To estimate the weight of a rock, you pick it up. Is it rough, or smooth? You run a finger over it. We're constantly ...

Researchers found that people make much more accurate estimates when they have access to information about both the speed of a moving object and the timing of its rhythmic patterns. Catching a ...

Just from patterns of motion, your smart devices know when you’re walking, when you’re riding a bike and when you lift your wrist to check the time. But it turns out they can also tell when you snap ...

Until recently, vehicle-mounted radar sensors and miniature cameras have mostly focused on the relatively simple task of monitoring the position and speed of large, solid objects in front of a vehicle ...

A sugar mixture similar to hard candy studded with tiny metal discs or rings has been used to deposit patterns onto microscopic objects. This method of creating texture on small objects could be ...

Astronomers have recently been taken aback by the discovery of an object in space that seems to be defying the common laws of celestial movement by orbiting backwards. This surprising discovery, which ...

TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. About the Archive This is a digitized version of an article from The Times’s print archive, before the start of online ...