‘I thought I was dead’: Terrifying video of humpback whale gobbling up kayaker explained
A humpback whale appeared to swallow then spit out a kayaker in a viral video filmed off the coast of Chile. But was he actually in any danger?
TECH DEIYO
Science and Technolgy blog
Sexual shame: A hidden barrier to women’s intimacy and fulfillment
A new review published in Sexes proposes that sexual shame reduces sexual arousal and desire, leading to poorer sexual functioning. Sexual shame itself is determined by a multitude of biological, psychological, and cultural factors. Sexual difficulties affect many women worldwide.…
Scientists reveal surprising factor that may prolong pregnancy
New research suggests that people who are exposed to higher levels of air pollution and extreme temperatures during pregnancy have longer pregnancies than people who are not exposed to these conditions.
DOGE’s .gov site lampooned as coders quickly realize it can be edited by anyone
“An official website of the United States government,” reads small text atop the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) website that Elon Musk’s team started populating this week with information on agency cuts. But you apparently don’t have to work in…
AI used to design a multi-step enzyme that can digest some plastics
Enzymes are amazing catalysts. These proteins are made of nothing more than a handful of Earth-abundant elements, and they promote a vast array of reactions, convert chemical energy to physical motion, and act with remarkable specificity. In many cases, we…
What we know about AMD and Nvidia’s imminent midrange GPU launches
The GeForce RTX 5090 and 5080 are both very fast graphics cards—if you can look past the possibility that we may have yet another power-connector-related overheating problem on our hands. But the vast majority of people (including you, discerning and…
Exercise boosts memory for up to 24 hours after a workout
What’s good for your heart is good for your brain. Just as physical activity helps keep our bodies fit and strong as we age, it also helps maintain our cognitive function – and is even linked with lower dementia risk.…
After 20% range reduction, I’m waiting for Jaguar to buy my car back
In November 2019, I was overjoyed to drive a new Jaguar I-Pace off the dealer’s lot. Five years later, I’m waiting for Jaguar to drive the car away. After two recalls for software updates, the car’s range is now permanently…
Reddit plans to lock some content behind a paywall this year, CEO says
Reddit is planning to introduce a paywall this year, CEO Steve Huffman said during a videotaped Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Thursday. Huffman previously showed interest in potentially introducing a new type of subreddit with “exclusive content or private…
Study shows growing link between racial attitudes and anti-democratic beliefs among White Americans
A new study published in the Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics has found that anti-democratic sentiments among white Americans, such as support for voting restrictions and the belief in widespread voter fraud, are strongly connected to racial attitudes, especially…
Arm to start making server CPUs in-house
Arm plans to launch its own chip this year after securing Meta as one of its first customers, in a radical change to the SoftBank-owned group’s business model of licensing its blueprints to the likes of Apple and Nvidia. Rene…
Brain inflammation affects behavior differently in males and females, study finds
A new study published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity has found that inflammation in a key memory center of the brain can change motivated behavior in mice, and these changes occur differently in males and females. The research shows that…
How a mushroom coral goes for a walk without legs
Time-lapse video shows how a mushroom coral polyp pulses and inflates, flinging its soft body into micro-hops to slowly move itself to a new location.
‘Next generation of laptops’: Intel unveils blueprints for a fully repairable and modular computer
Intel’s reference laptop design aims to cut e-waste and make computers you can easily repair.
Lake Vostok: The 15 million-year-old lake buried miles beneath Antarctica’s ice
Buried several miles beneath East Antarctica’s ice, Lake Vostok is one of the largest freshwater lakes on Earth, rivaling Lake Ontario in terms of size and volume.
Hookup apps linked to risky sexual behavior, boredom plays a role for women
College students who use dating apps like Tinder to find casual encounters are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors, according to new research published in Computers in Human Behavior. The study also revealed that while a desire for…
Rocket Report: A blue mood at Blue; Stoke Space fires a short over the bow
Welcome to Edition 7.31 of the Rocket Report! The unfortunate news this week concerns layoffs. Blue Origin announced a 10 percent cut in its workforce as the company aims to get closer to breaking even. More broadly in the space…
This computer scientist uses math to help people be treated fairly
Ariel Procaccia has always been fascinated by big questions and hard problems. As a teenager, one of his favorite books was Fermat’s Last Theorem. It tells the tale of how a single math puzzle stumped the world’s greatest minds for…
Pale Blue Dot: The iconic Valentine’s Day photo of Earth turns 35 today — and you’re probably in it
On this day 35 years ago, NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft took a picture that changed how we see our planet. The iconic “Pale Blue Dot” image is just as awe-inspiring today.
Scientists reveal ChatGPT’s left-wing bias — and how to “jailbreak” it
A new study published in the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization finds that ChatGPT, one of the world’s most popular conversational artificial intelligence systems, tends to lean toward left-wing political views rather than reflecting the balanced mix of opinions…
Do other animals kiss?
Kissing is a multifaceted and emotionally loaded behavior. Do other animals do it, too?
Study identifies predictors of women’s psychological well-being in romantic relationships
A recent study published in the journal Behavioral Sciences has shed light on what contributes to women’s psychological well-being within romantic relationships. Researchers found that feeling satisfied in their relationship, experiencing a good quality of sexual life, possessing empathy, and…
Microsoft Surface Pro 11 review: A compact and dazzling 2-in-1 hybrid
Possibly the best device in the Surface range so far
Are dating apps affecting your body image? Here’s what the research says
Around 350 million people globally use dating apps, and they amass an estimated annual revenue of more than US$5 billion. In Australia, 49% of adults report using at least one online dating app or website, with a further 27% having…
H5N1 testing in cow veterinarians suggests bird flu is spreading silently
Three veterinarians who work with cows have tested positive for prior infections of H5 bird flu, according to a study released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The finding may not seem surprising, given the sweeping and…
Anti-mandate protesters opposing COVID-19 rules often reject abortion rights
A study published in Sex Roles reveals that individuals who opposed COVID-19 public health mandates were also likely to oppose abortion rights. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted governments to balance public health measures with personal freedoms, leading to anti-mandate protests in…
Watch record-breaking great white shark get tagged and released off East Coast
Scientists have tagged a giant male great white shark off the East Coast. The researchers said “Contender” is the largest male white shark ever caught and studied in the northwest Atlantic.
Research shows how performance fears impact sexual satisfaction in young women
A study of a small group of Spanish young women found that those with lower sexual satisfaction tend to report more sexual inhibition due to the threat of performance failure and expected consequences of such failure. The research was published…
Condé Nast, other news orgs say AI firm stole articles, spit out “hallucinations”
Condé Nast and several other media companies sued the AI startup Cohere today, alleging that it engaged in “systematic copyright and trademark infringement” by using news articles to train its large language model. “Without permission or compensation, Cohere uses scraped…
Streaming used to make stuff networks wouldn’t. Now it’s seeking safer bets.
There was a time when it felt like you needed a streaming subscription in order to contribute to watercooler conversations. Without Netflix, you couldn’t react to House of Cards’ latest twist. Without Hulu, you couldn’t comment on how realistic The…
Burning in woman’s legs turned out to be slug parasites digging in her brain
It started with a bizarre burning sensation in her feet. Over the next two days, the searing pain crept up her legs. Any light touch made it worse, and over-the-counter pain medicine offered no relief. On the third day, the…
Even epic rainfall may not be enough to refill SoCal’s aquifers
More than a dozen atmospheric rivers dumped rainfall on California in 2023 but replenished only 25 percent of the water lost from aquifers since 2006.
AI reveals racial differences in “ideal” breast shape
A new study published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum shows that an artificial intelligence program can create realistic images of what many people consider the ideal female breasts—and that these ideals vary by race. Researchers used an online image…
Over half of LLM-written news summaries have “significant issues”—BBC analysis
Here at Ars, we’ve done plenty of coverage of the errors and inaccuracies that LLMs often introduce into their responses. Now, the BBC is trying to quantify the scale of this confabulation problem, at least when it comes to summaries…
Wheel of Time S3 trailer tees us up for Last Battle
Prime Video’s epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time returns in March. We’ve finally got a full-length trailer for Prime Video’s epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time, adapted from the late Robert Jordan‘s bestselling 14-book series of epic fantasy novels.…
Apple teases launch for “the newest member of the family” on February 19
Big news for people who prefer their product announcements to be pre-announced: Apple CEO Tim Cook says that the company has something brewing for next Wednesday, February 19. Cook referred to “the newest member of the family,” suggesting a launch…
In a first, zebra cams reveal herds on the move with giraffes
Six zebras wore video cameras attached to collars, capturing the equines’ daily life. Sticking with giraffes may let the two species protect each other.
“A sicker America”: Senate confirms Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary
The US Senate on Thursday confirmed the long-time anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services. The vote was largely along party lines, with a tally of 52 to 48. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R–Ky.), a…
The US is having its most active flu season in 15 years
The U.S. is currently experiencing very high levels of seasonal influenza across the country. Here’s why.
Eco-friendly actions boost happiness as much as hobbies, research shows
A recent study published in Psychological Science found that engaging in proenvironmental behaviors—such as cleaning up litter, reducing waste, or using sustainable transportation—boosts happiness and a sense of meaning. Remarkably, the effect was just as strong as that of engaging…
Citing too much “bureaucracy,” Blue Origin to cut 10 percent of its workforce
A little less than a month after the successful debut of its New Glenn rocket, Blue Origin’s workforce will be trimmed by 10 percent. The cuts were announced during an all-hands meeting on Thursday morning led by the rocket company’s…
Sam Altman lays out roadmap for OpenAI’s long-awaited GPT-5 model
On Wednesday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced a roadmap for how the company plans to release GPT-5, the long-awaited follow-up to 2023’s GPT-4 AI language model that made huge waves in both tech and policy circles around the world. In…
Astronomers may have just spotted the fastest planetary system ever seen
Researchers believe they have rediscovered a mysterious star system first spotted in 2011. If true, the alien sun and its exoplanet companion are speeding through our galaxy at more than 1.2 million mph. However, it is unclear if this is…
The Honda-Nissan merger is dead
The proposed merger between Honda and Nissan is officially dead. The plan, announced in late December, would have created the world’s third-largest automaker, displacing Volkswagen Group from the bronze on the podium. But it was also never quite seen as…
Scientists use cutting-edge analysis to determine whether church attendance really boosts charitable acts
A new study published in the Archive for the Psychology of Religion provides evidence that attending religious services actually causes an increase in charitable actions, like donating money and volunteering time. While the study found this causal effect to be…
Avowed review: Wait, are we the baddies?
At its heart, Avowed is a game about colonization. Your protagonist in this action-RPG from the Pillars of Eternity universe is the envoy for the Aedyran Empire, which has for years sent its occupying force to tame and control the…
The Honda-Nissan merger is dead
The proposed merger between Honda and Nissan is officially dead. The plan, announced in late December, would have created the world’s third-largest automaker, displacing Volkswagen Group from the bronze on the podium. But it was also never quite seen as…
Why a norovirus vaccine isn’t available — yet
Norovirus is highly infectious and causing a lot of illness this winter. Several vaccine candidates are making their way through clinical trials.
Scientists share groundbreaking image of the ‘cosmic web’ connecting 2 galaxies near the dawn of time
After hundreds of hours of observations, researchers captured a highly detailed image of a long filament of the “cosmic web” connecting two distant galaxies. The discovery opens new windows for understanding how structures form and evolve in the universe.
Supercomputer runs largest and most complicated simulation of the universe ever
Frontier, the second fastest supercomputer in the world, used dark matter and the movement of gas and plasma rather than just gravity to model the observable universe.
