Science Saturday 20191130
Updated 19:45, 30-Nov-2019
By Gao Yiming, Tian Run
02:14

From endangered species to electric cars, we take a look at science news making headlines around the world in this week's Science Saturday.

Sumatran rhino's extinction in Malaysia

Malaysia's last Sumatran rhino has passed away. The 25-year-old Iman died of cancer over the weekend. Rhinos have dwindled in recent years due to poaching and deforestation. The WWF conservation group estimates that there are only about 80 Sumatran rhinos left in the world, and they're all in neighboring Indonesia.

Multimodal acoustic trap display

A group of researchers in Britain have created holograms that cannot only be seen but also heard and felt. The cutting-edge device they use, known as the "Multimodal Acoustic Trap Display," takes advantage of ultrasound waves to generate visual images. The ultrasound waves also allow the device to produce audible noise, as well as a physical sensation. Researchers say they are optimistic about its future capacity and potential.

TNG 50

An international team of scientists has created the most detailed large-scale model of the universe. The TNG 50 simulation presents a virtual universe, which is some 230 million light-years wide and contains tens of thousands of evolving galaxies. It tracks over 20 billion particles that represent dark matter, gases, stars, and supermassive black holes. The simulation allows scientists to gain more insight into the formation of the universe.

Tesla Cybertruck

Tesla's first electric pick-up, known as Cybertruck, made its debut at the company's Design Studio in California. The exterior of the car is made from a newly-developed stainless steel alloy used for building SpaceX rockets. Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, says this advanced material allows the pickup to be "bulletproof" against smaller firearms. But its supposedly "unbreakable" glass windows backfired during a live test when they got shattered by a metal ball. The market price for the base version will be nearly 40,000 U.S. dollars.

"Science Saturday" is part of CGTN's science and technology series "Tech It Out." The segment brings you the latest news about innovations and technological breakthroughs in the past two weeks from across the world.