An experimental electronic nose can identify five familiar odours and send instructions for a wearable device to reproduce them elsewhere. Researchers say the system is not yet ready for everyday use.
NASA has switched off its Swift space observatory after more than two decades studying cosmic explosions. Its final observations came on 20 October, with atmospheric drag now forcing the spacecraft towards re-entry.
Researchers in Zurich have combined cultured muscle tissue with computer-designed soft supports to make small robots jump, move and grasp. The experiments remain far from practical deployment.
Satellite measurements show the 2026 El Niño resembles the powerful 1997–98 event, although scientists caution that similar ocean conditions do not guarantee the same weather impacts.
