weakened immune systems are at risk of sick of this kind of cancer. Particular risk in the less developed countries, where widespread dwarf tapeworm.

"We were amazed when we found this new type of cancer that is transmitted from person to tapeworms - said the study's lead author Myuhlenbas Atis (Atis Muehlenbachs). - It is uncommon, but, nevertheless, this parasite is spread throughout the world, and millions of people suffer from diseases such as HIV that weaken their immune system. It is definitely worth looking into. "

According to the "Xinhua", similar but unconfirmed incident occurred in January 2013, when doctors in Colombia appealed to the Centers for Disease Control United States to help in the diagnosis of unusual tumors in the lungs and lymph nodes of the patient. Tumors were similar to human cancer, but the cells were too small - about 10 times less than the human cancer cells. After dozens of tests, doctors found the dwarf tapeworm DNA in tumors man. Unfortunately, 72 hours after analysis, the patient died. We add that the dwarf tapeworm affects up to 75 million people, thus being the most common parasite.

Scientists have provided dental implants antibacterial properties.

3D-printing technology is widely used in modern medicine, because thanks to her doctors can print a variety of fragments of the body of patients from different materials. One of the new developments in this area was the development of a team of researchers from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. They learn to type dental implants, capable of destroying 99% of harmful bacteria in the human oral cavity.

A team of scientists headed by Andreas Hermann developed a unique material from which they are printed and antibacterial implants. At the core of the material is a mixture of ammonium antibacterial and standard dental resin solidifies when exposed to ultraviolet rays at her. Ammonium salts contained in implants destroy the bacterial membrane, resulting in their death.

During tests on implants applied a mixture of human saliva and bacteria, leading to tooth decay. The results exceeded all expectations - more than 99% of harmful bacteria colonies were completely wiped out. Material implants destroys the only bacteria without harming the cells of the human body.

But not so good in the case of this invention. At the moment, scientists are working on the next major issue. After all, along with the harmful bacteria implants can eliminate those bacteria that live in symbiosis with the man, protecting it from a variety of pathogens. That is why the team of researchers will spend a lot more tests before they come to a final conclusion - whether it is possible to run these implants are in mass production.

Even if the idea of ​​implants would be unrealizable, scientists and others see the scope of the material created by them. For example, it can be used for water purification, creation of food packages, or even children's toys.

NASA scientists unraveled the mystery of "organic", discovered in samples of lunar soil

A team of scientists, funded by NASA to solve long-standing puzzle in front of space science related to the lunar mission series "Apollo" - the researchers finally established the origin of the organic substances found in the lunar soil samples returned to Earth. Samples of lunar soil brought to our planet by astronauts series of missions "Apollo" contain small amounts (a few ppm) of organic substances, namely amino acids. Some amino acids are the "building blocks" of proteins key to life forms molecules that comprise complex biological structures, such as hair and skin structure, and which, moreover, controlled chemical reactions in living organisms.

Since the lunar surface is completely unsuitable for any of the known forms of life scientists, the appearance of these amino acids in samples of lunar soil is associated with one of four possible sources. Firstly, these amino acids could be contamination from Earth, either delivered to the moon mission astronauts "Apollo" or got on the samples after their arrival on Earth. The second source of contamination could be gas emissions from the nozzles of rocket engines lunar modules in the chemical composition of which present hydrogen cyanide HCN, capable of storage of samples in the laboratory transformed into amino acids. A third possible source of amino acids - the solar wind, which includes hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen, that is, all the elements of the periodic system needed to build amino acids. The fourth possible source of "organic" in these samples of lunar scientists call the asteroids, which are often bombarded the lunar surface, as in the asteroid sometimes find extraterrestrial amino acids.

In the new study, a team of scientists from NASA, led by Jamie Elsila of the Goddard Space Flight Center, USA, found by the method of isotope analysis, and on the basis of the ratio of right- and levorotatory isomers of amino acids found that most of the amino acids in samples of lunar soil with a contamination Earth, with a small contribution from the rare amino acids for the planet, having most likely origin of the asteroid. Versions that explain the origin of the detected in samples of amino acids emissions gas engines of the lunar module, or flow of the solar wind, scientists were able to rule out completely, as the gradient of amino acids, depending on the distance to the landing of the lunar module (the first case) or the depth of the sampling from the surface of the moon (the second case ) was observed.

Named the advantages of the "female" type of brain


Scientists compared the "female" and "male" brains and advantages of the first call compared with the second. The results of their research the authors submitted for publication in the Manchester School Journal, and brief them can be found at Independent.

According to the scientists, "women's brains» (E-type) aimed at better implementation of social functions and emotional responses to others, while "male brains» (S-type) are better able to analyze and organize any information.

This leads to that people S-type was prepared by approximately ten percent higher wages than those E-type. First with the show good results when working in the banking and IT-sphere, while the second - in the social security and education.

By their conclusions, scientists have analyzed the more than 16 thousand people who filled in a special questionnaire to assess the level of propensity to systematize and empathy E-S according to the theory proposed by scientists Simon Baron-Cohen.

NASA images showed looming giant asteroid to Earth


The researchers showed the first images of the giant asteroid 2015 TB145, closing in on Earth. This facility opened American automatic Pan-STARRS on Hawaii, and the first of his pictures received in the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. This was reported on the NASA website.

Upon receipt of the images, scientists have noticed in the middle of the dark areas of the asteroid, which, according to the astronomers, may be followed by an impact crater. Total October 30 were obtained six radar images of the asteroid. The resolution of images is equal to 7.5 meters per pixel.

With the radar system, astronomers know the parameters of the asteroid. The diameter of the celestial body reaches 600 meters (ten times larger than the Tunguska body), significantly more than previously thought. Asteroid makes a complete revolution around its axis in five hours and is directed toward the planet at a speed of 35 kilometers per second.

It is expected that at about 20:00 Moscow time a celestial body would be at a distance of 486,000 kilometers from the Earth's surface (1.3 times greater than the distance to the Moon). The asteroid will be visible from Russia (assuming clear sky) using binoculars or an amateur telescope. To distinguish the object from the other celestial objects can be in its movement across the sky in the constellation Ursa Major.

Asteroid 2015 TB145 opened October 10th Pan-STARRS system and is classified as a potentially dangerous object (because of its size and proximity to Earth). These objects include body sizes greater than 100 meters and are approaching the planet at a distance of 7.5 million kilometers.

The next time an asteroid close to Earth will be in September 2018 at a distance of 38 million kilometers (this is approximately a quarter of the distance between the planet and the Sun). Over the next 100 years, it is not harmful to the planet.

For the first time found a lizard with six tails


Argentine lizard set a record in regeneration - it grow a full six tails.

Many lizards can regenerate its tail in case of injury or reject it as a defense against predators. After the "reset" of the tail stops bleeding fast, heal wounds and regeneration begins.

Sometimes the tail can not be completely discarded, and the mechanism of regeneration is still turned on. So there are a lizard with two or three tails.

However shestihvostyh lizards are still not met. Young black and white tag (so-called lizard) brought Argentine researchers in Cordoba environmental police officers.

In the tag was heavy wound running along the tail. It was deep - enough for complete separation of the tail, but enough to promote a few points in the vertebrae of an animal, where regeneration occurs.

Scientists have concluded that these tails may impede the movement of lizards, their communication with neighbors and playing, reports New Scientist.

Recall some lizards are willing to sacrifice in order to save the life of not only the tail, but the whole of his skin. So do geckos Geckolepis, who live in Madagascar.

  Engineers from South Korea taught artificial fingerprints to feel the texture of the surfaces and to perceive sound vibrations. 


The results of their research published authors in the journal Science Advances, and brief them available online at Science News.

In its work, the engineers used the ideas suggested by nature. The tips of human fingers, according to experts, have an extremely high sensitivity, which scientists try to imitate in their microstructure ferroelectric artificial skin.

It consists of three layers. The first is protective, the other two - conductive. Exerting influence on the first layer (for example, pressing or heating), you can change the strength of the current between the two underlying layers. In particular, when the pressure is increased amperage, and the material expands when heated.

Also, artificial fingerprints learned to react to sound vibrations. That scientists were able to achieve due to the high sensitivity of the surface material artificial leather. Sound vibrations cause small perturbations in it and lead to a change in current between the two lower layers.

The technology of artificial skin has long been popular among scientists. Currently, there are several ways to simulate the human skin, but they are still only able to perceive the changes in pressure and temperature. Scientists from South Korea, according to them, have managed to create a sensor whose sensitivity is higher than the previous development.

In the next step the researchers plan to learn how to transmit signals from the artificial fingerprints into the brain of mice. Scientists note that the technology associated with the imitation of human integument, is gaining popularity. Experts do not exclude the occurrence of future special wearable sensors on human skin.