Science & Technology — July 30, 2026

Cavity treatment skips the drill. Silver diamine fluoride, a liquid brushed on teeth in seconds, stopped decay in more than half of treated cavities in a major US trial. That could spare young children surgery.

Science Daily · Read more ↗

Hundreds of ancient earthworks found in Amazon. Researchers discovered nearly 400 never-before-seen structures dating to roughly C.E. 100-300, findings that may redefine the scale of the ancient Aquiry civilization.

Scientific American · Read more ↗

Waymo robotaxis return to freeways. The company is resuming highway operations after pausing in May, when several robotaxis drove into construction-closed sections. Scrutiny of robotaxi operators has intensified.

Engadget · Read more ↗

China threatens retaliation over U.S. robot ban. Beijing’s Commerce Ministry pushed back Thursday against the FCC’s ban on foreign-made robots — an order that covers robot vacuums and solar inverters, not just humanoids.

The FCC order targets what it calls advanced robotic devices from adversary nations, and The Verge reports that language sweeps in everyday household products rather than only industrial or humanoid machines. Beijing’s warning of countermeasures, issued through its Commerce Ministry, came as the rule’s wider reach — extending even to power equipment — became apparent, broadening the potential fallout beyond the robotics sector itself.

The Verge · Read more ↗