Science News Roundup: SpaceX Starship prototype rocket explodes on landing after test launch; This newly discovered chameleon is so tiny it can fit on your fingertip and more

COVID-19 attacks the pancreas Robotic dog Spot learns new tricks with addition of helping hand A dog-like robot named Spot, seen dancing in a viral video, can now not only bring your slippers, it can pick up dirty laundry, open doors and even plant flowers.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

COVID-19 attacks the pancreas Robotic dog Spot learns new tricks with addition of helping hand

A dog-like robot named Spot, seen dancing in a viral video, can now not only bring your slippers, it can pick up dirty laundry, open doors and even plant flowers. U.S. robotics company Boston Dynamics on Tuesday unveiled a new version of four-legged Spot with an arm and the ability to charge itself, allowing it to work around the clock.

This newly discovered chameleon is so tiny it can fit on your fingertip

Scientists say they discovered a sunflower seed-sized subspecies of chameleon that may well be the smallest reptile on Earth. Two of the miniature lizards, one male and one female, were discovered by a German-Madagascan expedition team in northern Madagascar.

SpaceX Starship prototype rocket explodes on landing after test launch

A prototype of SpaceX's Starship rocket exploded during a landing attempt minutes after a high-altitude experimental launch from Boca Chica, Texas, on Tuesday, in a repeat of an accident that destroyed a previous test rocket. The Starship SN9 that blew up on its final descent, like the SN8 before it, was a test model of the heavy-lift rocket being developed by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's private space company to carry humans and 100 tons of cargo on future missions to the moon and Mars.