New National Science Foundation directorate to accelerate breakthrough technologies, societal and economic advances

Roaming robots at University of Texas Austin

Beware of the robot dog next door?

August 21, 2023

Boston Dynamics is known for its viral videos where its autonomous robots dance, tackle obstacle courses or decorate for the holidays.

Antarctic krill: Superheroes of the Southern Ocean

August 11, 2023

What exactly are krill, and why are they getting attention?…

Hero Image for Science Matters Kip Thorne Q&A

Gravitational waves will 'bring the information from the birth of the universe to us'

August 3, 2023

In June, a team of researchers supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation announced that they found the first evidence of the gravitational wave background that pervades the universe.

Launching a radiosonde at Summit Station, Greenland

NSF in Greenland: Promoting novel research, improving infrastructure, growing international partnerships

July 21, 2023

In 1989, the U.S. National Science Foundation launched the Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2, and a summit "camp" was established.

Micro robot bug from the Autonomous Insect Robotics Lab

Bugbots could achieve big things

July 20, 2023

In 1989, a pair of scientists posited sending swarms of robots, some as small as gnats, to explore other planets.

Sleep replay, memory formation, memory association, Science Matters

Nightlife of the brain

June 30, 2023

While we rest peacefully at night, our brains remain hard at work.

First 'ghost particle' image of Milky Way galaxy captured by scientists

June 29, 2023

From visible starlight to radio waves, the Milky Way galaxy has long been observed through the various frequencies of electromagnetic radiation it emits.

Gravitational Waves (from NANOGrav video)

Gravitational waves from colossal black holes found using 'cosmic clocks'

June 29, 2023

You can't see or feel it, but everything around you — including your own body — is slowly shrinking and expanding.

Millipede - Science Matters banner image

Researchers uncover new millipede species under Los Angeles

June 21, 2023

It could be a scene from a Hollywood horror movie: NSF-funded researchers found a new species of living creatures — described as pale, eyeless and with nearly 500 legs — thriving in the soil under Los…

Diving into the decade: Ocean science to combat climate change

June 1, 2023

Over 3 billion people — more than one-third of the world's population — depend on ocean and coastal ecosystems for their livelihood.

New National Science Foundation directorate serves to advance breakthrough technologies and address major national and societal challenges at speed and scale