Controlling the brain with light earns a physiology Nobel

The entire field of optogenetics traces back to light-seeking algae. Over decades of research, scientists have built up a partial picture of what specialized cells within the brain and spinal cord do. By studying how the brain develops, they could identify genes that were active in different populations of…

Explaining Hall-effect, TMR, and other new types of “mechanical” switches

Ars Technica’s guide to new keyboard sensing technologies.  The mechanical keyboard isn’t always so mechanical anymore. Over the past six years, keyboards with optical, Hall-effect, and other “contactless” switches have become increasingly common, often going for higher prices than traditional mechanical keyboards, which already command a premium over basic…

The dawn of the age of the exoskeleton

The devices continue to show noticeable benefits for users in various real-world tasks.  This year, members of Seattle Mountain Rescue have been setting off into the wilds of the US Pacific Northwest wearing an unusual piece of kit. They’ve been hiking into the wilderness with powered assistive devices attached…