Reactive dust from Great Salt Lake may have health consequences
When inhaled, metals left by the shrinking lake could cause inflammation. Experts say more studies are needed to understand the impact.
TECH DEIYO
Science and Technolgy blog
‘We have changed the view of our galaxy forever’: Astronomers capture most detailed ever infrared map of the Milky Way
Astronomers at the European Southern Observatory have released the largest infrared map of the Milky Way ever. The enormous dataset contains millions of new objects, and the researchers expect to scour it for discoveries for years to come.
Social contact reduces dementia risk in individuals with high neuroticism
Active social contact can reduce the increased risk of dementia associated with high neuroticism, according to a new study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders. Neuroticism, a personality trait characterized by emotional instability and a heightened stress response, is…
Meet the sneaky and surprisingly dangerous squall-line tornado
Meteorologist Thea Sandmael watched the storm close in. It was near enough for her to spot a rotating dome of clouds emerging from the storm’s dark underbelly. By the time the spinning mass was 10 minutes away, Sandmael and her…
Watch extremely rare footage of a bigfin squid ‘walking’ on long, spindly arms deep in the South Pacific
While exploring the Tonga Trench in the Southwestern Pacific Ocean, researchers captured extremely rare footage of a Magnapinna squid with arms several times the length of its body.
Brainwave patterns and politics: New study uncovers unexpected findings
Can brain activity predict voting behavior? A new study in Scientific Reports suggests that the answer is more complicated than expected. By measuring the N400 brainwave during exposure to political statements, researchers found differences in how Democratic and Republican voters…
‘The secret to living to 110 was, don’t register your death’: Ig Nobel winner Saul Justin Newman on the flawed data on extreme aging
Saul Newman’s research suggests that we’re completely mistaken about how long humans live for.
NIST proposes barring some of the most nonsensical password rules
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the federal body that sets technology standards for governmental agencies, standards organizations, and private companies, has proposed barring some of the most vexing and nonsensical password requirements. Chief…
Assassin’s Creed Shadows delayed after poor Star Wars Outlaws reception
Enlarge / The dual protagonists of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. (credit: Ubisoft) Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the long-anticipated next major edition in the popular historical, open-world game franchise, has been moved back from its previously announced November 15, 2024 release date. The…
OpenAI’s Murati shocks with sudden departure announcement
Enlarge / Mira Murati, Chief Technology Officer of OpenAI, speaks during The Wall Street Journal’s WSJ Tech Live Conference in Laguna Beach, California on October 17, 2023. (credit: PATRICK T. FALLON via Getty Images) On Wednesday, OpenAI Chief Technical Officer…
Spread of deadly EEE virus explodes 5-fold in New York; one death reported
Enlarge / An entomologist for the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness in a swampland area on August 25, 2021 in Louisville, Kentucky collecting various mosquito species, and testing the samples for mosquito-borne diseases, such as EEE. (credit:…
91 percent of Amazon employees are “dissatisfied” with remote work ending: Poll
Amazon corporate office building in Sunnyvale, California. (credit: Getty Images) An overwhelming majority of Amazon employees are “dissatisfied” with Amazon killing remote work and requiring them to be in the office five days a week next year. That’s according to…
Experts predicted way more hurricanes this year — here’s the weird reason we’re ‘missing’ storms
Here’s one reason why the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season has had such few storms.
Nuking an asteroid could save Earth from destruction, researchers show in 1st-of-its-kind X-ray experiment
A powerful burst of X-rays from a nuclear explosion could be used to stop Armageddon just in the nick of time, a new experiment suggests.
New self-swab HPV test is an alternative to Pap smears. Here’s how it works.
There’s a new way to screen for high-risk HPV, a viral infection that can lead to cervical cancer. This alternative method of collecting samples for cervical cancer screening doesn’t require a speculum.
DoNotPay has to pay $193K for falsely touting untested AI lawyer, FTC says
Enlarge (credit: style-photography | iStock / Getty Images Plus) Among the first AI companies that the Federal Trade Commission has exposed as deceiving consumers is DoNotPay—which initially was advertised as “the world’s first robot lawyer” with the ability to “sue…
Talking to ChatGPT for the first time is a surreal experience
Enlarge / Putting the “chat” in ChatGPT (credit: Getty Images) In May, when OpenAI first demonstrated ChatGPT-4o’s coming audio conversation capabilities, I wrote that it felt like we were “on the verge of something… like a sea change in how…
Meta’s new lightweight AR prototype shows a future beyond bulky VR headsets
Enlarge / The future’s so bright, Mark Zuckerberg’s gotta wear shades. (credit: Meta) Thus far, Meta’s heavily money-losing Reality Labs division has been primarily focused on bulky virtual reality headsets (and some odd, display-free Ray-Ban branded sunglasses). So when Meta…
Cox sues state in attempt to block $109 million in funding for rival ISPs
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Adrienne Bresnahan) Cox Communications asked a court to block Rhode Island’s plan for distributing $108.7 million in federal funding for broadband deployment. If successful, Cox’s lawsuit could prevent other Internet service providers from obtaining grants…
Getting morning sunlight can improve sleep quality, study suggests
A new study published in the Journal of Health Psychology has found that exposure to sunlight in the morning may improve sleep quality later that night. Individuals who spent time in the sun during the morning reported better sleep quality,…
Review: Intel Lunar Lake CPUs combine good battery life and x86 compatibility
An Asus Zenbook UX5406S with a Lunar Lake-based Core Ultra 7 258V inside. [credit: Andrew Cunningham ] Two things can be true for Intel’s new Core Ultra 200-series processors, codenamed Lunar Lake: They can be both impressive and embarrassing. Impressive…
Meta’s $300 Quest 3S trades a worse display for a lower price
Enlarge / Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg announces the Meta Quest 3 headset. (credit: Meta) At a Connect conference keynote today, Meta officially unveiled the Quest 3S headset, a cheaper version of last year’s Quest 3. The new spin-off device will be…
OpenAI asked US to approve energy-guzzling 5GW data centers, report says
Enlarge (credit: Anadolu / Contributor | Anadolu) OpenAI hopes to convince the White House to approve a sprawling plan that would place 5-gigawatt AI data centers in different US cities, Bloomberg reports. The AI company’s CEO, Sam Altman, supposedly pitched…
LG TVs start showing ads on screensavers
Enlarge / LG’s 2024 G4 OLED TV. (credit: LG) Last month, Ars Technica went on a deep dive into the rapid growth of ads in TV software. Less than three weeks later, LG announced that it was adding advertisements to…
A study in mice hints at a new way to treat spinal cord injuries
The finding suggests that a drug to ease swelling can speed recovery and stop cell death.
Large language models tend to express left-of-center political viewpoints
An analysis of 24 conversational large language models (LLMs) has revealed that many of these AI tools tend to generate responses to politically charged questions that reflect left-of-center political viewpoints. However, this tendency was not observed in all models, and…
Some of Earth’s extinct giants may have been smaller than thought
Evolving techniques and data indicate some ancient giants like Dunkleosteus and Megalodon may have been smaller than initial estimates suggested.
Human genome stored inside near-indestructible ‘5D memory crystal’ that could survive to the end of the universe
The record-breaking crystal will act as a DNA time capsule that could be used to bring back humanity after our extinction, researchers say. But not everyone is convinced.
Tesla Full Self Driving requires human intervention every 13 miles
Enlarge / An independent automotive testing company has evaluated Tesla FSD, and it found some concerning results. (credit: PonyWang/Getty Images) Tesla’s controversial “Full Self Driving” is now capable of some quite advanced driving. But that can breed undeserved complacency, according…
Tailwinds don’t help “everesting” cyclists
Enlarge / Physicist Martin Bier in an aerodynamic tuck, a cycling position that reduces wind resistance. (credit: Martin Bier) Many avid bicyclists these days have hopped onto the “everesting” bandwagon, in which one rides up and down the same mountain…
Pollen allergies drove woolly mammoths to extinction, study claims
A boom in vegetation at the end of the last ice age may have created so much pollen, it blocked mammoths’ sense of smell. A new study suggests this drove the beasts to extinction, but not everyone agrees.
Fantasy Football’s surprising relationship with mental health
A recent study published in Simulation & Gaming explores the mental health effects of playing Fantasy Football, with mixed results. The researchers found that higher levels of engagement, frequent team comparisons, and constant performance monitoring were linked to increased mental…
Semaglutide may reduce opioid overdoses, a new study suggests
A study of people with type 2 diabetes and opioid use disorder suggests that the key ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy shows promise against addiction.
Deep below the Arctic Ocean, some plants have adapted to photosynthesize in almost near darkness
Plants found to photosynthesize 160 feet beneath the surface of the Arctic Ocean offer tantalizing prospects for the future.
How did sharks become Earth’s ‘ultimate survivors’? Paleontologist John Long finds answers in new book ‘The Secret History of Sharks’
“The Secret History of Sharks” author John Long met with Live Science to discuss his new book, recent revelations about megalodons, and how he got over his fear of great whites.
32 of the world’s smartest animals
Though measuring animal intelligence is tricky, some animals show remarkable cognitive abilities that may rival our own.
Mysterious white substance smeared on 3,600-year-old mummies is world’s oldest cheese
When researchers tested a mysterious substance on the heads and necks of ancient mummies found in China’s Tarim Basin, they discovered that it was the world’s oldest cheese.
Google accuses Microsoft of antitrust violations over Azure cloud platform
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Justin Sullivan) Google has filed an antitrust complaint in Brussels against Microsoft, alleging its Big Tech rival engages in unfair cloud computing practices that has led to a reduction in choice and an increase in…
Psilocybin boosts mind perception but doesn’t reduce atheism
A recent study published in Journal of Psychoactive Drugs found that while psychedelic experiences increased mind perception across various entities, they did not significantly change individuals’ Atheist-Believer status. The relationship between psychedelics and belief systems has long fascinated researchers, particularly…
A brain network linked to attention is larger in people with depression
Brain scans revealed that teenagers with larger attention-driving networks were more likely to develop depression.
Scientists discover troubling brain changes in COVID-19 patients who lost sense of smell
A new study published in Scientific Reports sheds light on long-term neurological consequences of COVID-19. Researchers found that individuals who had anosmia (the loss of smell) during COVID-19 showed alterations in brain functionality and even physical structure during recovery. This…
This biologist tracks seadragons, with help from the public
Along the southern coasts of Australia, flashy fish called seadragons sport leaflike lobes that help them blend into kelp and seagrass. Seadragons “are like the marine version of a koala or kangaroo,” says Nerida Wilson. “They’re just that iconic.” Wilson…
Sensory overload: Study shows adults with ADHD have greater sensitivity to touch
A new study published in BMC Psychiatry provides insights into how adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) process tactile information differently from neurotypical adults. Researchers found that adults with ADHD were more sensitive to touch stimuli, both in self-reports…
Ghost of Yotei: The acclaimed Ghost of Tsushima is getting a sequel
Sony’s <em>Ghost of Yotei</em> trailer. If you’ve been sleeping on the Akira Kurosawa-inspired, Assassin’s Creed-esque samurai game Ghost of Tsushima, you’ve been missing out. Given that it recently got a PC release, this is a great time to catch up…
Caroline Ellison gets 2 years for covering up Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX fraud
Enlarge / Caroline Ellison, former chief executive officer of Alameda Research LLC, was sentenced Tuesday for helping Sam Bankman-Fried cover up FTX’s fraudulent misuse of customer funds. (credit: Bloomberg / Contributor | Bloomberg) Caroline Ellison was sentenced Tuesday to 24…
Hacker plants false memories in ChatGPT to steal user data in perpetuity
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) When security researcher Johann Rehberger recently reported a vulnerability in ChatGPT that allowed attackers to store false information and malicious instructions in a user’s long-term memory settings, OpenAI summarily closed the inquiry, labeling the flaw a…
Mysterious ‘horseman’ from lead coffin unearthed in Notre Dame Cathedral finally identified
The centuries-old remains at Notre Dame have been identified as Joachim du Bellay, a French Renaissance poet who died at age 37.
At-home flu vaccine approved by FDA — what to know
People could previously get the nasal spray flu vaccine, called FluMist, from a health care provider, but now they can administer it themselves.
Terminator’s Cameron joins AI company behind controversial image generator
Enlarge / Filmmaker James Cameron. (credit: James Cameron / Stability AI) On Tuesday, Stability AI announced that renowned filmmaker James Cameron—of Terminator and Skynet fame—has joined its board of directors. Stability is best known for its pioneering but highly controversial…
FBI: After dad allegedly tried to shoot Trump, son arrested for child porn
Enlarge (credit: Alex Schmidt / Getty Images) Oran Routh has had an eventful few weeks. In August, he moved into a two-bed, two-bath rental unit on the second floor of a building in Greensboro, North Carolina. On September 15, his…
