Physicists have discovered a new way to coat soft robots in materials that allow them to move and function in a more purposeful way. The research, led by the UK's University of Bath, is described today in Science Advances.

Authors of the study believe their breakthrough modelling on 'active matter' could mark a turning point in the design of robots. With further development of the concept, it may be possible to determine the shape, movement and behaviour of a soft solid not by its natural elasticity but by human-controlled activity on its surface.

In Russian electronics stores, some of which had previously refused installment plans, the 10-10-10 credit format, popular in the 2000s, is returning. According to it, the buyer pays 10% of the cost of the goods, and then pays the debt in equal installments for 10 months, eventually overpaying 10% for the equipment. M.Video and Eldorado were the first to introduce such a scheme, and other retailers will follow, experts say. The scheme "10-10-10" misleads the consumer - in fact, the rate on such loans is 23-25% per annum, lawyers noted.

Rebuffing progressive lawmakers’ calls for Pentagon spending cuts, President Joe Biden on Monday is set to unveil a budget blueprint for the next fiscal year that includes a record $813.3 billion in funds for the U.S. military apparatus, a $31 billion increase from the current level.

The president’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget request, which must be approved by Congress, is expected to contain $773 billion for the Pentagon alone as well as billions in funding for the Energy Department’s maintenance of the country’s nuclear arsenal.