Why scientists are making robot insects

Swarms of mechanical bees may one day support natural pollination

Engineers are racing to create tiny robot bees that can be programmed to mimic natural bee behavior, helping in specific scenarios such as indoor farming and space agriculture. Battery life challenges may be solved by having these robots accompanied by a nearby "mother" drone power supply.

What is it like to be a bee?

Scientists have long known the intimate features of bee anatomy: six limbs, five eyes, lots of hair, a long, tasteless tube -like tongue, and wings that stroke close to 12,000 times a minute. But getting inside the mind or consciousness of a...

How birds are becoming research assistants

Through the creation of tiny sensors easily placed on their bodies, birds have served as research assistants for various scientists. With untold numbers of birds sending back data, researchers have achieved greater insights in long obscure areas of meteorology, ecology, and more. For example, weather scientists use high-flying birds to outline the height of the planetary boundary layer, while conservationists track gulls to protect migrating whales. Learn more here.

Visual deep dive into the collapse of insects

The most diverse group of organisms on the planet are in trouble, with recent research suggesting insect populations are declining at an unprecedented rate. Explore this visual interactive on the issue from Reuters Graphics.

Tracking butterfly migration via the pollen they collect

Trillions of insects migrate around the world each year, but many are too small to track with physical trackers, leaving their migratory routes a mystery. In recent years, scientists have utilized pollen grains collected from butterflies to analyze which plants that pollen originated from—providing substantial data to infer the insect's specific route. Research has shed light on many insects' migrations since, including the Painted Lady butterfly. Read more and see a map here.

A day in the life of a leafcutter ant

Among the fascinating world of insects, leafcutter ants form some of the most complex and dynamic social ecosystems. All part of an effort to keep a colony alive, worker ants toil tirelessly, dragging bits of leaves and vegetation back to their...

Fruit fly experiments helped identify genes responsible for major body development

The insects' fast life cycle and affordability have allowed geneticists to quickly identify which genes are responsible for limbs, eyes, and other body structures by inducing mutations. The same genes may be responsible for different parts of a species' body, such as limb-building genes being responsible for wing pigmentation in butterflies.

More than 2 billion people across the globe include bugs in their diets

Entomophagy is the practice of eating insects. It has been around for millennia. Bugs are nutritious and, in some places, considered a delicacy.

The fish can climb walls

Scientists in Brazil captured rare footage of bumblebee catfish climbing waterfalls. How they do it is clear, but why remains a mystery.

Learn about the basic anatomy of mosquitoes

This short explainer video breaks down the mosquito's general body components, highlighting how mosquitoes breathe, fly, and more. It also touches on how experts can tell different mosquito species apart.

AI systems identify patterns involving physics and time through 'world models'

These realistic virtual environments, such as driving simulations seen in video games, allow these systems to "learn" properties about reality beyond what can be captured in samples of text, images, and videos. Training AI in these simulated environments can help develop "physical AI" for automated robotic systems. (Some readers may experience a paywall.)

Depending on environment, aliens' bodies would have wide-ranging possibilities

Humans tend to imagine aliens as humanlike, but that's probably unlikely. From small space spiders to metallic carnivores, life on other planets—and how we could interact with it—is difficult to imagine.

T. rex didn't stomp, it walked on tiptoes like a bird

A new biomechanical study analyzing four T. rex specimens, including the famous "Sue" at Chicago's Field Museum, found the dinosaur used a "distal-first" foot strike, described as landing on its toes before its heel, similar to a modern ostrich. The technique improved stride efficiency and shock absorption, letting adults reach speeds up to 14 mph, while younger, lighter T. rexes could sprint closer to 25 mph.

Brain studies suggest some animals do dream (sort of)

Studies on sleeping cats, rats, fish, and finches show that their brains fire as if performing actions from waking life. Spiders and insects also have REM-like sleep. Whether these findings indicate that animals dream depends on one's definition of dreaming.

What's next for surgical robots?

Since robots were introduced into the operating room in 2001, their patients have seen improved recovery times and decreased risks of infection. This article describes what's next for surgical robots, which, so far, have remained under human...

Is synbio really cool, really scary, or both?

There’s always been a divide between technology, the inanimate stuff that we build, and biology, the living stuff that nature builds. Synthetic biologists are trying to figure out how to close the gap by building living things.

Snakes move around by coordinating hundreds of muscles

These muscles connect to their vertebrae, and allow the creature to move in various unique ways. Snakes can slither, move in a straight line, swim, jump and even "fly."

Scientists from the frontline discuss the future of antibiotics and superbugs

Superbugs are a very real problem, but researchers around the world are working to advance our understanding of these pathogens and develop new medicines. This podcast talks with several scientists on the frontier of superbug research, offering insight into what we know—and what the future of medicine may look like.

Some Pokémon have been named after real and fictional organisms, while some real-world species have been named after Pokémon, such as Chilicola charizard and Binburrum zapdos.

There's a booming community of jumping spider pet owners

Jumping spiders have become hugely popular pets, especially amongst women, and they can cost up to $100. Some get them in an attempt to overcome their fear of spiders, while others just find them adorable. The practice has led many people to appreciate the complexity of the animal that some would consider a pest.

The engineers proposing massive airbags for airplanes

Though they are famously rare, airplane crashes are some of the most shocking catastrophes when they occur. These researchers are dreaming up an implausible safety feature to help crashing planes land safely.

Watch Bill Nye discuss biomechanics and sustainability while shopping for sneakers

While exploring sneaker history and technology, Nye covers the science of structural design, air bubbles and materials, including algae foam. He once voiced a 20-minute guided run on the Nike Run Club app.

Explore a timeline of NASA's exploration of Mars

NASA has studied Mars extensively over 60 years using telescopes, orbiters, and rovers. From April 2021 to January 24, the Ingenuity helicopter completed its technology demonstration objective by flying more than 17 kilometers above the Martian surface.

Watch how algorithms can be designed to train themselves and self-improve without human input, to the point where the optimized code is too complex for programmers to understand.

A rundown of some of the wildest new tech inventions around the world

The US Patent Office approves roughly 300,000 new patents every year. Among these are some fascinating tech inventions, from high-profile robots and automated bike garages to kaleidoscopic shelves and laser-projected directions for scooters. Check...

After 25 people used virtual reality headsets to practice flying with virtual wings—flapping their arms—their visual cortex responded to the wings almost as if they were real arms, treating them as body parts.

See these 16 pieces of art evoking phobias of snakes, flying, spiders, and more. 

See February 2026's best science images, including raining iguanas.

Visualize how CRISPR-Cas9—a type of immune system used by single-celled organisms to attack invasive viruses—targets and makes precise changes to a gene's DNA.

Crows are believed to have intelligence on par with a seven-year-old child and demonstrate complex behaviors, from problem-solving with tools to recognizing human faces.

The first robot in literature may have been a 'mechanical man' in 1907's 'Ozma of Oz,' a book in L Frank Baum's 'Wizard of Oz' series.

Some Pokémon have been named after real and fictional organisms, while some real-world species have been named after Pokémon, such as Chilicola charizard and Binburrum zapdos.

Explore the known asteroids, comets, and spacecraft involved in asteroid studies within our solar system with 'Eyes on Asteroids,' a 3D visualization from NASA.

Watch how viruses like Ebola can spill over from animals to humans—and vice-versa.

Children are now three times more likely to say they want to be a YouTuber when they grow up than an astronaut, with some even attending 'YouTube camps' that teach kids how to create content for the platform.

Learn how your body is, scientifically, like a firework with its own slow, controlled burn.

The American cockroach is actually from Africa, an apparent hitchhiker aboard ships carrying enslaved people, with evidence suggesting the bug may have arrived in the New World as early as the 1600s.

About 2,000 US babies are born annually without some portion of their limbs, potentially leading to a lifetime of pricey prosthetics.

Planarian flatworms are small, aquatic worms with exceptional regenerative capabilities. When cut, the worms can regenerate multiple bodies in a matter of weeks.

Chaos theory—informally known as the butterfly effect—is the reason why weather forecasts are presented with probabilities rather than certainties.

The animatronic shark from Steven Spielberg's 'Jaws,' the first modern blockbuster, was a complex underwater apparatus called 'Bruce.'

This site reaches millions of visitors who are tired of AI chatbots and seeking human connection. Pretend to be an AI chatbot and ask questions, provide answers, and draw for people in real time.

As of 2025, the most cited papers in science include a review of graphene, methods to improve image recognition, streamlining electron density calculations, and optimizing protein studies.

For centuries, Niagara Falls has been a magnet for daredevils seeking to conquer one of nature's most powerful wonders, with its 200-foot drop and water rushing at 32 feet per second with 280 tons of force.

Electrical grids worldwide must double their power delivery capacity by 2050 to meet surging demand from AI and electric vehicles.

Explore the history, structure, and species of Australia's Great Barrier Reef with this interactive journey narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

Scientists can determine Earth's past climate conditions by analyzing air trapped in microscopic bubbles within ice cores—columns of compressed snow layers that build up over hundreds of thousands of years.

Hear 50 years of iconic hip-hop samples, the genre's foundational looped tracks

Hedge funds, the private investment firms that trade a wide swath of financial assets, make money by imposing steep fees on investors and from the fund's investment performance.

SpongeBob exemplifies Aristotle's philosophy for living well because he understands that happiness doesn't come from external factors like money, recognition, or power.