Asking for Hugs in Australia

In 2012, a depressing survey revealed that just 13% of all Australians said they trusted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. The dismal statistics prompted Australian artist Peter Sharpe to set up a social experiment in which schoolgirl Jasirah Bin Hitam bravely stood—blindfolded and open-armed—on a busy beach with a sign saying, “I trust you. Do you trust me? Let’s hug.” At first, people observe from …

Samsung’s Instant Beauty App

Samsung’s latest smartphone feature automatically “fixes” the way your face looks when you take a selfie. After recognizing that over half of photo-takers who post to Instagram of Facebook use some kind of filter or picture-editing app, the South Korean company is pre-loading “beauty face” into its devices—a camera function that instantly smoothes skin tone, removes wrinkles and even narrows your face. In fact, you’ll …

Boeing’s “Force Field” Patent

Boeing has just filed a patent for “shockwave attenuation via electromagnetic arc” or more simply put: force fields. The defense company plans to use the patent to help protect military vehicles from incoming shockwaves generated by explosions. When a nearby blast is detected, vehicles equipped with the technology will be able to immediately neutralize them by emitting a blast of its own. While it won’t …