Science and Technolgy blog
The PS5 Pro version of the 30th anniversary bundle comes with both varieties of DualSense controller, a plate for an (optional) optical drive, and other accessories. [credit: Sony ] Sony launched the original PlayStation console in Japan on December 3,…
Enlarge / Cutting metal with lasers is hard, but even harder when you don’t know the worst-case timings of your code. (credit: Getty Images) As is so often the case, a notable change in an upcoming Linux kernel is both…
A timeline of 485 million years of Earth’s surface temperatures shows ancient greenhouse conditions were hotter than scientists thought.
A new study published in Journal of Personality & Social Psychology suggests that personality traits often drive changes in self-esteem during adolescence. Adolescence is pivotal for the development of personality traits and self-esteem, both linked to outcomes such as academic…
A new study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research has uncovered differences in brain activity patterns that could predict which women may develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following sexual assault. By analyzing brain function soon after the trauma using…
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | NurPhoto) Elon Musk’s X temporarily became accessible again in Brazil despite government orders requiring Internet service providers to block the social network. X’s revival was enabled by the company switching to a different network provider,…
Enlarge (credit: J Studios via Getty Images) If you haven’t noticed by now, Big Tech companies have been making plans to invest in the infrastructure necessary to deliver generative AI products like ChatGPT (and beyond) to hundreds of millions of…
A new analysis of the brushstrokes and colors in Vincent van Gogh’s famous painting Starry Night reveals a striking similarity to “hidden turbulence” in Earth’s atmosphere, suggesting the iconic artist had a surprisingly detailed understanding of natural processes.
Archaeologists in Germany have unearthed a “revenant” grave where a man was buried with large stones on his chest to prevent him from rising from the dead.
A new study has revealed the exact origin of the Pacific Ocean’s mysterious “biotwang” noises, which were first detected by underwater surveys near the Mariana Trench in 2014.
Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images) Most living organisms easily surpass machines when it comes to navigating real-world environments and adaptability to changing conditions. One way to bridge that gap is building biohybrid robots that merge synthetic machinery with…
A recent study published in the journal Dreaming sheds new light on the relationship between near-death experiences and dreaming. The research found that individuals who have had a near-death experience (NDE) report more frequent and vivid dreams, including lucid dreaming,…
Enlarge / Instead of giving the ID.4 complicated door handles that recess into the side of the car, VW has designed these to be flush yet always accessible. (credit: Volkswagen) Volkswagen has a bit of a headache on its hands…
With concerns that mpox may now spread more easily and be more severe, researchers warn that failing to curb the outbreak means “nobody is safe.”
A newly discovered doughnut shape in Earth’s outer core may reveal elements that help drive the formation of the planet’s magnetic field.
(credit: USGS) Droughts in the coming decades could be longer than projected by current climate models, a new study published Wednesday in Nature warns. The international team of scientists examined potential biases that could skew climate models used to make…
An eight-year study following a group of adolescents into emerging adulthood found that individuals exposed to more conflict between their parents during adolescence tended to have more sleep problems as emerging adults. These individuals generally had lower sleep efficiency and…
Black garden ants made tweaks to entrances, tunnels and chambers that may help prevent diseases from spreading.
One of this year’s coveted Lasker Awards has gone to Zhijian “James” Chen, a scientist behind a key immune-system discovery.
New research has found that individuals who frequently use social media and perceive immigrants as threats are more likely to harbor negative emotions toward them. The study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, indicates that these effects are stronger among those…
Enlarge / BMW is moving to cylindrical cells for its sixth-generation EV powertrain, which debuts in the Neue Klasse. And now it has a recycling partner. (credit: BMW) Battery recycling company Redwood Materials gained a new automaker partner today. It…
Bruce the kea is missing his upper beak. This makes the olive green parrot look a little like he’s always surprised. But scientists are even more shocked at what he can do in spite of his injury. Bruce has been…
Can VR training for first responders replicate the heat, the smoke and the stress of handling a real blaze?
Using a phenomenon known as gravitational lensing, it might be possible to use the sun as a gigantic telescope to peer deep into space.
How does the brain adapt to different levels of mental challenge? A new neuroimaging study reveals that when we engage in more complex cognitive tasks, our brain activity becomes not only richer in detail but also more streamlined. The findings…
The Amazon fires, fueled by severe drought exacerbated by climate change, have created a toxic smoke cloud spanning about 4 million square miles — an area larger than the entire United States.
Enlarge / Artist’s conception of Pocketpair lawyers establishing a defensive position against Nintendo’s coming legal onslaught. (credit: Pocketpair) Nintendo and The Pokemon Company announced they have filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Pocketpair, the makers of the heavily Pokémon-inspired Palworld.…
Enlarge (credit: gremlin via Getty Images) For the past few years, a conspiracy theory called “Dead Internet theory” has picked up speed as large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT increasingly generate text and even social media interactions found online. The…
Enlarge / The final boss of the new WoW raid, who will now be beatable as a solo player in Story Mode. (credit: Blizzard) After 20 years, it’s now possible for solo players to finish storylines in the massively multiplayer…
JUICE successfully identified water and the building blocks of life in Earth’s atmosphere. In doing so, the probe headed for Jupiter’s moons confirmed that its instruments are working properly.
Enlarge / An image from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where in 1874, the newest thing was not software or genetic compositions, but shutter fastenings from H.L. Norton. (credit: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images) The Senate Judiciary Committee is…
“Our observations indicate the presence of powerful iron winds, probably fuelled by a hot spot in the atmosphere.”
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) The FBI has dismantled a massive network of compromised devices that Chinese state-sponsored hackers have used for four years to mount attacks on government agencies, telecoms, defense contractors, and other targets in the US and Taiwan.…
Enlarge (credit: Benj Edwards / Malte Mueller via Getty Images) On Wednesday, AI video synthesis firm Runway and entertainment company Lionsgate announced a partnership to create a new AI model trained on Lionsgate’s vast film and TV library. The deal…
A recent study published in the journal Personal Relationships explored the intricate links between self-esteem, happiness, and marital conflict in married couples, with particular attention to how these dynamics might differ based on whether the wife is employed. The findings…
Enlarge / Warehouse workers at the STL8 Amazon Fulfillment Center marched on the boss Wednesday to demand a $25 an hour minimum wage for all workers. (credit: via Justice Speaks) Amazon currently faces disgruntled workers in every direction. Office workers…
Enlarge / The Supreme Court of the United States in Washington, DC, in May 2023. (credit: Getty Images | NurPhoto) Four more large Internet service providers told the US Supreme Court this week that ISPs shouldn’t be forced to aggressively…
Enlarge / I hope you like radial menus, because you’ll be looking at a lot of them. Age of Mythology: Retold brings a lot of the usual advancements that you’d expect for a reboot of both the increasingly dated 2002…
Enlarge / Two radios said to have exploded in Lebanon, with photos later posted to social media. (credit: Various X users) Wireless communication devices have exploded again today across Lebanon in a second attack even deadlier than yesterday’s explosion of…
Enlarge / A promotional image for Amazon’s 4-Series Fire TVs. (credit: Amazon) A lawsuit is seeking to penalize Amazon for allegedly providing “fake list prices and purported discounts” to mislead people into buying Fire TVs. As reported by Seattle news organization…
Robert Pattinson’s character didn’t read his contract’s fine print in Mickey 17, director Bong Joon-ho’s latest film. It’s been five long years since director Bong Joon-ho’s film Parasite topped Ars’ list for best films of the year, whose prior work…
Unusual tusks on preserved skulls of dicynodonts influenced the look of a mythical beast painted by Southern Africa’s San people, a researcher suspects.
Animals including mammals usually protect their brains from infiltrating microbes that can cause disease. But some fish seem to do just fine.
Live Science spoke with leading psychiatrist Dr. Dinesh Bhugra ahead of his appearance at the HowTheLightGetsIn festival in London.
A study published in Journal of Personality & Social Psychology challenges the prevailing notion of the “gender-equality paradox” by deconstructing how gender differences vary across societies with high gender equality. The gender-equality paradox has garnered significant attention, positing that as…
Enlarge / The Kalalau Valley between sheer cliffs in the Na Pali Coast State Park on the western shore of the island of Kauai in Hawaii, United States. This view is from the Pihea Trail in the Kokee State Park.…
Enlarge / Artist’s conception of a dark matter filament containing a galaxy with large jets. (Caltech noted that some details of this image were created using AI.) (credit: Martijn Oei (Caltech) / Dylan Nelson (IllustrisTNG Collaboration).) The supermassive black holes…
Enlarge / The iPhone 16. (credit: Apple) If you’ve ever had an iPhone update go bad, you may have used recovery mode to resuscitate your device. A device booted into recovery mode can’t do anything by itself, but it can…
Enlarge / NASA officials inside SpaceX’s launch control center at Hangar X watch the liftoff of a Falcon 9 rocket a few miles away on March 3, 2024. (credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani) The Federal Aviation Administration alleged Tuesday that SpaceX violated…
The largest-ever black hole jets ever seen hint that these cosmic monsters may play an even more significant role in shaping galaxies than previously thought.
