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Did you know that hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards?

Thanks to their unique wing structure, hummingbirds can hover in place, fly in any direction (including backward), and even do acrobatic maneuvers in midair.

Health Sciences

Food Dye Turns Skin Transparent

Researchers have developed a new technique using food dye to make skin temporarily transparent, allowing visibility into the body. By applying a mixture of water and tartrazine (Yellow Dye #5), scientists made the skin on the skulls and abdomens of live mice see-through.

This method, published in Science, offers a way to view organs by making tissues transparent to visible light. Though it needs to be tested on humans—since some food dyes have side effects—the process was reversible in animal tests and could have various medical applications, such as identifying injuries or monitoring disorders.

Dr. Guosong Hong from Stanford University explained that the technique could improve procedures like blood draws, laser-based treatments, and even cancer detection by enhancing light penetration through tissue. The team used an understanding of how light scatters in biological tissues to predict how dye would affect light's passage through different materials.

Light scatters because biological tissues like fats, fluids, and proteins have different refractive indices. By matching these refractive indices with tartrazine, the researchers were able to reduce scattering and make tissue transparent.

Initially, they tested the method on chicken breast, where higher concentrations of tartrazine matched the muscle's refractive index, resulting in transparency. Later, they applied the dye solution to live mice, revealing blood vessels and internal movements. The transparency was temporary, and the dye left no long-term effects, being excreted within 48 hours.

Culture

Village Transformed From ‘No-go Area’ to a Heritage Neighborhood

A major restoration in southern England has revitalized Swindon’s historic railway village, once the site of one of the world’s largest railway engineering complexes. Originally developed between 1841 and 1842 by the Great Western Railway (GWR) under Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the area included homes for workers and amenities like the UK’s first modern public library and a healthcare center.

As GWR declined, the Swindon Works became run-down and dangerous. In 2019, the Swindon Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) launched a five-year plan to restore the area. Over 300 historic buildings have been refurbished, streets returned to their original layout, and significant structures like the railway works and health center have been restored. The Carriage Works now houses the Royal Agricultural University’s Cultural Heritage Institute, and parts of the area are opening to modern businesses.

While much has been revitalized, the Mechanics Institute remains under private ownership and is yet to be fully renovated. Local artists have contributed murals to celebrate the area’s industrial history.

Environment

Robots Cleaning Asia’s Waterways

Among the speedboats, luxury yachts, and fishing boats in a Hong Kong marina, an uncrewed catamaran quietly moves through the water. At 10 feet long, the vessel collects waste from the surface like a Pac-Man, swallowing plastic bottles, juice boxes, and cartons through a gap at its front. The trash is photographed, carried up a conveyor belt, and dropped into a collection basket onboard.

Every year, about 33 billion pounds of plastic waste enter the ocean, largely through rivers and coastlines. That's roughly equivalent to dumping two garbage trucks worth of trash into the ocean every minute, according to Oceana. Clearbot, a marine-tech startup, is tackling this issue with autonomous, solar-powered boats. These vessels, like the one in Hong Kong, can collect up to 176 pounds of waste per hour and carry a load of 441 pounds. Clearbot’s co-founder, Sidhant Gupta, sees it as a natural evolution. “We have garbage trucks for the land. Why don’t we have something to clean the water?” he said.

The company aims to revolutionize marine operations, reducing reliance on manpower and fossil fuels. Clearbot, founded in 2020, now has about a dozen boats operating in Hong Kong, Thailand, and India. Despite the pandemic and tough fundraising conditions, the startup has grown rapidly. Clearbot’s latest model, a larger 13-foot boat, can haul 441 pounds of garbage per hour and tow 3,300 pounds of waste in a barge. One vessel operates in the heavily polluted Ganga River in India, while another works in Umiam Lake, also in India, where it collects waste from nearby villages.

The fleet's solar power and battery setup aim to decarbonize marine operations. The larger boat has solar panels and can run for eight hours, while the smaller version has a four-hour battery life.

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