SCIENCE CAPSULES

  🚗 Autonomous Vehicles’ Sensors How Self-Driving Cars See the World The Big Idea Imagine driving with your eyes closed—but your car still knows every turn, every bump, and every moving object around it. That’s what autonomous vehicles do: they “see” using an army of sensors that collect, process, and interpret the world in real time. The Science Behind It 🔬 Cameras – The Eyes Capture color and texture like a human eye. Spot lane markings, signs, pedestrians, and lights. Radar – The Long-Range Scout Sends out radio waves and measures how they bounce back. Excellent for detecting vehicles and obstacles, even in fog or rain. Lidar – The Laser Mapper Spins rapidly, shooting laser pulses in all directions. Measures how long each beam takes to return—creating a detailed 3D map of the surroundings. Ultrasonic Sensors – The Close-Up Feelers Used for parking and low-speed maneuvers. Detects nearby objects within a few meters, like curbs or...

  ⚙️ Nanobots for Medicine Tiny Robots on Life-Saving Missions The Big Idea Picture armies of machines so small they could swim through your bloodstream, seek out diseases, and fix problems from the inside. That’s the vision of medical nanobots — microscopic robots designed to diagnose, repair, or deliver drugs exactly where they’re needed. The Science Behind It 🔬 How Small Are They? A nanobot is about the size of a virus — a thousand could fit across a human hair. What They’re Made Of Built from materials like gold, silicon, or specialized polymers. Some are shaped like corkscrews to move through fluid, others like capsules to carry medicine. How They Move Driven by chemical reactions, magnets, ultrasound, or even light. Scientists can steer them toward targets such as tumors or blocked arteries. What They Do Drug Delivery: Release drugs only at diseased cells, reducing side effects. Diagnostics: Detect chemical markers of illness ...