Kyoto University

Disposable diapers are not eco-friendly, not only because of their plastic outer shell, but also due to their petroleum-based absorbent inner layer. There could soon be a sustainable alternative to the latter, though, and it's made from wheat gluten.

While scientists have successfully produced various "organ-on-a-chip" models of body parts, the eye is particularly challenging, as a tear film is regularly moved across its surface as we blink. That action has recently been replicated, in a new device.

One-fifth the weight of steel but five times the strength, plant-based cellulose nanofiber (CNF) offers carmakers the opportunity to build strong, lightweight cars while sustainably removing as much as 2,000 kg of carbon from the car's life cycle.

Researchers in Japan are making exciting progress on a way to potentially arrest the deterioration of motor skills in Parkinson's patients. They are now preparing to begin transplanting reprogrammed stem cells into human brains as part of a first-of-a-kind clinical trial.​​

There’s much more to lightning than a flash and thunder. Lightning strikes have been known to generate gamma rays, and now a team of Japanese researchers has found that those bursts can create photonuclear reactions in the atmosphere, resulting in the production – and annihilation – of antimatter.

While robots have been able to play rock-paper-scissors for some time, researchers have now taught the fairly complex skill set associated with the game to chimps, demonstrating the primates' uncanny ability to understand circular patterns.

Recent scientific advances have given stem cell production a much-needed boost. The latest breakthrough in the area comes from Japanese researchers who have developed a nanofiber matrix for culturing human stem cells that improves on current techniques. ​​

Us humans know that even if someone believes something, that thing may not in fact be true. According to new research, however, some of our fellow apes may likewise be aware that what people think doesn't necessarily mesh with reality.​

What if you could get the benefits of heartbeat sensing without even having to strap on a piece of tech? A team of researchers from the Kyoto University, together with Panasonic, is working on making that dream a reality.

Japanese scientists have found that fish oil converts fat-storing cells into critical fat-burning cells in mice. The discovery could help battle obesity as the fat-burning cells decrease later in life.​​

Japanese electronics company Murata Manufacturing has unveiled a squad of robotic cheerleaders. The ten ball-mounted robots use advanced ultrasonics, infrared, and group control technology to perform synchronized dance routines with perfect stability.

Honda researchers are improving how robots process sound using a robot called HEARBO.