Next-Generation Drones

Ex-MIT and Google X engineers, who now form the startup Skydio, are developing a way to keep drones from crashing. In a short online video, the team demonstrates a drone’s auto-pilot system that uses real-time 3D mapping of its surroundings to avoid collisions. A “magic wand” app also turns your iPhone into a controller, giving you the ability to direct the drone simply by pointing …

A Photographic Journey of Ancient Arbor

For 14 years, photographer Beth Moon has journeyed to some of those most secluded landscapes to capture photographs of the world’s oldest trees. Whether they’re a few hundred or even a few thousand years old, the trees featured in Moon’s new book “Ancient Trees: Portraits of Time” are no doubt the world’s rarest. Check out a few of the photographer’s jaw-dropping images via The Atlantic.

X-Ray Reveals Hamster’s Deep Cheeks

Did you know that a hamster’s cheeks extend all the way to its hips? Neither did we. In an episode of BBC One’s “Pet-Wild at Heart,” a hungry hamster stuffs its cheeks with treats while an X-Ray view of the critter reveals just how far back those pouches go. The adorable video ends with the hamster, now full of food, trying to crawl back home …