A reasonably efficient flexible solar panel has been developed, that may even be transparent (IE put into windows). Read more.

They have developed a system for self-breaking cars that can detect collisions with pedestrians. This article also delves further into technologies for self-driving cars. More.

Using specially modified fruit-flies they have been able to, with computers, map a large part of the fruit fly brain. Techniques like this will bring us closer to understanding our own brains. More here.

Of course the LHC is back up and running now, colliding at a record 7 TeV. Is that the hint of the higgs boson circular patterns? (Pic above is current collision @ 7 TeV, pic below is expected high energy higgs boson collision. Note the circular virtual particle formations)

DARPA is developing a self-piloting flying car. Cool.

And I imagine connected to last weekends MAPS conference (see also my LSD research post), here’s another mainstream article covering psychedelics as medicine. Medicinal Magic Mushrooms

And of course you may know California is going to vote on cannabis legalization. Here’s a related opinion piece.