Scientists develop magnetic slime robots to recover swallowed objects

What happened: The Guardian reported that researchers had developed a magnetic slime robot which can shift into different shapes to grab objects. It can also encircle a group of pellets and stretch out in multiple directions to grab items from opposite sides. Social media users are already comparing the squishy material with Spider-Man’s symbiotic Venom. Details: The Chinese researchers came up with the slime-like robot and it is made from a blend of polyvinyl alcohol, borax and neodymium magnet particles. Subsequently, the slime then reacts like a liquid or solid depending on force and is controllable by a foreign force. Whereas, the researchers have said,  “The magnetic, miniature, soft-bodied robots allow non-invasive access to restricted spaces and could provide ideal solutions for minimally invasive surgery and targetted drug delivery.”  More: The research study’s authors have noted,  “Robots can negotiate through narrow channels with a diameter of 1.5 millimeters and maneuver on multiple substrates in complex environments.”