Science News Roundup: Robotic dog Spot learns new tricks with addition of helping hand; SpaceX Starship prototype rocket explodes on landing after test launch

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.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

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.

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.