New Scientist video round-up - November 23, 2007 | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

MIT engineers have developed an aircraft that can take off vertically and switch to a conventional flying mode, Georgia Tech engineers have created a helicopter that can roll backward and land on a 40° slope, babies prefer helpful individuals at just 6 months old, and researchers have successfully created embryonic stem cells from a primate.

Key Insights

• ✈️ Engineers at MIT and Georgia Tech have developed highly agile aircraft, showcasing advancements in flight capabilities.
• 👶 The study from Yale University suggests that babies have an early preference for helpful individuals, indicating an innate sense of morality or empathy.
• ❓ The successful creation of embryonic stem cells from a primate could have significant implications for disease treatment and organ transplantation.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: What can the aircraft developed by MIT engineers do?

The aircraft can take off vertically, hover, switch to a conventional flying mode, and land vertically.

Q: How can the helicopter developed by Georgia Tech engineers land on a 40° slope?

The helicopter uses new software that enables it to roll backward and land on a 40° slope, which is beyond the capability of traditional helicopters.

Q: What did the study at Yale University reveal about babies' preferences?

The study showed that babies as young as 6 months old prefer helpful individuals over hindering individuals, based on skits with wooden blocks.

Q: What did the researchers at Oregon Health and Science University achieve with primate cells?

The researchers successfully created embryonic stem cells from adult primate cells, opening possibilities for disease treatment without immune rejection.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• MIT engineers have developed an aircraft that can take off vertically, hover, and land vertically again and can switch from upright flying position to a conventional mode mid-flight.

• Engineers at Georgia Tech University have created a helicopter that can roll backward and land on a 40° slope, which is usually challenging for helicopters due to rotor tilting.

• Yale University conducted a study showing that babies as young as 6 months old prefer helpful individuals over hindering individuals.

• Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University successfully created embryonic stem cells from an adult primate, showing potential for treating diseases without immune rejection.