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The camera relies on a light capture system called “synthetic wavelength holography,” according to a press release from Northwestern Engineering. It works by scattering laser light onto hidden objects, then bouncing it back to the camera, where an AI reconstructs the signals to show the hidden object. A paper of the researchers’ findings has been published in Nature. Since the holography method allows the scientists to see fast-moving objects such as cars driving around corners, or even a heart beating through a person’s chest, it could be used in early-warning navigation systems for automobiles or for non-invasive medical imaging. The...

Prehistoric quid (wads of crumpled, masticated, shredded leaves) from dry caves in the American Southwest. Photo by Steven LeBlanc In a groundbreaking study, two Harvard scientists have for the first time extracted human DNA from ancient artifacts. The work potentially opens up a new universe of sources for ancient genetic material, which is used to map human migrations in prehistoric times. Before this, archaeologists could only get ancient DNA from relics of the human body itself, including prehistoric teeth, bones, fossilized feces, or — rarely — preserved flesh. Such sources of DNA are hard to find, poorly preserved, or unavailable...