This Week in Science: Spacewalks, Smart Pacifiers, and Solar Panels at Night

It’s time for “Nerd News,” covering the most important news for your brain you may have missed. Here’s a quick rundown of this week in science . . .
1. In space news: NASA canceled all unnecessary spacewalks for now, because the Space Station astronauts’ helmets keep filling up with water, and they don’t know why.
2. In seafood news: We accidentally found out scallops are attracted to L.E.D. lights, and it could lead to new fishing techniques that are better for the environment. A team figured it out while trying to catch crabs, which we already knew were attracted to lights.
3. In A.I. news: A lead researcher at Google’s company DeepMind claims they’re very close to achieving “human-level artificial intelligence.” Not everyone’s convinced it’s really that close to happening yet though.
4. In green energy news: A team at Cambridge built a tiny computer than can run on pond scum. And researchers in Australia are working on a new type of solar panel that could work at night by absorbing infrared light rays.
5. In gadget news: A team at Washington State is working on a smart pacifier for babies that could track things like electrolytes and tell if they’re dehydrated. It would mean premature infants wouldn’t have to have their blood drawn twice a day.
6. And finally: A new study found that watching TV and playing video games might actually make kids smarter. But social media had no effect.